Westchester Community College, State University of New York

President’s Weekly Messages

January 24, 2020

Colleagues,

On Monday I had the honor of speaking at the Thomas Slater Community Center’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast. Networking with students, community members, and government leaders at this and other events provides an opportunity to promote the college and our programming and to talk about the important work we do on behalf of students and our community. Dr. King’s myriad powerful speeches remain relevant to this day. Heeding his call to action, I reminded audience members on Monday that we all must remain awake in our respective roles and organizations, as community and family members, government officials, students, employees, volunteers – and pay attention to what really matters to achieve equitable outcomes throughout our society. When Dr. King asked, “What are you doing for others?”, as a college community, we can stand proud in our mission driven work.

SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson gave her annual State of the University System address this week, sharing her vision for SUNY under the umbrella of “absolute inclusivity,” a term she used to describe her four focus areas in individualized learning, innovation, sustainability, and partnerships. The notion of “absolute inclusivity” mirrors our work and our own strategic plan focused on expanding access and opportunity and underscores the opportunity to expand the number of people who benefit from our programs and services.

We continue to keep a very cautious eye on our enrollment since the national downward trend and our own enrollment numbers force us to be more lean, agile, and focused in program offerings, operations, and how we collaborate with our business and community partners. Working together to find sustainable solutions to the challenges facing Westchester Community College is not new; I’ve heard how the college community has pulled together in the past to overcome enrollment and other pressing matters we’ve faced. The pride that you have for the college and your commitment to our students is evident in the work you do each day. Thank you for being stewards of our resources and for promoting the college in the community.

Finally, please remind students that registration is still underway for the spring 2020 semester, especially for 7.5 and 12-week sessions.

Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President

2020 Weekly Messages

2019 Weekly Messages

2018 Weekly Messages

2017 Weekly Messages

2017 - 2018 Summer Reading Resources

2016 Weekly Messages

2015 Weekly Messages