OTC chancellor to receive international Award of Distinction

Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College, has been chosen to receive the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year college students.  Out of more than 1,200 Phi Theta Kappa chapters, only 10 presidents or chancellors are chosen for this award each year.  The award will be presented Friday, April 13, in Nashville, Tenn., at the organization’s annual international convention.

Recipients of the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction are nominated by their colleges, and chosen by the Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors.  The presidents and chancellors who receive the award have provided extensive support and a variety of resources for their colleges’ Phi Theta Kappa chapters, including faculty advisor release time, a line-item budget for the chapters, financial support for chapters to participate in regional and international events, and scholarships for Phi Theta Kappa members.

The Award of Distinction is named after the late Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, who served as Chair of Phi Theta Kappa’s Board of Directors for 20 years.  She was President Emeritus of Highline Community College in Des Moines, Washington.

Phi Theta Kappa honors students who have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, and places its emphasis on leadership, service, scholarship and fellowship.  Ozarks Technical Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa inducts new members twice each year.