The new school year has begun and this fall semester is unprecedented with the COVID-19 pandemic many colleges going online for the foreseeable future. Tulsa Community College (TCC) is no different, offering classes in blended, online, in-person, and Zoom formats.
To increase student interaction and foster a close-knit college student community, Tulsa Community College has launched a monthly subscription service, “TCC Blue To You,” where students can sign up for goodies and campus information.
“Since most of our classes are now online, we decided to mail students information and giveaways they would normally receive from Student Life on campus,” Jennifer Champion, assistant director for Student Life, West Campus, said. Champion explained that there would be a maximum of 200 students for each sign-up.
“We had this idea in June for the Blue to You boxes,” Kassey Steele, director of Student Life said. Steele mused that with the popularity of subscription boxes such as Ipsy and Birchbox, this would be a cool way to connect with students and deliver campus information to TCC students.
“We miss our students! We know that things may be tough, and students may feel disconnected not being on campus,” Steele exclaimed about the reason for the program. “Although we are providing some great content digitally, sometimes it’s nice to receive something tangible. It also was a unique way to promote our services, activities and resources to students.”
Steele said the boxes will include giveaways for items such as headphones and t-shirts. Student Life staff will be including the Student Life monthly event calendar to keep students updated on upcoming events on campus.
TCC students will need to sign up every month to receive a bag and there will be a reminder on the website and social media at the end of every month.
Jennifer Beatie, dean of Student Services, Southeast Campus, said, “We got the idea about six weeks ago and immediately started researching and planning.” Beatie acknowledged there would be interest in the box but stated TCC is thrilled at the level of interest from the student community.
Beatie said that each box will be different and will offer a variety of materials such as test-taking tips, campus information, information about wellness, TCC spirit items, and more. “Yes, this will be free and we will offer it monthly this Fall and evaluate for Spring after getting student feedback,” Beatie replied.
Steele is enthusiastic about the student reaction. Within 24 hours, there were over 200 students that signed up. “We are hoping that these boxes help students realize we miss them, we care about them and there are a multitude of ways to be involved, even in a primarily digital environment,” Steele stated.
Students may contact Student Life if they have ideas to include in the box. Check out www.tulsacc.edu/TCCBlueToYou
