A First-Time Student Orientation Event at the Southeast Campus
Tulsa Community College will be hosting Power Up! Student Convocation at the Southeast campus on Sept. 18, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
The event, encouraging students to “Elevate your college game,” will host a variety of resources, sessions, and opportunities to connect with TCC students, faculty, and staff. The organizers are planning to have no shortage of fun with food and have giveaways for attendees.
The TCC Connection had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Eunice Tarver, vice president of Student Success and Chief Student Affairs Officer ahead of Wednesday’s event.
When asked about Power Up!, she expressed how excited she was for students to have the opportunity to engage with one another and to walk away with a newfound connection.
Community is so much better when you have folks to connect with, when you know your neighbors, and this is a get to know your neighbor event.
She said, “I want students to feel like they have a community… that is why we designed this Power Up! event. It’s to really be intentional about creating an opportunity for students to come together and connect so they leave better than they came with a new connection, or two, or three, or five…”
Schedule for the day
The programming for the day is divided into four types of workshops, each covering two sessions, and a singular “Power Hour.”
| Workshop | Session 1 | Session 2 |
| Welcome | 2 – 2:15 p.m. | 5 – 5:15 p.m. |
| Level Up: Explore Majors & Careers | 2:25 – 3:15 p.m. | 5:25 – 6:15 p.m. |
| Empowerment Sessions | 3:30 – 4 p.m. | 6:30 – 7 p.m. |
| Power Hour | 4 – 5 p.m. | 4 – 5 p.m. |
Welcome to Power Up!: The welcome event kicks off each session at the Y@TCC. This program is a great way to jump into the fun and guide your way through the rest of the festivities.
Level Up: Explore Majors & Classes: Meet with faculty and staff to discover the opportunities available for each major. Whether seeing what career possibilities exist, how far your major can take you, or deciding on a major, this workshop can help you plan your future.
The Average Tulsa Community College student changes their major three (3) times.
“What does a major mean? What’s the best fit for you?”
Questions Dr. Eunice Tarver, vice president of Student Success and Chief Student Affairs Officer,
posed that this workshop is designed to help you answer
Empowerment: College can be overwhelming and a lot to handle. These sessions provide advice, support, and tools to manage it all.
Four sessions will be available:
- Managing Your Stress: Reducing Stress & Anxiety via the Mind
- The Help Hub: All the Resources You Need, In One Place
- Beating the Levels: Ensuring Your Academic Success
- Level Builder: Creating the Community You Need to Succeed
Power Hour: The entire TCC community is invited to Lot 5 to connect with new friends, enjoy food, music, activities, giveaways and door prizes, and more.
Beyond PowerUp!
There is no shortage of resources and opportunities available to students year-round at Tulsa Community College. Many are available through the Student Help Hub: Resource Center.
However, alongside traditional and standard TCC resources, the college also may provide help with housing, food, utilities, transportation, childcare, and even legal services. Informational sessions from Career Services are held frequently over internship opportunities, in both webinar and in-person events. Their offices are available on every campus.
Engage with a ‘Culture of Fun’
As a community college, TCC has different opportunities for engagement available than a traditional four-year institution, including more than enough activities and ways to get involved.
When asked about student engagement, Dr. Tarver shares, “Research says there is a strong correlation between students who engage and students who complete.”
In addition to community and connection, culture is another experience she explains students can have through engagement. “We are here to do serious work, the work of getting a degree or a certificate that’s going to lead us to a family sustaining wage. But while doing it, college should be one of the best opportunities or era of your life… part of our work as well, is building and developing and investing in a culture of fun.”
“The Week @ TCC” is a student newsletter sent out every Monday that details news and events across the college community. Stories of achievement and FAQ are shared alongside announcements and updates.
In an effort to be sure that she stays in touch and in contact with the student body, Dr. Tarver mentioned that she hosts a monthly focus group that alternates between campus locations.
“It’s a place to make community and to meet other students, and then to tell us, as administrators … how can we make TCC a better experience for you?” The focus group sessions provide lunch and offer an opportunity for students to speak and be heard by a TCC vice president.
They are tremendous, tremendous instruments of knowledge … build a relationship with them.
Dr. Eunice Tarver, vice president of Student Success and Chief Student Affairs Officer,
on the faculty and staff at Tulsa Community College
A parting piece of advice
Given the opportunity to share last thoughts, Dr. Tarver encouraged students to get involved and to know the community available at TCC.
Please take the time to tap into the resources, get to know the staff. We can become some of your greatest ambassadors and champions of success.
