OTC chancellor to receive international award

Ozarks Technical Community College Chancellor Hal Higdon has been chosen to receive Phi Theta Kappa's Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction.

The award is presented to 10 presidents or chancellors each year out of more than 1,200 chapters of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year college students. The awards will be presented today during the organization's annual international convention, according to an OTC news release.

Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction recipients are nominated by their colleges and chosen by the Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors.

According to the release, the award is given to college leaders who have provided extensive support and resources to the local Phi Theta Kappa chapters, including faculty adviser release time, a line-budget item, financial support allowing the chapter to participate in regional and international events, and scholarships for the organization's members.

Phi Theta Kappa students must carry a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. At OTC, the local chapter inducts new members twice a year.

The award is named after the late Shirley B. Gordon, who served as chairwoman of the Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors for 20 years and was president emeritus of Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash.