TC3 - News

People: FacultyContact: Peter Voorhees, news@TC3.edu

External Relations

607.844.8222, Ext. 4351
Paralegal Certificate Program Approved by State
TC3 Faculty Member Wins Statewide Broadcasting Award
TC3 Faculty Member Selected to Participate in AP Test Grading
Faculty, Staff Receive Awards at Commencement
TC3 to Celebrate 41st Commencement May 20
TC3's Hoffman Signs Contract with Random House Division for Latest Novel
8/6/2010
Paralegal Certificate Program Approved by StateNew Offering Opens Options for People Looking for Career ChangeDRYDEN, N.Y. – The State University of New York and the New York State Education department have given final approval for a new paralegal certificate program at Tompkins Cortland Community College. The program was approved by the College's Board of Trustees earlier this year. 
 
The College has long offered a paralegal associate in applied science (A.A.S.) degree, but the certificate fills a different need. Unlike any other program offered at TC3, the paralegal certificate requires entering students to have completed at least a bachelor's degree. Program Chair Professor Robert Sarachan says the new offering is in response to years of requests from people looking to change careers who had already completed a four-year degree and for whom a subsequent two-year degree was not a good fit. "Historically a high percentage of students inquiring about our paralegal program have already completed some college work, and many had completed other degrees," said Sarachan. While the paralegal A.A.S. degree program requires both law and general education classes, the certificate program includes only law classes. "The new certificate program will allow students with a bachelor's degree to earn the paralegal certificate in as little as two semesters of online work," said Sarachan.
 
For a student who already has a bachelor's degree, the paralegal certificate offers similar benefits as the A.A.S. degree. "The paralegal classes are the same for either the certificate or the degree," said Sarachan, noting that all are taught by practicing lawyers. "This is a good option for someone with a bachelor's degree to improve their marketability or to change careers with a two-semester college program. There is a solid demand for paralegals locally and nationally, and the placement of graduates of our degree program is strong. We expect the success of our certificate graduates to be comparable."  
 
Students can begin the certificate program this fall.
 
People: Faculty
back to top
7/21/2010
TC3 Faculty Member Wins Statewide Broadcasting AwardXaver Honored for Work on WCNYDRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College Professor and communication and media arts program chair Chris Xaver, Ph.D. was honored by the New York State Broadcasting Association recently. Xaver, a reporter for WCNY-TV "Central Issues" program, was part of the team recognized for "Best Public Affairs Program or Series" at the 44th Annual competition for Excellence in Broadcasting. This year marks the first time WCNY, public television in Syracuse, has been honored by the New York State Broadcasting Association.
 
"Central Issues," WCNY's daily news and public affairs program, won for an investigation by Xaver into the Syracuse City School District bus policy. Xaver, who involves her students in all her experiences at WCNY, said the award-winning story was the result of a collaboration with TC3 students in her broadcast journalism class. "Whenever I do a story, I always bring my notes into class and talk through the story with my students," she said. "We talk about key questions – who else should we talk about, what's left to find out, where should we go next. With this piece, a key element of the story came directly from a student's question."
 
Xaver works on each feature story for at least six weeks, allowing her students to be deeply involved with the process. "I go over every step of the story with them. Sometimes the students go on shoots, and they're always involved with the writing," said Xaver. "It's a great experience for the students to see how things get done in the real world. Plus it gives them the chance to be involved with something that airs on a real station."
 
People: Faculty
back to top
6/28/2010
TC3 Faculty Member Selected to Participate in AP Test GradingDr. Jacob Among Chosen to Grade and Evaluate International TestDRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College Associate Professor and biotechnology program chair James R. Jacob, Ph.D. was selected to participate in the annual reading and scoring of the College Board's Advanced Placement Examinations in biology earlier this month.
 
The AP Program, which is sponsored by the College Board, gives more than 1.5 million high school students each year an opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses and examinations. Based on their exam performance, successful students can receive credit and/or advanced placement when they enter college. 
 
