TC3 News
Events
TC3 to Celebrate 44th Commencement on May 23
May 16, 2013
Tompkins Cortland Community College will celebrate the achievements of about 725 graduates during its 44th Commencement ceremony Thursday, May 23. The ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the College's gymnasium.
Dr. Randol Contreras, a 1994 graduate of TC3 and now an Assistant Professor of Sociology at California State University-Fullerton, will be the main speaker. Dr. Contreras did his undergraduate work at City College (CUNY) and received his Ph.D. in Sociology from The Graduate Center. He has done research in the South Bronx neighborhood in which he was raised, focusing on men who organized to rob drug dealers storing large amounts of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and cash. He has been published extensively and most recently released a book called The Stickup Kids: Drugs, Violence, and the American Dream, a book in which he credits TC3 for being instrumental in his education and career.
The ceremony will also include remarks from TC3 President Carl Haynes, Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Burns, and Student Trustee Jacqueline Matza. Individual students will be honored for academic-related achievement, and faculty and staff will receive various Chancellor's/Trustees' Awards for Excellence. A Friend of the College award will also be presented, recognizing an individual for her contributions to the College.
Big Pink/Big Blue Tops $10K Raised in 2013
May 14, 2013
Now in its fifth year, the Tompkins Cortland Community College “Big Pink” fundraiser has reached a significant milestone. The 2013 edition of the “Big Pink” see-saw marathon, which now also features the “Big Blue” dodgeball tournament, took in more than $10,000 for the first time. The 2013 fundraising total was $10,449, bringing the five-year total to $35,625 raised. All the money raised goes to The Cancer Services Program of Cortland and Tompkins Counties.
The 2013 editions of “Big Pink” and “Big Blue” were held on April 5. This was the first time the single-year fundraising total had topped $10,000. The previous best year was 2012, with $8,531 raised.
As has been the case each year, the events were supported by TC3 students, staff, alums, and community members. “Big Pink” and “Big Blue” are organized by the TC3 College Entertainment Board.
Ithaca Mayor Myrick Visit
October 18, 2012
Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick will visit Tompkins Cortland Community College on Wednesday, October 24. Myrick will spend the day visiting with student leaders, meeting with College officials, and offering a presentation called "Why College Students Should Vote.” The presentation will be at noon in the student center and is open to the public. The visit is sponsored by the TC3 Student Governance Association.
Myrick, the youngest mayor in Ithaca’s history and one of the youngest mayors in the country, was a student at Cornell University when he was first elected to Ithaca’s Common Council. He will speak about his personal experiences, including the struggles of being raised by a single mother along with three siblings. His presentation will be based on his strong belief that it’s crucial for young people to be engaged in their colleges, community, and the democratic process.
Following the public presentation, Myrick will be a guest at a luncheon with campus student leaders. He will conclude his visit to TC3 by meeting with College President Carl Haynes.<./p>
October 3 is Completion Day at TC3
September 26, 2012On October 3, Tompkins Cortland Community College will be participating in New York State Completion Day, an initiative of all 37 community colleges in the state of New York. The 30 State University of New York (SUNY) and seven City University of New York (CUNY) community colleges, which have a combined enrollment of more than 330,000, have set the day to send a simple message: Students who complete an associate degree have better prospects for jobs, scholarships, and transfer to four-year schools.
New York’s two-year schools have each planned multiple Completion Day events. Working with Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year schools, each campus will hold campaigns asking students to sign a pledge to complete their degree or certificate program. Campuses will also hold resource fairs to provide information about academic, advisement, and financial support services that can help students reach their goals.
At TC3, the bulk of the activities will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the student center. Phi Theta Kappa will have a table set up with the pledge and the student success office and the office of counseling, career, and transfer services will each have representatives on hand. At 12:15, the Provost and Vice President of the College John Conners will speak, talking about the real benefits of completing a degree. The president of the TC3 chapter of PTK, Joanie Fink, will also speak about the value of completing a degree from a student's perspective.
TC3 Graduates Class of 2012
May 24, 2012Recognize that the only failure is the failure to try. That was one of the messages delivered to the Class of 2012 during commencement ceremonies at Tompkins Cortland Community College Thursday. The College celebrated its 43nd commencement in front of over 1,800 people in the College's gymnasium.
The class of 2012 includes 793 graduates, the largest class in the College's history. Among those participating in the ceremony was student trustee Alicia Smith, who shared her thoughts on the value of her education at TC3. "The true value of our time here cannot be captured in words or found in a text book. It is an experience, where much has changed," she said. "We have grown from clueless kids to the future teachers, doctors, lawyers, scientists, artists, businessmen, or whatever your dream may be. Now is our time to make a difference, and without the help of the TC3 administration and staff, we wouldn't be standing here today celebrating the hard work we have accomplished."
