Weekly Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles – October 21, 2016
Taking advantage of the beautiful weather earlier this week, the student versus faculty/staff/administrator softball game was a great way to bring everyone together on the field. We have been having great success in our Athletics Department with our soccer team clinching the Mid-Hudson Championship. Both soccer and volleyball will be going to their respective regional tournaments. Our men’s cross country team finished 20th at the St. Joseph’s College Invitational on Long Island. This is outstanding considering the team has not been active since the 1970s. We are impressed with the work they are doing and excited about building this program. Our student athletes carry with them the Viking spirit. Let’s continue to find ways to support our teams by attending a game or wearing our Vikings athletic gear on campus. Go Vikings!
At the recent Board of Trustees meeting I shared exciting news about our intentional and focused efforts on cohort management. Our 2013 cohort, which we officially report later this fall, has hit the 16 percent mark, increasing four percentage points in two years! This is the result of collective and collaborative effort from our faculty, staff, and strategic enrollment management team.
The Student Success and Academic Excellence Summit steering committee is now transitioning its work to implementation. Based on input from the Summit, the team identified priority areas for action. They will report their findings and a proposed timeline to implement the work ahead. I encourage each of you to get involved as the next phase is announced. Our work is richer when we have more people participating in accomplishing our shared goals.
Our school visits continue to inform us about distinguishing characteristics, student experiences, and advancement opportunities. In addition to these meetings, we encourage department chairs to involve their faculty to provide additional insight regarding what makes the student experiences unique and transformative. We will provide the results of these inquiries to our marketing and communications area to enhance our outreach materials that showcase the features and benefits of each school.
Special thanks to all those who planned and participated in New York State Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer’s visits at the Cross County extension site and our main campus; Faculty leaders and the Future Nursing Club who led the Westchester Community College team for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and faculty, staff, and students who helped to raise funds; and to the Common Read team who offered rich ways for the college to celebrate National Day of Writing and engage with this year’s read, Kym Ragusa’s The Skin Between Us.
Please continue to encourage students to enroll in the 7.5-week classes that start October 31. A full list of classes is on MyWCC.
Thanks for making it a great week!
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President