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SUNY Westchester Community College Appoints New Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs
SUNY WCC reaffirms commitment to student outcomes through hire of Dante Cantú, an equity-minded higher ed leader specializing in student success innovation.
Valhalla, NY – February 9, 2023. After an extensive search process, SUNY Westchester Community College has named Dante Cantú as its new Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs. In this role, Mr. Cantú will provide leadership and vision for a comprehensive student experience agenda designed to promote belonging, well-being, and achievement for the diverse student body at SUNY WCC, SUNY’s first Hispanic Serving Institution, the most diverse of SUNY’s 64 campuses, and an Achieving the Dream and Guided Pathways college.
Mr. Cantú has nearly 20 years in higher education, as well as years of organizational leadership in the private, not-for-profit and social sectors. Most recently, Mr. Cantú served as the executive director of academic advising and student success at SUNY New Paltz. In this role, Mr. Cantú provided administrative leadership for the University’s integrated advising and student support services while providing collaborative leadership for student success initiatives that are university-wide in scope.
At New Paltz, he worked closely with administrators, faculty, staff, and students to develop a coherent student advising system that is consistent with the institution’s educational mission, vision, and values, with the goal of enhancing the overall student experience for all students.
Mr. Cantú’s contributions in the areas of student learning, development and success have received national recognition. He has presented at regional and national conferences on a range of topics related to student success and retention, strategies for supporting non-traditional populations, and leadership development. He is actively involved with leading national and statewide organizations such as NACADA, the Gardner Institute, the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, NASPA’s Advising Success Network, and the NYS Student Success Center’s Coaching Academy.
“SUNY WCC is excited and fortunate to gain the services of such an accomplished college administrator,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of SUNY Westchester Community College. “Mr. Cantú’s extensive experience in enhancing a culture of success will be invaluable as SUNY WCC continues increasing student graduation rates and serving an increasingly diverse community.”
“I am truly honored and thrilled to join the SUNY Westchester Community College community as a member of Dr. Miles’s senior leadership team,” said Mr. Cantú. “SUNY WCC’s mission to provide a high quality education that is accessible and affordable resonates deeply with me, and I look forward to getting to know the many talented and dedicated members of the college community so that I can better understand the mission-driven work currently being done. I also look forward to cultivating partnerships across the institution that seek to build upon the institution’s traditions, its recent successes, and its unwavering commitment to an exceptional student experience to ensure the most prosperous future for WCC and the students we collectively serve.”
Mr. Cantú received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his M.A. from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