The main address came from John Cape, a 1971 graduate of TC3, who was the New York State budget director during the Pataki administration. He spoke of the opportunities that came from his time at TC3. "That foundation gave me all the tools I needed to build a rich and rewarding career that eventually brought me back here this evening," he said, noting that his time at TC3 was the only formal classroom education he received. He urged graduates to recognize, as they move on with life, the difference between their work and their jobs. "Your job is, first, to think for yourself," he said. "Never trust other people's assumptions, but understand for yourself the facts and numbers – know where they came from and how they were derived. Whatever your endeavor, before you do your work, make sure you do your job."
Cape also talked about what's ahead for this class. "Your generation is a time of tremendous opportunity if you only know where, and how, to look. Browning once wrote, 'A person's reach should exceed their grasp, or what's a heaven for?' Those are words to live by. Don't settle for the practical, or even the possible – TC3 has made you better than that."
TC3 President Carl Haynes was the last speaker. "Tonight we celebrate your achievement – it's something you've earned through a combination of inspiration, initiative, hard work, and perseverance. Whether you realize it now, through the act of completing this degree or certificate, you have undergone a transformation," said Haynes, who talked about the new responsibilities each graduate now has as a result of this transformation. "This degree enables you to pursue opportunities that did not exist for you previously, and it is your responsibility to make the most of those opportunities and truly put your TC3 education to work."
President Haynes ended by praising the community service projects undertaken by this class, including raising over $25,000 for cancer services in Tompkins and Cortland Counties. "The evidence is clear: you understand the value of giving back to your community. And you understand the rewards of your service. I want to encourage you to not only continue your commitment to this service, but to use your academic achievements and abilities to innovate in this area as much as you innovate in your professional lives. As the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 'It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping themselves.”
TC3 to Host Bioenergy Conference
April 13, 2012Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) is looking to engage the community in a discussion on bioenergy. TC3 is hosting a two-day conference sponsored by a grant from the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) called "Bioenergy Opportunities in Upstate New York." The conference opens on TC3's Dryden campus from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 27 and continues on Saturday, April 28 with open houses at various locations in the community. The conference costs $25 for the public, $10 for students, and is free for TC3 students. Friday's breakfast and lunch are included with the registration fee.
"Our aim is to update and educate key stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges concerning the interdependencies between education, agriculture, business, and our region's economic and energy outlook," said conference organizer In Shik Lee, TC3's SUNY GREENS NY program coordinator. The conference will feature bioenergy experts from a variety of areas, including education, non-profit organizations, agriculture, and industry. Part of the focus of the event will be to gather, brainstorm, and disperse information and draft a plan for a bioenergy curriculum proposal at the community college level.
"The collaboration of stakeholders in education, agriculture, and business is the key to the development of a successful bioenergy economy in New York," said Lee. "This conference will be the first step for TC3 to help grow the bioenergy industry in Central New York."
To registration or find more information, visit www.tc3.edu/about_tc3/sustainability.asp, email info@tc3.biz, or phone 844-6586.
TC3 Open House
March 25, 2012TC3 sponsored an open house on Friday, April 6, 2012. The next open house will be scheduled for the fall semester. Setting up a campus tour is still possible by appointment.
What can you do at Open House?
- Meet faculty during academic sessions
- Take a student-guided tour of campus
- Apply for admissions and financial aid
- Meet our coaches
- Walk through our on-campus housing
- Explore student life opportunities
Campus Tour
Can’t make it to Open House? No problem. You can still visit campus.
Tours are offered Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. We also offer special group sessions where families and interested students can sit down with an admissions representative and have their questions answered. Group sessions are held on Tuesday and Thursday at 10:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., with a campus tour following the session. Campus tours are also available on Monday evenings at 5 p.m. PLEASE CALL AHEAD TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.
To set up your visit you may call 607.844.6580,
or e-mail admissions@TC3.edu.
TC3 Offers Winter Sports Clinics
December 6, 2011Tompkins Cortland Community College will host clinics for basketball, baseball, and softball this winter. The clinics are put on by the TC3 coaching staff with student- athletes from the College's varsity teams assisting.
The basketball clinic will be held on Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the TC3 gymnasium. It is open to boys and girls ages 6 to 12. The basketball clinic costs $15 and includes admission to that afternoon's TC3 varsity basketball games.
The baseball clinics are open to players of all ages and abilities, and will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on the first three Saturdays in February (2/4, 2/11, and 2/18). The three-clinic series costs $75 and will be held in the BorgWarner Morse TEC Field House on the TC3 campus.
The softball clinics are the weekend of February 25-26 and are open to girls ages 10 to 18. A pitching skills clinic will run from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 25 and a hitting skills clinic will run from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 26. The clinics cost $25 each, or both for $45. The softball clinics are also held in the BorgWarner Morse TEC Field House at TC3.
The paperwork for the clinics is available at www.TC3.edu/Panthers/camps.asp. Questions can be directed to the athletics office at 844.8222, Ext. 4472 or athletics@TC3.edu.
