Tompkins Cortland Community College seeks feedback on strategic plan

Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) is seeking feedback as it transitions in the coming months from the 2019-25 strategic plan to a plan for 2025-28.

The college is providing a strategic planning external stakeholder input form that takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete, according to a release. Access to the short survey is available at tc3.edu/community. The form is open until early April.

The new strategic plan focuses on four directions, including accountability and transparency, innovation and excellence, career and transfer and identity and belonging.

“The TC3 strategic plan details the college’s institutional priorities, which will guide the college over the next three years,” said Michelle R. Nightingale, TC3’s dean of organizational development and institutional effectiveness. “To formulate the plan, we are gathering input from campus and community stakeholders.”

The survey, Nightingale said, asks some basic background questions and seeks input on the participant’s perception of TC3.

“Those taking the survey also have the option to answer several open-ended questions about TC3’s strengths, the challenges facing our community and how the college can more effectively serve our community partners,” she added.

Participation in the survey is voluntary and confidential, the release noted.

The release continued: “The survey does not collect any personally identifiable information. All responses and feedback will be analyzed and used to develop the final plan.”

Nightingale noted that during the strategic planning process in 2019, TC3 received close to 600 responses.

“Like last time, we hope to have strong participation from the community for the [2025] survey,” Nightingale added.

Nightingale said that once community feedback is analyzed, TC3 will draft the 2025-28 plan in April and May. By June, the goal is for the college to have the plan completed and voted upon by TC3’s board of trustees.

If approved, the new strategic plan will go into effect by July 1.

“TC3 president [Amy] Kremenek highly values the input from our community partners as critical to informing this strategic plan,” Nightingale said. “TC3 aims to continue serving our local community by providing skilled graduates, high-quality education and meeting the needs of the community. We can’t do that without hearing from the people we serve.”

The 2019-25 strategic plan can be viewed at tompkinscortland.edu/college-info/strategic-plan-2019.

For more information, questions or comments on the strategic planning process, email Nightingale at MRN@tc3.edu or Malvika Talwar (TC3’s vice president of institutional effectiveness) at MT056@tc3.edu.

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Results from village elections

The results are in from the elections held on March 18 in the villages of Dryden and Freeville.

In the Dryden mayoral race, Democratic incumbent Mike Murphy was elected to a fifth term. Murphy beat Republican opponent Tom Corey by a 159-to-54 margin.

Incumbent Jason “Lou” Dickinson and newly elected Allison Buck, both Democrats, respectively received 156 and 170 votes in the Dryden board of trustees election. Republic candidate David Bravo-Cullen received 53 votes.

Stephanie Ortolano was reelected to the Freeville board of trustees with a total of 48 votes. Newcomer William Olson received 45 votes to be elected to the village board.

Dryden organizations to host ‘Community Connections’ event on March 29

Various organizations in Dryden will host a “Community Connections” event on Saturday, March 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dryden Fire Department at 26 North St.

The event is “an opportunity for community members to connect with local nonprofits, service organizations, town groups, and sports teams, as participants or as volunteers,” according to a description. 

The event description continued: “Many people are seeking meaningful relationships and to participate in their community, yet they are struggling to find activities that match their interests. At the same time, many organizations are experiencing low membership. By bringing people together, we hope to strengthen local groups, foster engagement, and help others find fulfilling ways to contribute.”

The event gives community members a chance to connect with organizations and causes to:

• Experience the joy of rewarding volunteer opportunities
• Form new friendships through social events
• Make a lasting impact in your life and community
• Inspire the next generation through youth programs

Confirmed organizations attending the event include American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Cub Scouts Pack 24, Dryden/Groton Girl Scouts, Dryden Fiber, Dryden Fire Department, Dryden Kitchen Cupboard, Dryden Rotary Club, Dryden Sports Boosters, Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund (DYOF), Family Reading Partnership, Foodnet Meals on Wheels, Freeville Fire Department, Kiwanis Club of Dryden, Love Living at Home, McLean Fire Department, McLean Food, the Southworth Library Association, Tompkins County 4-H with Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tompkins County Amateur Radio Association, Tompkins County Office for the Aging, Town of Dryden Historical Society, Dryden Rail Trail, Troop 24 (Scouting America) and the Varna Fire Department.

Food at the event will be available for purchase from Locos Tacos between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The food truck will remain open for an hour after the event concludes.