By Leah Moore
University Strategies has implemented a program this fall called StrengthsQuest. The program, an online assessment, is designed to help students develop strengths by building on their talents, abilities, attitudes, habits, ways of seeing the world and ways of interacting with people.
“It is a survey letting students know their top five strengths,” said Brian Searcy, student success coordinator.
With StrengthsQuest, students can:
- Discover their greatest talents
- Improve their grades and increase their learning
- Increase their potential strengths by focusing on their talents, not their weaknesses
- Determine a career path that will best suit them based on their strengths
“We hope the students will gain insight into how they can use their strengths to help in their academic, social and career pursuits,” said Searcy.
StengthsQuest is quickly becoming one of the highlights of University Strategies. One student describes StrengthsQuest as her favorite part of the class.
“I like identifying who you are and applying it to your college career,” said Amber Cleek, Broken Arrow freshman.
After completing the online assessment, Cleek learned that her top five strengths are: connectedness, restorative, input, includer and harmony. Cleek believes the results of her assessment to be accurate.
“The information can be helpful to students who want to better understand that piece,” said Cleek.
In order to help students learn and understand their strengths, Dr. Evelyn Woods, assistant dean of Student Affairs, and Sarah Turner McGowen, coordinator of student rights and responsibilities, help instruct a five-part series during weeks three, five, six, 12, and 15.
The series involves a breakdown of 34 strengths, in a layered concept; it focuses on the definition of the strengths, how to integrate the strengths into daily activities, and how to incorporate the strengths among groups of people. It is a way to teach and motivate students to reach for excellence.
“We are interested in people being the best they can be,” said Woods.
Week three focuses on the philosophy and components of the strengths. Week five focuses on time management. In week six, students will concentrate on learning styles and how the styles can help in a class room. Students will also learn how strengths can work and how to use strengths daily.
StrengthsQuest help employees, as well as students, to understand their strengths and how they work and how to better communicate with co-workers. Not just students and employees; people in general can take what they learn from StrengthsQuest and incorporate it into their daily lives. StrengthsQuest help people appreciate their Strengths.
“It explains some straits that might have been viewed as negative and frames them in a way that’s positive,” said McGowen.
An open session to the public is scheduled Sept. 20 and Oct. 1, at 3:30 p.m., in the University Center, Room 226.
“Attendees will learn how their Strengths can work for them,” said Woods.
Registration is encouraged, but not required. To register for open session, or for more information, contact Dr. Evelyn Woods or Sarah Turner McGowen, at (918) 444-2120.
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