TC3 Celebrates International Education Week
November 11, 2011Tompkins Cortland Community College will host a series of activities November 14-18 as part of International Education Week. In addition to on-campus contests and special activities for students and staff, the community is invited to participate in much the week has to offer, including the keynote presentation Wednesday. Professor and Director of the Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security at the University of Vermont Dr. Saleem Ali will offer a presentation entitled "Constructive Consumption: Greening a Poor Planet."
The presentation starts with the question: would the world be a better place if we curbed our desires for material goods? Ali will use examples from his book Treasure of the Earth: Need, Greed and Sustainable Future to argue for a more ecologically driven economic and social system that helps reduce global poverty. The presentation is free and open to the public, starting at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the TC3 Forum.
The week's activities will also include an International Student Panel, with TC3 students from around the world talking about what it's like for them to be a student in the United States compared to their home countries. The panel will also include an American student who studied and traveled abroad. The student panel is Monday at noon in room 263.
Also on Monday, College students and staff will conduct an International Dance Exhibition and Workshop, featuring several types of native dances. The dancing begins at 3 p.m. in the lower cafeteria.
Tuesday will feature a Chinese Calligraphy Demonstration at noon in the cafeteria, and Thursday is being promoted as "Wear Your Traditional/National Attire Day." Ongoing throughout the week will be a photo exhibit themed on the Mark Twain quote "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness" and the TC3 Eatery has added an international lunch menu to its offerings.
International Education Week was started by the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Education to provide an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. The activities at TC3 are supported by the Global Initiatives Office, the Office of Multicultural Services, the Office of Student Success and Advisement Services, the Global Initiatives Council, the Diversity and Equity Action Council, and the academic departments of English as a Second Language and Environmental Science.
Emmy Award Winning Producer and Writer to Speak at TC3
September 14, 2011Emmy Award-winning producer and writer Tom Seeley will speak about his experiences in Hollywood Wednesday, September 21 at the Forum at TC3. The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Seeley, who will visit with TC3 communication and media arts classes during the day, has over 25 years of experience in Hollywood. His credits include such hit TV shows as "Newhart," "Cheers," and, more recently, "Hannah Montana." He was a producer for "Murphy Brown" when the show won the Emmy award for Best Comedy Series in 1990.
His latest project is a sitcom based in Central New York. Seeley is writing, producing, and directing the show, tentatively called "Upstate." This summer he worked with TC3 faculty, students, and alumni on starting the process of creating a pilot for the show, even filming parts of the show in Cortland.
Seeley also teaches screenwriting at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
TC3 Holds Public Open House at New Cortland Extension Center
September 12, 2011Tompkins Cortland Community College will hold a public open house at the new Cortland Extension Center on Friday, September 16 from noon to 5 p.m.
Visitors to the open house at 157 Main Street will be able to tour the facility and learn more about the services available at this location. College officials will be on hand, including representatives from the admission and financial aid offices.
The new extension center features six new classrooms, two of which are computer labs. The classrooms are "smart" classrooms, each equipped with a computer and audio/visual hookup to a pull-down screen, as well as a document camera and DVD console. The center is also home to a new boardroom as well as a large training room.
TC3 Moves to New Cortland Extension Center
July 11, 2011Tompkins Cortland Community College's Cortland Extension Center is moving. The current center at 22 West Court Street will close for good at the end of the day on Wednesday, July 6. After moving on Thursday and Friday, the new center at 157 Main Street will open on Monday, July 18. A formal grand opening celebration and open house are planned for September.
The new TC3 Cortland Extension Center greatly expands the College's ability to serve the community, providing a convenient, centralized space for college credit courses, customized professional training, and business use. "The new extension center allows us to be more responsive to the community's needs," said Martha Hubbard, director of TC3.biz. "Our students will now be able to engage in learning in 'smart classrooms' up-to-date with the latest academic technology, and our business partners will not only have a new, expanded space for on-site customized training, but the center also features a professional board room available for reservation, excellent parking, all in a centralized location."
The new extension center features six new classrooms, two of which are computer labs. The classrooms are "smart" classrooms, each equipped with a computer and audio/visual hookup to a pull-down screen, as well as a document camera and DVD console. "The smart classrooms really bring the full TC3 college classroom experience into Cortland," said Hubbard. "Not only does this allow us to expand our schedule in terms of offerings, but we can also expand the diversity of offerings at the new extension center."
On the business side, the new extension center serves as a potential hub for Cortland-area businesses looking for professional meeting spaces and the customized training that is a specialty of TC3.biz. A new boardroom is available in the center, as well as a large training room. "Customized training, targeted to the specific needs of our local business partners, is really the core of the TC3.biz partnership with Cortland. With new space, we're able to offer an opportunity to Cortland-area employers who don't have adequate training space available, or who seek that 'out-of-the-office' opportunity for training."
TC3 Hosts Blood Drive July 27
July 8, 2011Tompkins Cortland Community College is hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, July 27. The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the College's Student Center.
To be eligible, donors must be at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health, and not have donated blood in the past 56 days (112 for double red cell donations).
To schedule an appointment, contact the TC3 Student Activities Department at 844-8222, Ext. 4450 or activities@tc3.edu.
