2021 State of the College & Foundation Annual Report

WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE CARES 07 STATE OF THE COLLEGE 2021 WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE CARES WCC Health Care Heartbeats E ven before the National Emergency was declared and before COVID tests were widely available, WCC’s Health Care Center staff were responding to hundreds of emails and calls from students and employees who were ill, suspecting the COVID virus. The College’s Nurse and her staff have responded to thousands of inquiries throughout 2020, work- ing tirelessly through evenings and weekends, to provide health education counseling and referrals. In addition, they supported on-site contact tracing to limit the spread of the virus once identified on campus with students or employees, help the campus community find testing locations, and provide essential advice to the many students and employees taken ill or who have family members who have taken ill. Students’ First Response: Serve Others W CC is proud of its students, past and present! Thousands of WCC alums and students currently serve our community as nurses, health care workers, care providers, EMTs, radiological technicians, respiratory therapists, police, corrections, social workers, and other first responders on the front-line of the COVID crisis. $7,659,977 In Federal CARES Act HEERF Funds (2020) 3,455 Eligible, Low-Income Students received Aid 15,000 Barrier Gloves Secured WCC CARES 2020 by the Numbers 35,000 Face Masks Secured 10,000+ Campus Access Screenings 06 WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Committed to success, WCC and the WCC Foundation jumped into action to provide emergency assistance so students could stay on track with their educational goals and to enable the shift to remote learning and operations. 5,000+ COVID Tests Administered & Tracked 300+ Laptops Distributed to Students without Technology at Home Cares Act Institutional & HSI Aid W CC received $7,659,977 in Federal CARES Act funds through three separate allocations -- the Student Portion, the Institutional Portion, and the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Portion. Funding from the Institutional Portion provided additional emergency aid to students; laptops, software and professional development to support distance learning; reimbursements to students for canceled classes; and helped the college recover some of it’s lost revenue. Staying Connected Working FromHome W CC’s Information Technology Division led the way in helping the campus convert to 100% distance learning and remote operations, with virtual networks mobilized to provide over 1,000 staff with a “Virtual Desktop Environment” and “Virtual Private Network”– that enabled every campus office to be accessed securely from home. WCC gives a special “shout out” to its nursing and other health care students who have undergone training and are currently serving our community as “Contact Tracers,” “COVID-Testers” and “COVID-Vaccine Administrators.” WCC’s Facilities Team secured the campus with security-staffed access points to protect public safety on campus. They have secured masks, gloves, sanitizer for returning back to campus, and implemented stringent protocols to protect the transmission of the virus. Staff have developed data base systems to track and report on: contact tracing; the cleaning of public spaces; controlling public campus access; the health screening of every campus visitor; and monitoring PPE supplies. WhenWork is Learning: Clinical Placements S ome classes, such as WCC Nursing Clinical Skills, cannot be taught virtually. Dedicated faculty and students braved an uncer- tain public health environment to ensure students would master the nursing skills needed in area hospitals and health care settings. Approximately 250 nursing students received protective masks and shields and underwent “Fit Testing” to make sure airborne virus droplets could not get past their protective gear. Above Right: WCC’s Food Pantry, supported by donors, distributed hundreds of pre-bagged meals, food gift cards, and transportation vouchers. Right: WCC made available 3-D printers and ventilators from its labs for overflow demand at area hospitals.