More than 2.9 million examinations from more than 30 AP Courses were evaluated by over 10,000 AP Readers from universities and high schools. Representing many of the finest academic institutions in the world, these educators come from the United States, Canada and abroad. 
 
The AP Reading is a unique forum in which academic dialogue between high school and college educators is fostered and strongly encouraged. 
 
"The Reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors that the world has to offer," said Trevor Packer, vice president of the Advanced Placement Program at the College Board. "It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas, and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are very grateful for the contributions of talented educators like Dr. Jacob."
 
People: Faculty
back to top
5/20/2010
Faculty, Staff Receive Awards at CommencementDRYDEN, N.Y. – Seven faculty and staff members were honored for excellence during the commencement ceremonies at Tompkins Cortland Community College Thursday.
 
Lisa Ford, professor of English and chair of the creative writing program, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Teaching. She was honored for her passionate dedication to teaching, the wide range of techniques she uses to reach students, and for her willingness to make the success of his students the absolute priority of hers service to the College. Ford joined the faculty in 1994.
 
Kelly Wessell, associate professor of biology and chair of the environmental studies program, also received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was recognized for his enthusiastic commitment to teaching and the success of our students, and for his involvement in promoting sustainability practices at the College. Wessell joined the faculty in 2006.
 
Ralph Shortell, director of campus activities, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Shortell was recognized for the highest level of commitment to the College and its students, and for the influential role he played in establishing a dynamic, close campus community. Shortell, who is retiring this year, started at the College in 1975. 
 
Leslie Carpenter, secretary for academic administration, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Classified Service. She was credited with exceeding the standards for her position in a creative and innovative fashion. She started at TC3 in 1982.
 
James Jacobs, associate professor of biology and chair of the biotechnology program, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. He was recognized for service encompassing numerous areas within the academic and professional sphere, including playing a key role in organizing the College's 40th Anniversary Celebration. Jacob joined the faculty in 2000.
 
Keith Millman, associate professor and chair of the new media program, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. He was credited with going above and beyond his job responsibilities in terms of his dedication to teaching and his students. Millman joined the faculty in 2000.
 
Cindy Sloan, adjunct instructor of sociology, received the Trustees' Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. She was recognized for exceeding standards in a creative and innovative fashion. Her commitment to student success and the development of the teaching craft were also cited in her recognition. 
 
Shari Shapleigh, director of health services, received the Faculty Student Association (F.S.A.) Award for Employee Excellence. Shapleigh was honored for her outstanding efforts in expanding the presence of TC3's health services and for her support of other employees in the F.S.A.
 
People: Faculty
back to top
5/6/2010
TC3 to Celebrate 41st Commencement May 20Alumnus Harriette Rovner Ferguson to Deliver Commencement AddressDRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College will award certificates and associate's degrees to about 670 graduates during its 41st Commencement ceremony Thursday, May 20. The ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the College's gymnasium. 
 
Harriette Rovner Ferguson, a 1972 graduate of the College, will be the main speaker. She received her bachelor's degree from SUNY Brockport and her master's degree at SUNY Stony Brook. She is a psychotherapist in private practice in Smithtown, New York, and is considered a leading expert in the field of infertility.
 
The ceremony will also include remarks from TC3 President Carl Haynes, Board of Trustees Chair Roxann Buck, and student trustee Evan McGonagle. Individual students will be honored for academic-related achievement, and faculty and staff will receive Chancellor's/Trustees' Awards for excellence in teaching, professional service, adjunct teaching, and classified service. A Friend of the College award will also be presented, recognizing an individual for his contributions to the College.
 
People: Faculty
back to top
11/16/2009
TC3's Hoffman Signs Contract with Random House Division for Latest NovelDRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College English Instructor Cara Hoffman has signed a six-figure deal for publication of her novel, So Much Pretty, with Shaye Areheart Books at Random House. 
 
