Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Garnering Support To Fulfill Our Mission – February 10, 2023
February 10, 2023
Colleagues,
Our enrollment and marketing team is working to stabilize enrollment by identifying and targeting markets like working adults, graduating high school students, those who may have stopped out, and sectors of the workforce that may need upskilling as jobs continue to evolve. Indicators show that the efforts are working, since our spring enrollment is flat compared with last year at this time. We are pivoting away from the enrollment downturn that defined the pandemic period for community colleges across the country.
Recently, our Strategic Action Leadership Team (S.A.L.T.) had a robust and data-informed discussion on the progress of Black students at SUNY WCC, a particular group that has experienced enrollment declines during the pandemic years. Discussion leaders Dr. Gwen Roundtree Evans and Professor Don Simmons joined Dr. Liza Adams, Dr. Sandra Ramsay, Dr. Laurie Miller McNeill, Dr. Rinardo Reddick and others who identified institutional performance gaps and potential interventions to improve outcomes for these and all SUNY WCC students.
Another notable trend is students seeking skills for workforce entry or advancement. Our institutional pivot includes creating new pathways to help facilitate this process. Accordingly, VP Tere Wisell and Senior Director of Development Ilene Lieberman represented SUNY WCC at the American Association of Community College’s (AACC) Workforce Development Institute as one of 34 METALLICA SCHOLARS community colleges across the country. We have received three grants from the rock band’s All Within My Hands Foundation to promote career and technical education. Our program, which promotes obtaining short-term workforce credentials in Advanced Manufacturing, and student apprentice, Stacy Iannone, were featured in the Community College Journal’s recent issue. Learn more about our program here: Mettle meets Metal.
Programs such as these are part of how we are redefining our work to meet the changing needs of students and employers. These shifts also impact our advocacy efforts to ensure that our sponsoring agencies and donors have the information needed to continuously invest in our mission.
This week we had the privilege to host our Westchester County State Delegation for a special lunch prepared and served by our culinary arts students. Assemblymembers, Senators, and their staff members met our students and heard their stories and aspirations, which were as diverse as the students themselves. It was an excellent platform for our SUNY WCC team to educate and advocate on essential state budget appropriations for SUNY and its community colleges. It is critical to get the word out about the importance of public higher education.
Despite recent increases in county funding and efforts by the state to restore funding to prior levels, enrollment declines and mostly flat tuition levels have contributed to our total budget trending significantly downward over the years, negatively impacting key operational services and staffing levels. We have a commitment to remain accessible and affordable, and this year, SUNY community colleges are asking state leaders to continue the “floor funding” model and provide a 4% increase to cover the inflationary pressures that are impacting all sectors. Still, even these efforts will not be sufficient to avert future tuition increases.
Across the SUNY system, within Westchester County and throughout New York State, the commitment to quality public higher education is strong. SUNY WCC joins constituent groups representing trustees, faculty, students, and staff to share the good news on how we are delivering on the promise for thousands of New Yorkers we serve. Thank you for lifting your voice in advocacy to tell our story of student success as one of the most innovative community colleges in the nation and to garner support to fulfill our mission into the future. Onward!
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President