Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is an Honor Society for community and two-year colleges that started in 1918. Bismarck State College’s own chapter started in 1960 as the Kappa Omicron Chapter, and it is currently under the advisement of Michael Tomanek, an Associate Professor of English at BSC. Dan Leingang will also be stepping in as part of the faculty advisory staff for PTK.

Tomanek first became the PTK adviser back in fall of 2013 as one of four faculty advisers, but took a break when he became a department chair. He has now returned with a plan to get the organization back to what it once was.

“PTK is a chance for students who are academically focused to hang out socially and network with other students,” Tomanek said.

Though BSC has continued to admit students into its Phi Theta Kappa chapter, the in-person student organization has been dormant since COVID. An effort was begun to change this in Spring of last year, when a meeting was held to nominate and elect officers. As of now, four of the five positions are filled.

Chance Leingang is the student president of Phi Theta Kappa. He became the president following encouragement from Tomanek. The other officers include VP of Scholarship, Rutendo Masangwi; VP of Service, Eden Dunn; and VP of Leadership, Cianna Fanta.

“It’s beneficial for more than just being on your resume. You gain actual skills being in it,” Leingang said, “The more work you put into it, the more you’re going to get out of it ... it’s proportional to what you want to put in.”

Students who are a potential candidate for PTK should check their BSC emails, as applications were sent out to eligible students by Tomanek on Sept. 18. The deadline to return applications is Oct. 16, and Tomanek will be hosting an informal Q&A soon to answer any questions students may have.

Phi Theta Kappa has scheduled official meetings for every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month from 2-3 p.m. in Skogen Hall 209. They are also in the process of setting up an online space for distance students and others who can’t attend the in-person meetings to either attend virtually or watch recordings of the meetings.