The novel is a work of literary noir about a young woman's disappearance from a rural New York town, an event that exposes the community's failure to acknowledge a murderer in their midst. Publication date is Spring 2011.
 
Hoffman, a former newspaper journalist, based her novel on experiences she had living in Central New York and working as a reporter.
 
"My inspiration for this novel," she said, "comes from a desire to expose the prevalence of violence against women, to show all the intimate details that comprise a culture of misogyny and silence we often take for granted." 
 
Hoffman had a non-traditional education. She dropped out of high school and spent her adolescence traveling and working in Greece and the Middle East. She returned home in the 90s and, while raising her son, took various jobs at community newspapers before being hired as county reporter for The Cortland Standard. During this time she also published two books on a small press and won several grants and awards for her fiction.
 
"I had no desire to ever go to school." Hoffman said. "I knew I wanted to be a writer and I figured the best education would be reading and working in that field."
 
Hoffman began what has grown to be a strong connection to TC3 when she met English professor Phil Tate in 2004. He connected her with Professor Lisa Ford, chair of the creative writing program. Ford invited Hoffman, who had just published her first novel NIKE, to come to the College as part of the new "visiting writer" program. Later she interned in Bruce Need's academic writing class.
 
The experience helped change the path of her life.
 
"I was amazed by the dedication of Lisa's writing students, and by the work she was doing with them," said Hoffman. "And I could relate to their experiences. My resistance to the idea of getting a degree began to change. I wanted to be a professor and I couldn't do it without the diploma." She applied to Goddard College's Master of Fine Arts Program, graduated in June 2009, and was hired to teach English at TC3.  
 
"One of the reasons I love teaching here is because my students bring so much to the table. They refuse to be limited by background or life's circumstances, and they're incredibly self-reliant, down-to-earth, and funny. TC3 students are some of the hardest working, most (real-world) worldly college kids in the region. All of us who teach here are lucky."
 
