A Legacy of Inclusion Having opened its doors in 1946 for the purpose of training and educating veterans, SUNY WCC is built on a legacy of inclusion. To this day the college is a “Veteran Friendly Campus” due to the extensive services the Veterans Resource Office provides for veterans, reservists, active-duty personnel, and their families. The Most Diverse SUNY Campus, we are proud to be a federally designated Minority and Hispanic Serving Institution (MHSI). This designation recognizes the college as a school that systematically and holistically works to address historic inequities faced by students and educators of color. It also comes with the benefit of attracting federal and private funds to support such endeavors. The Department of Student Involvement develops and offers programs grounded in mutual respect for all people and their individual characteristics and perspectives, including ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, religious affiliation, political conviction, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, and varying abilities. Accessibility Services exists to ensure a supportive and accessible environment with equal access and opportunity for all students who have a documented disability. SUNY WESTCHESTER NEWS Ensuring Safe and Diverse Spaces Individual differences make for a more interesting, informed and inclusive whole. SUNY WCC warmly embraces the rich amalgam of individuals that forms the SUNY WCC community and holds the entire college community responsible for upholding its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices. A LGBTQIA+ Friendly Campus, SUNY WCC received an overall score of four out of five stars in the most recent ratings of the Campus Pride Index, the second highest score of any community college in the U.S. The LGBTQIA+ Literacy Training workshop invites the entire SUNY WCC community–students, faculty and staff–to learn and apply allyship skills. The Lavender Graduation is a ceremony that honors LGBTQIA+ students and their contributions to the college. Programs like Viking S.A.F.E. Spaces (Share a Familiar Experience) and TRIO Student Support Services provide scaffolding that gives all students the best shot at academic success, while at least ten student-run affinity clubs and a full calendar of multicultural observations and celebrations organized by the Department of Student Life, add to SUNY WCC’s culture of acceptance and respect. SUNY WCC is also recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus, one of 231 campuses nationwide to receive this designation as an institution helping students overcome barriers to participating in the political process. DEI IN ACTION 6
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