Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Ready, Set, Go! – August 28, 2020
August 28, 2020
Colleagues,
On the eve of welcoming new and returning students to the start of the fall semester, we acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that has been occurring within our community. The familiar refrain, Ready, Set, Go! comes to mind as we consider what has been happening and what’s coming next.
Recent Graduates!
With great pride, we salute the work and success of our August completers. Like our spring graduates, these students persisted through unexpected changes caused by the ongoing public health crisis. They committed to their academic goals and are now #VikingsForever! Congratulations!
New & Continuing Students!
Collectively and continuously, we share information about the value of community college education and access to opportunity. Community colleges meet people when and where they are needed. As such, we are intentionally designed with rolling admissions providing students with more flexibility. For example, our fall 2020 semester has four start dates!
- September 1 for 15-week and 7.5-week classes;
- September 8 for 14-week classes;
- September 22 for 12-week classes;
- October 26 for 7.5-week classes.
With tremendous effort from our enrollment management team and many volunteers, enrollments are increasing daily. However, we are still short of our goal for this fall. Accordingly, our fall enrollment drive will continue through October to support students who are ready to start at various times. Please do your share to help get the word out. #WCCHereForYou
Faculty & Staff Excellence!
Assistant Dean Liza Adams shared results from the SUNY Spring 2020 Student Remote Instruction Survey indicating how Westchester Community College compared favorably among SUNY community colleges with respect to student perception of remote instruction and COVID-19 response.
- Satisfied with instruction after switch to remote: 70% WCC vs 63% other SUNY CCs.
- Satisfied with COVID-19 response: 83% WCC vs 76% other SUNY CCs.
These results demonstrate the strong efforts of our faculty, deans, and staff to get students through the sudden transition to remote learning. Everything we learned since March has strengthened us to set the stage for a successful fall semester.
New Semester!
We’ve moved our Welcome Tents “online” with members of our college administration and others greeting students virtually and answering their questions remotely via chats as they get started.
New Employees!
Finally, we extended a warm Westchester welcome to our newest employees in a renewed Welcome Academy. You are valued members of our community, and your work will make a difference in our students’ academic and career journeys. We are strong because of our collective efforts to change lives through education. You will soon discover the many activities and events that are planned outside the classroom. Please consider joining students and especially having your classes attend these co- and extra-curricular opportunities.
Wishing all of you a successful and productive fall semester! We are #VikingStrong; we are ready and we are set. Now, let’s go!
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President