There’s a very specific kind of energy that comes with the start of the year when regular meetings with TPSIDs meetings are on the calendar—and every year, I forget just how much I’ve missed it until we’re right back in it.
Over the next few weeks, we’re meeting with our new TPSID grantees to hear about their goals and needs for the next five years. These meetings are part relationship-building, part big-idea brainstorming, and a really important reminder of why Think College exists as the National Coordinating Center in the first place.
At this stage, nothing is fully polished yet. Program models or expansion plans are still evolving. Goals are ambitious, sometimes messy, sometimes beautifully specific, and often still being tested out loud. And that’s exactly where the good stuff happens!
Less “Check the Box,” More “Tell Us What You’re Dreaming About”
While these meetings do include the necessary nuts and bolts: roles, project goals, timelines, and how we’ll work together- our technical assistance team is especially excited about the conversations that don’t come from a script.
We want to hear:
- What problems you’re trying to solve on your campus or in your community?
- What feels exciting and what feels daunting?
- Where you’re feeling confident and where you’re hoping for support.
Because our role as the National Coordinating Center isn’t to hand you a one-size-fits-all model and say, “Good luck.” It’s to listen carefully, connect dots across programs, and help you build something that works in your context.
Why These Conversations Matter So Much
Every TPSID program comes in with different institutional cultures, student populations, partners, and constraints. That variety is a strength, but only if we take the time to understand it.
These introductory meetings help us:
- Tailor technical assistance instead of defaulting to generic advice
- Anticipate common challenges before they turn into barriers
- Learn from grantees as much as we support them
And yes, sometimes they help us realize, “Oh, this is an area where we need to build better tools or resources.” That kind of feedback loop is essential if we’re serious about continuous improvement across the field.
Shared Goals, Real Relationships
One of the things I love most about TPSIDs is that it’s never just about compliance or outcomes on paper. It’s about students with intellectual disability accessing meaningful, inclusive college opportunities and programs doing the hard work of making systems change stick.
Those goals are big. They require trust, honesty, and real partnership.
The intro meetings are where that partnership begins. They’re where we move from names on a grant award list to actual humans who care deeply about students and access. They’re where we start building the kind of working relationships that make it easier to ask for help, share challenges, and celebrate wins together down the road.
What We’re Most Excited About Right Now
As we kick off this new cohort, I’m especially energized by:
- The creativity we’re seeing in program design
- The intentional focus on employment, belonging, and systems-level change
- The questions grantees are asking- not just about what to do, but how to do it well and sustainably
It’s clear that this group isn’t just interested in starting programs- they’re interested in building programs that last and that raise the bar for inclusive higher education.
Onward
To our new TPSID grantees: we’re genuinely glad you’re here. We’re excited to learn from you, to support you, and to walk alongside you over the next five years.
And to everyone following the new NCC and TPSID cohort, know that these early meetings and conversations matter. They set the tone for collaboration, innovation, and shared accountability across the network.
We’re just getting started, and if these intro meetings are any indication, it’s going to be a really good year with so much to look forward to.