People: Faculty
back to top

Tompkins Cortland Community College

	Skip to Content
	Calendar \| Mobile \| myTC3 \| A-Z List \| Search
	Alumni Faculty Staff Students Trustees	People: Faculty Contact: Peter Voorhees, news@TC3.edu External Relations 607.844.8222, Ext. 4351 Paralegal Certificate Program Approved by State TC3 Faculty Member Wins Statewide Broadcasting Award TC3 Faculty Member Selected to Participate in AP Test Grading Faculty, Staff Receive Awards at Commencement TC3 to Celebrate 41st Commencement May 20 TC3's Hoffman Signs Contract with Random House Division for Latest Novel 8/6/2010 Paralegal Certificate Program Approved by State New Offering Opens Options for People Looking for Career Change DRYDEN, N.Y. – The State University of New York and the New York State Education department have given final approval for a new paralegal certificate program at Tompkins Cortland Community College. The program was approved by the College's Board of Trustees earlier this year. The College has long offered a paralegal associate in applied science (A.A.S.) degree, but the certificate fills a different need. Unlike any other program offered at TC3, the paralegal certificate requires entering students to have completed at least a bachelor's degree. Program Chair Professor Robert Sarachan says the new offering is in response to years of requests from people looking to change careers who had already completed a four-year degree and for whom a subsequent two-year degree was not a good fit. "Historically a high percentage of students inquiring about our paralegal program have already completed some college work, and many had completed other degrees," said Sarachan. While the paralegal A.A.S. degree program requires both law and general education classes, the certificate program includes only law classes. "The new certificate program will allow students with a bachelor's degree to earn the paralegal certificate in as little as two semesters of online work," said Sarachan. For a student who already has a bachelor's degree, the paralegal certificate offers similar benefits as the A.A.S. degree. "The paralegal classes are the same for either the certificate or the degree," said Sarachan, noting that all are taught by practicing lawyers. "This is a good option for someone with a bachelor's degree to improve their marketability or to change careers with a two-semester college program. There is a solid demand for paralegals locally and nationally, and the placement of graduates of our degree program is strong. We expect the success of our certificate graduates to be comparable." Students can begin the certificate program this fall. People: Faculty back to top 7/21/2010 TC3 Faculty Member Wins Statewide Broadcasting Award Xaver Honored for Work on WCNY DRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College Professor and communication and media arts program chair Chris Xaver, Ph.D. was honored by the New York State Broadcasting Association recently. Xaver, a reporter for WCNY-TV "Central Issues" program, was part of the team recognized for "Best Public Affairs Program or Series" at the 44th Annual competition for Excellence in Broadcasting. This year marks the first time WCNY, public television in Syracuse, has been honored by the New York State Broadcasting Association. "Central Issues," WCNY's daily news and public affairs program, won for an investigation by Xaver into the Syracuse City School District bus policy. Xaver, who involves her students in all her experiences at WCNY, said the award-winning story was the result of a collaboration with TC3 students in her broadcast journalism class. "Whenever I do a story, I always bring my notes into class and talk through the story with my students," she said. "We talk about key questions – who else should we talk about, what's left to find out, where should we go next. With this piece, a key element of the story came directly from a student's question." Xaver works on each feature story for at least six weeks, allowing her students to be deeply involved with the process. "I go over every step of the story with them. Sometimes the students go on shoots, and they're always involved with the writing," said Xaver. "It's a great experience for the students to see how things get done in the real world. Plus it gives them the chance to be involved with something that airs on a real station." People: Faculty back to top 6/28/2010 TC3 Faculty Member Selected to Participate in AP Test Grading Dr. Jacob Among Chosen to Grade and Evaluate International Test DRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College Associate Professor and biotechnology program chair James R. Jacob, Ph.D. was selected to participate in the annual reading and scoring of the College Board's Advanced Placement Examinations in biology earlier this month. The AP Program, which is sponsored by the College Board, gives more than 1.5 million high school students each year an opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses and examinations. Based on their exam performance, successful students can receive credit and/or advanced placement when they enter college. More than 2.9 million examinations from more than 30 AP Courses were evaluated by over 10,000 AP Readers from universities and high schools. Representing many of the finest academic institutions in the world, these educators come from the United States, Canada and abroad. The AP Reading is a unique forum in which academic dialogue between high school and college educators is fostered and strongly encouraged. "The Reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors that the world has to offer," said Trevor Packer, vice president of the Advanced Placement Program at the College Board. "It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas, and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are very grateful for the contributions of talented educators like Dr. Jacob." People: Faculty back to top 5/20/2010 Faculty, Staff Receive Awards at Commencement DRYDEN, N.Y. – Seven faculty and staff members were honored for excellence during the commencement ceremonies at Tompkins Cortland Community College Thursday. Lisa Ford, professor of English and chair of the creative writing program, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Teaching. She was honored for her passionate dedication to teaching, the wide range of techniques she uses to reach students, and for her willingness to make the success