Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Countdown to Fall 2023
August 25, 2023
Colleagues,
We are 11 days away from the start of the fall semester! These last weeks of August signal an intense period for students and employees alike. Teaching faculty are preparing fall instruction, our Strategic Enrollment team is helping students to apply and register for classes, Financial Assistance employees are working to complete aid packages for students, our bookstore is buzzing and ready for students, and staff members are making sure that operations are running smoothly. Each of these tasks is important to ensure that we are well prepared for our September 5 start date.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to this season of preparation – one of our busiest times. Our efforts are having a positive impact:
- Fall enrollment is up 8.3% compared to the same time in Fall 2022. Additionally, there is a 14.5% increase in students enrolling full-time and a 10.3% increase in FTE. We still have a way to go to reach our enrollment target of 3,091 FTE, which enables us to continue offering our many outstanding programs and services.
- We recently welcomed more than 1,000 new Vikings to SUNY Westchester for New and Transfer Student Orientation. Our Student Involvement team also connected with over 74 families as they learned how to best support the transition of their students into our college community. One new Viking shared, “This experience has made me even more excited to be a student here!” Kudos to Student Involvement and all members of the college community who participated in our robust orientation sessions.
- Dr. Roundtree-Evans reports that we will welcome at least 35 EOP students for the fall semester following their successful completion of the Pre-Freshman Summer Program.
Here are a few items to note:
- Enrollment Weekend: Saturday, August 26 (in-person, Valhalla campus) and Sunday, August 27 (virtual). Staff from our Enrollment Offices will be on hand to assist students on both days.
- Classes are filling, so please encourage students to register soon for the classes they need – especially students on target to complete in December.
We offer four sessions for Fall!
- 15-week: Classes start September 5.
- 7.5-week (1): Classes start September 5.
- 12-week: Classes start September 23.
- 7.5 week (2): Classes start October 29.
Don’t forget the Extension Centers! Our convenient locations throughout the county offer hundreds of classes from a broad number of degree and certificate programs.
Thank you for supporting students and for helping them through the enrollment process. We are #VikingStrong!
Looking forward to seeing you – and our students – in September!
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President