Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Equity-Focused Outcomes for Westchester
June 3, 2022
Colleagues,
In determining how best to serve our community, it is important to have an accurate picture of our population and an understanding of how we arrived at our current juncture. The Westchester Community Foundation/NYCT has created a resource that provides a data-rich, interactive profile of our county.
The Westchester Community Foundation/NYCT is a giving consortia and grant maker which has supported many programs at SUNY Westchester, including scholarships, high school preparatory programs, and workforce development training opportunities. Their new resource, THE WESTCHESTER INDEX: A Community Indicator Project for Regional Action, is an equity-focused community indicators project with data and analysis spanning 6 topic areas and 65 individual indicators. This provides information that the entire Westchester community can use to examine disparities across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic divides – and then work to eliminate disparities.
These disparities have their roots in centuries of inequitable policies, practices, and treatment. By examining the data and working to understand root causes, the community can work together to direct funding and resources for greater impact and develop solutions tailored to Westchester.
Our work toward achieving equitable outcomes through education is also manifest this week as we acknowledge the achievements and work of Lisa Santalis and the Office of High School Partnerships. Together, they are the recipients of the CTE Outstanding Partner of the Year award from the Yonkers Board of Education after being nominated by Riverside High School for their work on PTECH pathways at Riverside High School.
Our Office of High School Partnerships serves 35 high schools in Westchester and Putnam Counties through its Early College Experience (ECE) Program. This program offers dual enrollment college credits to approximately 2,500 students and provides the opportunity for high school students to earn college credits while in high school.
Empowering students to start their college journey early helps to boost their confidence and ability to be successful in doing college work. This is exemplified by our PTECH program, a 6-year program for high school students that starts in the 9th grade. Students begin taking college credit classes throughout high school and finish their Associate degree at WCC in one to two years following high school graduation.
Since 2019, 28 students have graduated from WCC in the PTECH program. There are currently 56 students on campus pursuing their Associate degrees in HIT, Electrical Tech, Civil Tech, or Cybersecurity. In the face of declining enrollments, the ECE program is a bright spot. Overall program enrollment has seen an uptick in enrollments by 7% for the 2021-2022 school year, which not only brings in tuition but also critical FTE to Westchester Community College.
Belinda S. Miles
President