Incoming students at the University of Iowa leave orientation sessions with more than new friends and a fall class schedule. They conclude the summer programming with a new perspective on their talents—and they are putting that knowledge to use.

Starting in 2016, first-year students began taking the Clifton StrengthsFinder, an online assessment tool that identifies one’s top strengths, or talent themes. The 34 themes range from Activator and Arranger to Deliberative and Developer. Use of the tool is part of Be Better @ Iowa, a campuswide initiative that aims to help undergraduates become successful students, leaders, citizens, and employees. Some 13,000 current students have completed the assessment.

“We want students to learn what they do best and then practice those skills,” says Paul Mintner, associate director for leadership and service programs in the UI Center for Student Involvement and Leadership. “Once they have a sense of their strengths, they’re more likely to apply what they know.”

The top five strengths for Bernardo Duarte—Achiever, Competition, Woo, Communication, and Strategic—align well with his desire to work in the field of industrial organizational psychology, helping teams improve workplace productivity. The biology and psychology major admits, however, that he was a little surprised by Woo, a strength identified in people who enjoy talking to strangers and winning people over.

“I mostly just thought of that as something I did, but it is extremely helpful in my work as a resident assistant in Stanley Hall, where I make connections with close to 40 residents,” says the sophomore from Johnston, Iowa. “Since learning more about my strengths, I have been able to identify when each one is playing a role in what I do. This has enabled me to work even harder at using those strengths in things I am involved in, and I plan to focus more on them moving forward.”

Asking students to think about and apply their strengths is part of a larger UI goal to become an institution known for creating leaders. Programming is offered throughout the year to help students learn to leverage their strengths, and some 30 academic courses have integrated strengths into their curriculum. Emphasis is placed on participation in high-impact experiences, such as an internship or involvement in a student organization and on student leadership competencies developed by author and researcher Corey Seemiller.

“Being able to connect learning in the classroom with learning outside the classroom is the start of a pathway to success,” Mintner says. “For example, if a student is a resident assistant and also studied abroad, then they probably learned problem-solving in both and they should be able to articulate that.”

Students are encouraged to build upon their strengths to help them reach their goals. Madeline Slater, a sophomore from Forest City, Iowa, says knowing her strengths—Communication, Futuristic, Adaptability, Strategic, and Responsibility—allows her to troubleshoot.

“I feel like I’m better equipped to break down a situation and figure out what went wrong. I know, for example, that I’m a strategic person and need to have my week planned out. If I don’t take the time to do that, it will hinder me,” says Slater, a resident assistant in Catlett Hall who is majoring in global health studies. “Whether it confirms something you already know or it gives you an extra boost of confidence, the StrengthsFinder assessment is a nice opportunity to learn more about yourself.”

Although other institutions across the U.S. have utilized the Clifton StrengthsFinder in their programming, Mintner says Purdue University is the only one in the Big Ten Conference that that has integrated strengths to the same extent as the UI. Having campus buy-in is key, he says.

“This really is a campuswide initiative—it’s not just one office taking the lead,” he says. “It’s a shared enterprise, and it is building.”

Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in Be Better by completing training and integrating strengths into their work, be it in the classroom, through advising, or as part of co-curricular activities, and nearly 300 already have done so. An online tool kit is available for those who complete the first level of training.

The initiative, which was developed through the UI’s Student Success Team, is gaining momentum. In 2016–17, 63 percent of students surveyed reported having discussed their strengths in at least one setting, and more than 1,600 first-year students participated in a high-impact experience. Among the groups on campus that are utilizing the strengths model are Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Career Leadership Academy, Theme Semester Student Ambassadors, the President’s Leadership Class, On Iowa! leader training, UI Student Government, and more.

Mintner says he is encouraged by the initiative’s first year of implementation.

“It is a huge undertaking, and I am thankful for everyone who is committed to it,” he says. “Ultimately, we want students to start off at the University of Iowa knowing themselves well so that when they leave, they’ll have great confidence that they can succeed. It’s not that students aren’t satisfied when they leave Iowa or that their education is not quality, it’s that we have a responsibility to help them connect their learning across contexts and then apply it.”

Kate Vittore, a sophomore from Libertyville, Illinois, who is studying marketing and business analytics in the Tippie College of Business, says knowing her strengths—Communication, Futuristic, Strategic, Maximizer, and Woo—will help her as she prepares for a career in health care administration.

“I feel empowered as an individual. Knowing my strengths is motivation to embrace my unique qualities and utilize them in everyday life,” she says. “I plan on using my strengths beyond my years at Iowa. I want to be a great leader, and these are qualities that are important in being successful.”