Best Practices: Tompkins Cortland Community College

"To see strengths and unique potential in every person. To inspire people to make the courageous choice to learn, grow, and serve" is the Vision Statement for Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3), located in Upstate New York and one of the 30 SUNY community colleges. We began working with Gallup and StrengthsQuest in 2004 with a few pilot programs. The strengths journey now begins for all students and staff as soon as they become involved with the college, and everyone is given the opportunity to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder during orientation programs. The philosophical concepts of strengths development for individual, team, and organizational development are part of the core of our institution.

"The inventory is the science, but the art is understanding how your themes interact and how you can apply them to create YOUR success." Cory

Students engage with strengths development and application throughout their experience, both inside and outside the classroom, including: orientation programs; freshman seminars' developmental reading, writing, math, and other program courses; advisement; residence life; academic support services; diversity programming; leadership development; career exploration and job search programs; conflict resolution; and other programming. Academic programs, including nursing, communications, and early childhood education have integrated strengths development and application into their curriculum.

Staff and faculty are introduced to the foundation concepts of strengths-based development as soon as they join the campus team. Strengths are identified and shared (including on desk nameplates) and play a significant role in individual and team development and evaluation. New faculty are introduced to the concepts of strengths-based advising during their initial orientation and advisement training. Staff across the college, including the president, are involved in creating "moments that matter" for each other and for our students.

TC3 is also committed to helping our colleagues and sister institutions develop themselves and their institutions as strengths-based educators and campuses. Staff and faculty travel to state, regional and national academic, student affairs and leadership conferences and meetings to present and share strengths successes and experiences. We host a regional strengths-based campus conference each spring; over the past three years, it has been attended by more than 250 participants, representing more than 20 colleges and universities. Training and consultation has been provided to dozens of institutions across the country, including approximately 20 SUNY campuses. New initiatives include enhancing our high school partnerships by helping those schools develop strengths-based campuses.

"I love knowing what I'm good at instead of what I'm bad at." Noah

Realize. Experience. Succeed. YOU Unlimited!