Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Showcasing Excellence – January 27, 2023
January 27, 2023
Colleagues,
SUNY Westchester Community College continues to be one of the most innovative among community colleges with recognition locally, statewide, and nationally. Commitment to collective work, collaboration, and mission fuels our focus on student and institutional success. This is an exciting time for the college to be re-emerging, refocusing, and reiterating our values and goals with so much to celebrate as we showcase our excellence.
Following the recent announcement by AACC that SUNY Westchester is a finalist for an Award of Excellence in Student Success, today in the Gateway Center Atrium, SUNY Chancellor John King announced an extraordinary $2.4 million grant to the college to support our student success efforts. During a tour of the Valhalla, Yonkers, and WEOC campuses today, he heard from many faculty, staff, and students about academic and career pathways we have in place to make education and training accessible to students. A wide array of academic and support services are also available to help them navigate and make progress toward their goals. This comes at an important time when we are seeing the success of initiatives such as our directed self-placement, TRIO, EOP, and Viking ROADS programs which we want to scale for more students. In addition to the Chancellor, we had opportunity to thank SUNY Vice Chair Cesar Perales, NYS Senator Shelly Mayer, NYS Assemblyperson Nader Sayegh, and others for their long-term and ongoing support of SUNY WCC. To view additional images from Chancellor King’s visit, click here.
Last Friday, Congressman Jamaal Bowman visited our Yonkers location for a tour. The Congressman spent time speaking with students in the Fashion Design Lab and with several students in John Watkins’ Cybersecurity classes. Congressman Bowman made it clear during these conversations, and in a follow-up meeting, how impressed he was with our programs, services, and students – and he was sincere in requesting an invitation to our next fashion show and to tour our Cybersecurity Lab on the Valhalla campus.
Deep appreciation and thanks to participants and planners of these special events and opportunities to showcase the very best of Westchester Community College. In executing these events, each of YOU shines as an exemplar of the very best of SUNY WCC! As you tell the compelling stories of student success and persistence at Westchester Community College, you showcase excellence as individuals, teams, and a model college. To view additional images from Congressman Bowman’s visit, click here.
We garner county, state, and national recognition and support due to your innovative work and your commitment to teaching and learning and advancing the mission of the college. We are thankful to our business and legislative partners for recognizing the value of community college education and the opportunities we provide to our most vulnerable and at-risk populations.
I look forward to seeing you next week as we celebrate the kickoff of Black History Month on Wednesday during the opening ceremony at 11:30 am in the Davis Auditorium, Gateway Center. Please share events with students and all who are interested in our diverse learning opportunities.
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President