Educational Support Services

The library features seating for students’ individual and group study, a classroom for the user education program, and reference and technical stations. In addition, it houses a 60-seat multimedia classroom/theatre, a student lounge, Honors Program facilities, the Center for Faculty, and the Distance Learning Program. The ground floor includes the Academic Support Center, the Testing/Assessment Center, Learning Disabilities Service, the Writing Center, and a large open computer lab for student use.

The library’s resources and services range from media to print and electronic books, subscription databases that include full-text newspaper and magazine articles to virtual reference services and online course materials. Due to our resource-sharing partnerships with SUNY and WALDO, we are able to provide extensive Interlibrary Loan services. Users can also search for resources in the Westchester County and New York Public Library Systems.

The library supports an extensive program of User Education through online tutorials that teach Information Literacy and introduce students to search strategies and the research process. Librarians also work with faculty members to develop assignments and research guides for all curricula.

The library is open 75 hours per week and on-site use of material and services is available to all. Books may be borrowed by registered students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and by Westchester County residents with a Westchester Library System card. Many of the resources are available remotely to anyone with an Internet connection, though access to subscription databases is limited to authorized users.

Media’s scope is institutional in nature is commonly used in classroom instruction, seminars, meetings and special events.

Students with a valid Westchester Community College I.D. may borrow certain types of equipment (with faculty approval) that have been identified for use in classroom presentations or assigned projects. Other acceptable forms of identification may be accepted, some restrictions may also apply.

The Media staff will gladly consult with individual faculty and students on the proper use of the various materials available.

Faculty must check with Media for availability and scope of need before assigning work to students who plan to incorporate technology into their work. Please call the Media Services at 914-606-6857 for details and appointments.

Computing Facilities
Computer facilities are located throughout the campus to provide state-of-the-art computer technology in support of instruction. Currently, there are almost 1,600 workstations on the main campus and over 2,000 including the extension sites, with more than 60% of these for student use. The college is planning to further increase the number of instructional use PCs in the next few years to meet the growing need for this technology. In order to keep pace with technological advancements, hardware and software in these facilities are also periodically updated on a rotational basis. Most facilities provide access to the college’s local area network, the Internet, and a comprehensive library of computer software such as, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access), Visual Basic, C++, Adobe PageMaker, Illustrator, and Photoshop, AutoCAD, Visual Studio, Dreamweaver, and MS FrontPage.

Computers are used in every discipline. Student PCs are located in the Technology Building, Academic Arts Building, Classroom Building, Science Building, Health  Science Building, Student Center, and Library. There are forty-eight labs available to students who are enrolled in specific courses or program areas, with the exception of the Open Lab in the Library and TEC-25B in the Tech Building, which are open to all for-credit students. The program areas where computer technology are used extensively include Accounting, Business Organization & Management, Computer Science & Computer Information Systems, English, Environmental Studies, Graphic Arts, Language, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Office Technology, Nursing, Physics, Respiratory Care, Technology, and many others. Students who are registered for non-credit courses have PCs set aside for their special use in any one of the three labs maintained by the Division of Continuing Education in the Technology Building and the Classroom Building. In addition, the college has extension sites in Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, Ossining, Peekskill, and White Plains, all of which contain computer labs.

The ASC is a free tutorial designed to support courses in Prealgebra, Beginning Algebra, College Algebra with Trigonometry, College Algebra: Functions and Models, Writing across the curriculum, Science, College Reading & Study Skills and Advanced Reading as  well as English as a Second Language courses (ESL) including; Introduction to Academic Writing I & II, English for Academic Purposes, Writing Intensive and Writing Workshop. A variety of math, science, writing, and reading topic-specific workshops and special final exam review sessions are offered in specific content areas. Additional workshops are available to enhance test-taking skills and study skills.

The Academic Support Center is located on the Ground floor of the Library and the Science Building. Both peer and senior tutors (some of whom are adjunct instructors) are available for individual and small group tutoring. In conjunction with this tutorial help, a wide variety of audio-visual and computer software is available to provide assistance in math, reading, study skills, pronunciation and ESL. In most  instances, the software correlates with the coursework. For more information, please check our web site at www.sunywcc.edu/asc

Tutorial Centers
Assistance in other areas such as accounting, computers, mathematics and physics is available at the college tutorial centers. For detailed information, including locations and hours of operation, please consult “Don’t Drop Out...Drop In” brochure available at the Academic Support Center, Counseling Office and at other locations throughout campus.

For further information, please contact the Academic Support Center at 914-606-6470.

Developmental Courses
Developmental courses (credit and non-credit) are given in reading, writing, and mathematics through the Reading and Study Skills Department, the English Department, and the Mathematics Department, respectively. Students are placed into these courses on the basis of their performance on a placement exam administered by the Testing and Assessment Center. The courses are intended to help students improve the basic skills needed to succeed in other college courses. A letter grade is given for performance in the course and is recorded on the student’s transcript. Students may also receive supplementary help for these courses through tutoring in the Academic Support Center and the Writing Tutorial Center.

College Success
This three-credit elective course is designed to help students sharpen the skills that are essential for academic and personal success. The course applies theory and practice from many academic disciplines. It includes topics such as values clarification, goal setting, critical thinking, and study skills. Students are encouraged to take College Success during their first semester. Contact Meralee Silverman, 914-606-6678, Chair, Department of Reading and Study Skills, for further information.