Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College instructor Dr. Pat West is one of thirty community college instructors selected from among nearly 3,000 chapter advisors to serve as Phi Theta Kappa’s 2017 Faculty Scholars. West is currently the Phi Theta Kappa co-advisor and Honors program director at the college’s Jefferson Davis Campus.

This is not the first time that West has been chosen to serve as a faculty advisor.  She previously served in 2009 at the University of Richmond; 2011 at Boston University; 2012 at the University of Denver; 2013 at Villanova University; and 2014 at Washington University. She also served for four years on the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Program Council which is responsible for writing the Phi Theta Kappa study guides.  Additionally, she instructs Phi Theta Kappa advisors at the society’s Leadership Certification Seminars held each summer.

Faculty scholars are selected through a rigorous application process through which they demonstrate excellence in teaching or administration.

“We congratulate the faculty scholars for being selected to serve and for their willingness and desire to surpass the traditional duties of an advisor by contributing in this manner,” said Susan Edwards, Phi Theta Kappa’s dean of Academic Affairs and Honors Programs.

Those chosen recently attended the Faculty Scholar Conference in Savannah, Georgia, where they prepared to serve as discussion facilitators for the 2017 Honors Institute at Loyola University of Chicago.

“The Faculty Scholar Conference is recognized internationally as one of the finest professional development programs available for community college faculty members,” Edwards said. “We are proud to once again offer this intense training experience to a new crop of Faculty Scholars as they prepare to serve as facilitators for Honors Institute.

During Honors Institute, the faculty scholars will lead groups of 15 to 18 honor students in seminar discussions of the issues presented by experts on the Honors Study Topic throughout the week.

“Approximately 450 Phi Theta Kappa members and chapter advisors from around the world will join us at Loyola University for Honors Institute next summer, and our faculty scholars will be ready to guide them through this pinnacle of honors programming experiences,” Edwards said.