Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: December 6 2019
December 6, 2019
Colleagues,
It seems that every part of the college is abuzz with activity in preparation for semester’s end. Faculty, deans, instructional assistants, and others are assisting students as they complete semester and class projects and prepare for final exams. Student Involvement and Personal Counseling team members are planning stress-relieving activities as well as learning opportunities for our students.
Insights on Student Needs
Today, students presented projects as part of the leadership development program, Commit to Change. This program helps students create positive social change on campus and in our community. Research topics they reported on include food insecurity, working with foster youth, the opioid epidemic, and more. The issues raised provide a look into real challenges and experiences our students face and help us consider how to support them more holistically as they pursue their learning journey. I am sure our student presenters value the feedback provided on their projects.
Redesigning Advising
About 90 faculty, staff, administrators, and students participated in an Academic Advising Redesign Day to re-envision our approach to advising and supporting students from onboarding to completion. The day-long event was facilitated by Dr. Melinda Karp, a community college expert on designing academic advising and holistic student supports. The activities included creative and aspirational thinking related to better understanding and supporting our students. Stay tuned for more to come! Thanks to Dr. Sara Tweedy, Dr. Vanessa Morest, Dr. Michele Campagna, and all who helped to organize this event.
Important Milestones
As we near the end of celebrating the Westchester Community College Foundation’s 50thanniversary, it’s time to turn our attention to the college’s 75th anniversary in 2021. Building on the Foundation’s Pathways Campaign for Student Success theme, Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Envisioning the Future, the college community will commence with planning how we will also celebrate prior and current achievements while building our future. Thanks to those who responded to the call for volunteers to serve on the 75th Anniversary Planning Committee and to those who have more recently joined this special committee. We look forward to events and activities occurring throughout our anniversary year. More details, including the charging of this committee, are forthcoming. In the meantime, please start thinking of ways you and your department can commemorate this special occasion.
Enrollment & Completion
Finally, it is critically important that each of us focus diligently on encouraging (or bringing!) students to register for Winter classes beginning January 2 and Spring classes beginning January 21. We are transforming the student experience through our many academic and success initiatives and we must continue to welcome new students to these learning opportunities. New York State and Westchester County are looking to us to deliver more graduates ready to transfer to four-year institutions or begin middle skills careers. It all starts with opening the door to opportunity so we can help students become graduates like our newest finishers who we will celebrate at the December 12th Completion Ceremony, 4:00 PM in the Gym. Please join us at this momentous event.
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President