College Diversity
Student Body Diversity
At Westchester Community College, diversity is not simply a concept, it is a reality. The college is committed to provide the highest quality educational experience that is fully representative of the college community’s diversity.
The college’s student body represents a wide spectrum of cultures and ethnicities. Diversity among the student body has grown significantly and the college has the highest percentage of minority students, the highest percentage of Hispanic students and the second highest percentage of Black students in the State University of New York system. As of Fall 2015, 53.9% of the student population identified as Black or Hispanic and with an approximately 60% minority in our student body.
| Race/Ethnicity | Fall 2010 | Fall 2015 | Percent Change | ||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | ||
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 83 | 0.6% | 114 | 0.9% | +37.3% |
| Asian | 655 | 4.7% | 553 | 4.3% | -15.6% |
| Black | 2,693 | 19.4% | 2,779 | 21.4% | +3.2% |
| Hispanic | 3,229 | 23.2% | 4,219 | 32.5% | +30.2% |
| Multi Race | 43 | 0.3% | 282 | 2.2% | +556% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 13 | 0.1% | 47 | 0.4% | +261.5% |
| Unknown | 1,028 | 7.4% | 702 | 5.4% | -31.7% |
| White | 6,149 | 44.3% | 4,270 | 32.9% | -30.1% |
| Total Enrollment | 13,893 | 12,966 | -6.7% | ||
| Total Minority | 6,673 | 48.0% | 7,712 | 59.5% | 9.2% |
The Gateway Center
One of the college’s most notable investments in diversity is its Gateway Center which opened in 2010. The Gateway Center is at the heart of our commitment to address the educational needs of Westchester County’s increasingly diverse population, where one in four residents was born outside the United States. The $40.5 million structure provides targeted programs for motivated immigrant and international students, who study side-by-side with U.S. born students, gaining the education they need for meaningful careers while building intercultural understanding. This new building houses the college’s business programs, Professional Development Center, modern language programs, International Student Services, English Language Institute, Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education and the Volunteer Center in 70,000 square feet of space. With all these resources in one location, the college increased collaboration with new initiatives such as the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Citizenship Center.
Jobs
At Westchester Community College, we continually seek to expand on the diversity of our faculty and staff. Women and minorities are greatly encouraged to apply for all positions at the college. The college occasionally holds Diversity Job Fairs for Adjunct Faculty which demonstrates the college’s commitment to diversify the faculty and to reflect the diversity of our student body. Its purpose is to invite diverse applicants on campus to learn about current summer and fall job openings.