Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Delivering Excellence – October 19, 2018
October 19, 2018
Colleagues,
Please join me in extending hearty congratulations to Dr. Margaret Eiden for being honored this week by the YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester as a “Mover & Shaker” for her community work supporting the YWCA mission of empowering women and eliminating racism. Dr. Eiden shared the spotlight with Prof. Toni D’Onofrio who led a team from our Culinary Arts department during the same event which also highlighted great chefs from the area. Special thanks to all who promote the college in the community!
It was my honor to represent Westchester Community College on a panel at the inaugural TIAA Women’s Leadership Forum this week. The forum theme, “Embracing Diversity, Delivering Excellence,” engaged attendees which included executive women from various sectors and organizations including the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the Institute for Higher Education Policy, and the Carnegie Foundation, among others. Other participating higher education institutions included Princeton University, NYU, and Dartmouth College. Events such as this provide opportunity to forge new relationships with business and educational institutions, which have the potential to benefit our students. Diverse Issues in Higher Education reported on the event, noting the importance of creating pipelines and opportunities for diverse leadership.
This morning, Trustees Spano and Mitchell, Faculty Senate Presiding Officer Dr. Heather Ostman, Student Government Association President Ava Marie Tapia and I attended the NBC Learn Forum focused on Building the Future of Higher Education. Relevant topics included mental health issues, student retention, and workforce readiness. I noted with great pride how Westchester Community College is already on the leading edge with services and initiatives tailored for student success.
Please save the date – Thursday, November 1 – for a campus-wide celebration of our achievements and to get an update from our Strategic Planning Committee on the important work underway. This special event will take place in the Student Center Event Room from 4:00 – 5:30 PM. All members of the campus community are welcome. Watch for the official invitation early next week.
Finally, congratulations for faculty promotions. Patricia Sehulster, Sharon Massey, Robin Graff, Scott Zaluda, Melissa Dreyfus, and Donald Whitely to full professor. Ekta Bhatia, Linda Kalfayan, and Kim Walsh to associate professor.
The work that each of you do on behalf of our students and the college is meaningful, transformational, and valued. I am proud to call this special institution home!
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President