Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Building Traditions
May 20, 2022
Colleagues,
Working together, we are co-creators of the experiences we wish to provide for students and for ourselves at Westchester Community College. Even as we bask in the success of our 74th annual commencement – and the extraordinary feat of planning and executing three ceremonies – our enrollment team has turned its attention to one of our newest Viking traditions – celebrating our 2nd annual Commitment Day and the more than 1,000 (and growing) students who have committed to attend WCC in the fall. This morning, more than 300 new students joined the celebration that begins their relationship with and connection to WCC. This touchpoint provides a strong start to students’ academic journey.
It is important for us to honor this tradition of celebrating our incoming students – many of whom are first-generation – by creating an outstanding experience for the students who have selected WCC as their college of choice. This is an opportunity for us to help students build new traditions with their families that include higher education and academic goals. #WCCHereforYou.
Building on another tradition, I look forward to our “summer reading” in this space and sharing articles, data, blogs, and more to inform our college community, learn about what other institutions may be doing to attract and retain students, learn about higher ed research, and more. Please help us to expand our summer reading selections by forwarding materials that may be interesting to share with colleagues. Please provide a link to the piece along with a brief paragraph describing the content and send to janice.adams@sunywcc.edu.
To start off our summer reading, here’s a Chronicle of Higher Ed piece that outlines suggestions to improve our campus. Some may be familiar and already implemented within departments while others may spark something new to serve our students. I thought the second suggestion, “10 Big Ideas, 10 Professors, 10 Minutes Each,” with faculty invited to share the “most exciting new idea” in their field with students, is a creative way to highlight programs and co- and extra-curricular opportunities, help students think about fields they may wish to enter, and build a deeper connection to the college by helping them expand their experiences at the college.
Is there something here you’d like to try with your classes or with our student clubs and organizations? Let us know!
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President