of his students the absolute priority of hers service to the College. Ford joined the faculty in 1994. Kelly Wessell, associate professor of biology and chair of the environmental studies program, also received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was recognized for his enthusiastic commitment to teaching and the success of our students, and for his involvement in promoting sustainability practices at the College. Wessell joined the faculty in 2006. Ralph Shortell, director of campus activities, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Shortell was recognized for the highest level of commitment to the College and its students, and for the influential role he played in establishing a dynamic, close campus community. Shortell, who is retiring this year, started at the College in 1975. Leslie Carpenter, secretary for academic administration, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Classified Service. She was credited with exceeding the standards for her position in a creative and innovative fashion. She started at TC3 in 1982. James Jacobs, associate professor of biology and chair of the biotechnology program, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. He was recognized for service encompassing numerous areas within the academic and professional sphere, including playing a key role in organizing the College's 40th Anniversary Celebration. Jacob joined the faculty in 2000. Keith Millman, associate professor and chair of the new media program, received the Chancellor's/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. He was credited with going above and beyond his job responsibilities in terms of his dedication to teaching and his students. Millman joined the faculty in 2000. Cindy Sloan, adjunct instructor of sociology, received the Trustees' Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. She was recognized for exceeding standards in a creative and innovative fashion. Her commitment to student success and the development of the teaching craft were also cited in her recognition. Shari Shapleigh, director of health services, received the Faculty Student Association (F.S.A.) Award for Employee Excellence. Shapleigh was honored for her outstanding efforts in expanding the presence of TC3's health services and for her support of other employees in the F.S.A. People: Faculty back to top 5/6/2010 TC3 to Celebrate 41st Commencement May 20 Alumnus Harriette Rovner Ferguson to Deliver Commencement Address DRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College will award certificates and associate's degrees to about 670 graduates during its 41st Commencement ceremony Thursday, May 20. The ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the College's gymnasium. Harriette Rovner Ferguson, a 1972 graduate of the College, will be the main speaker. She received her bachelor's degree from SUNY Brockport and her master's degree at SUNY Stony Brook. She is a psychotherapist in private practice in Smithtown, New York, and is considered a leading expert in the field of infertility. The ceremony will also include remarks from TC3 President Carl Haynes, Board of Trustees Chair Roxann Buck, and student trustee Evan McGonagle. Individual students will be honored for academic-related achievement, and faculty and staff will receive Chancellor's/Trustees' Awards for excellence in teaching, professional service, adjunct teaching, and classified service. A Friend of the College award will also be presented, recognizing an individual for his contributions to the College. People: Faculty back to top 11/16/2009 TC3's Hoffman Signs Contract with Random House Division for Latest Novel DRYDEN, N.Y. – Tompkins Cortland Community College English Instructor Cara Hoffman has signed a six-figure deal for publication of her novel, So Much Pretty, with Shaye Areheart Books at Random House. The novel is a work of literary noir about a young woman's disappearance from a rural New York town, an event that exposes the community's failure to acknowledge a murderer in their midst. Publication date is Spring 2011. Hoffman, a former newspaper journalist, based her novel on experiences she had living in Central New York and working as a reporter. "My inspiration for this novel," she said, "comes from a desire to expose the prevalence of violence against women, to show all the intimate details that comprise a culture of misogyny and silence we often take for granted." Hoffman had a non-traditional education. She dropped out of high school and spent her adolescence traveling and working in Greece and the Middle East. She returned home in the 90s and, while raising her son, took various jobs at community newspapers before being hired as county reporter for The Cortland Standard. During this time she also published two books on a small press and won several grants and awards for her fiction. "I had no desire to ever go to school." Hoffman said. "I knew I wanted to be a writer and I figured the best education would be reading and working in that field." Hoffman began what has grown to be a strong connection to TC3 when she met English professor Phil Tate in 2004. He connected her with Professor Lisa Ford, chair of the creative writing program. Ford invited Hoffman, who had just published her first novel NIKE, to come to the College as part of the new "visiting writer" program. Later she interned in Bruce Need's academic writing class. The experience helped change the path of her life. "I was amazed by the dedication of Lisa's writing students, and by the work she was doing with them," said Hoffman. "And I could relate to their experiences. My resistance to the idea of getting a degree began to change. I wanted to be a professor and I couldn't do it without the diploma." She applied to Goddard College's Master of Fine Arts Program, graduated in June 2009, and was hired to teach English at TC3. "One of the reasons I love teaching here is because my students bring so much to the table. They refuse to be limited by background or life's circumstances, and they're incredibly self-reliant, down-to-earth, and funny. TC3 students are some of the hardest working, most (real-world) worldly college kids in the region. All of us who teach here are lucky." People: Faculty back to top
	Share on Facebook Tompkins Cortland Community College P.O. Box 139 · 170 North Street · Dryden, New York 13053 1.888.567.8211 — 1.607.844.8211 Contact the webmaster for web site or accessibility issues.