Lowey Announces $696,572 Grant for Five-Year Mercy College Program to Support Hispanic & Low-Income Undergraduates in STEM Fields 

More than 2,500 unfilled positions in Lower Hudson Valley in health care and software engineering 

Funds will enable partnership between Mercy College and Westchester Community College

Dobbs Ferry, NY – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D- Rockland/Westchester), the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today was joined at the Mercy College Wellness Initiative Fair by Mercy College President Timothy Hall, Westchester Community College Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Peggy Bradford, Mercy College senior and Biology major Christian Castillo, as well as administrators from Mercy College and Westchester Community College, to announce a $696,572 grant from the Department of Education (ED) Hispanic Serving Institution – Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (HSI STEM) and Articulation Program for Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. This funding will help create Team STEM, a five-year joint program between Mercy College and Westchester Community College (WCC) to help Hispanic and low-income students complete studies in STEM fields.

“Educating more students in STEM fields is one of the most productive steps we can take to strengthen our economy,” said Lowey. “I’m pleased that Mercy College and Westchester Community College are using these federal dollars to address a growing need for STEM professionals in the Hudson Valley. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue working to provide students of all backgrounds with the resources they need to succeed in a dynamic, globalized workforce.”

“We are grateful for this grant and for the support we receive from Congresswoman Lowey,” said Tim Hall, President of Mercy College. “We are a proud Hispanic serving institution, and these dollars will allow Mercy College to open the minds of so many of our students.  With knowledge and motivation, the possibilities are endless.”

“Westchester Community College is uniquely positioned to help our many talented Hispanic and underrepresented students pursue STEM careers. The college’s partnership with Mercy College and our seven StepUP high schools will provide rigorous academic preparation for successful transition into college and transfer into baccalaureate degree programs. We are proud to work with Mercy College to increase access and success to STEM careers for all of those who seek relevant education, including Hispanic and low-income students,” said Dr. Belinda. S. Miles, President of Westchester Community College.

In the United States, more than half of the five million currently open jobs involve information technology. In the Lower Hudson Valley, there are more than 2,500 unfilled positions in fields that require a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, such as health care and software engineering.

Team STEM will focus on two- and four-year Hispanic and/or low-income undergraduates seeking to complete a bachelor’s degree within six years in one of six STEM disciplines offered at Mercy College: Biology, Psychology, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Information Science, and Cybersecurity.  Team STEM will offer three all-new student-centered initiatives designed to improve the persistence, retention and graduations rates of Hispanic and low-income STEM students.

In addition, Team STEM will capitalize on the long-standing articulation agreements between Mercy College and WCC by jointly sponsoring new activities designed to facilitate the seamless transfer of Hispanic and low-income two-year students into Mercy College’s STEM baccalaureate programs. Highlights of these new, student–centered activities include personalized advising; Mercy-WCC peer mentoring; summer bridge programs focused on acclimating to college; and undergraduate research and internship opportunities. Once enrolled at Mercy, Team STEM students will also have full access to traditional student support services.

Westchester Community College is SUNY’s first Hispanic Serving Institution and the county’s largest college. The Mercy College/Westchester Community College Transfer Pipeline will increase the number of WCC students who successfully transition from our StepUP high school partners to WCC, and then on to Mercy College to earn a dual degree AS/BS in a STEM major.

The HSI STEM and Articulation Programs are run through the U.S. Department of Education. The goals of these programs are to increase the number of Hispanic and  low-income students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; and  to develop model transfer and articulation agreements between two-year and four-year institutions in such fields.

A unique new tool has been added to the list of resources for students studying at Westchester Community College; a 29-foot Remote Power Unit (RPU) now graces the front entrance of the institution’s Technology Building on the main campus in Valhalla. On September 21, the college hosted a dedication ceremony to commemorate this donation from Aris Wind, LLC.

This new equipment will help instructors in a variety of different academic programs demonstrate the uses of renewable energy to college students. The unit, which generates both solar and wind power, includes a lighting system and a USB charging station. This new energy technology will help supplement course lessons on energy efficiency, energy conservation, wind power, solar power, energy storage, and Internet/computer control of the RPU device.

At the ceremony, Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President, Westchester Community College, noted that the donation of the new equipment fits in perfectly with the college’s five focus areas. “This new equipment supports our student success theme since it will help them further engage in applied learning experiences. The tie-in to workforce development is strong as students will be able to use cutting edge technology provided by a local firm to learn about their chosen field, and they will be able to leverage this experience to help them secure employment after graduation. Our community engagement focus area is supported by the involvement of a new corporate partner: Aris Wind. Our next focus area, improving college culture, is relevant since students will be encouraged to try this new technology (the culture of innovation). And finally, there are several tie-ins with our stewardship focus area as we celebrate a generous donation by Aris, which helps our bottom line, and also acknowledge that this new equipment will improve our ability to save natural resources,” she said.

Also during the dedication, Professor Richard Vaninwegen introduced the members of the college’s Energy Club including Peter Singh, who introduced the idea of housing an RPU on campus to the college administration.

Aris President Dan Connors spoke to the attendees, noting that this was “a win-win.” He told the crowd that “we all succeed with this project since our company is very interested in sharing new technology with interested students, some of whom may work for Aris in the future!” The company (www.ariswind.com) is a metropolitan New York City based renewable energy firm with advanced and unique wind/solar products for off-grid and grid-tied power applications. 

William M. Mooney III, Director, Westchester County Office of Economic Development, also spoke at the event, hailing the public/private partnership. The county office helped facilitate the donation.

Westchester Community College Foundation is pleased to announce that it has received a grant of $100,000 from the Westchester Community Foundation/Wallace Westchester Fund.   This major grant is helping to support the College’s major initiatives in college readiness and persistence for Westchester County public high school students.

Piloted with the help of a grant from Westchester Community Foundation and an anonymous donor, WCC’s high school transitions program, StepUp, was designed with the premise that aligning high school to college curriculum and providing academic, social, and emotional support to 12^th grade public high school students who are “on track to graduate but not college ready,” would decrease the need for remediation, encourage college enrollment, enhance persistence, and ultimately, provide an articulated pathway for students to successfully complete degrees and transfer in a timely manner.

This past academic year, WCC faculty worked with five public high schools to introduce special curricula in math and English language arts to selected 12^th grade students.  Students who participated are showing an increased readiness to start college, and WCC will be welcoming its first cohort of students this fall.  The WCC StepUp program will be introduced into at least three new high schools annually.

The current grant from Westchester Community Foundation will enhance the program.  StepUp on Campus will allow us to begin to track the success of the first cohort of incoming students and develop new components to the program that will engage high school guidance counselors, ease transition to college, and provide support systems that enable students to persist and transfer.

Of the initiative, Laura Rossi, Executive Director of the Westchester Community Foundation, said “We are pleased to continue our partnership with Westchester Community College to improve the college success rates of students throughout Westchester. We know that, given the right supports, all students can thrive and build a secure future for themselves and their families.” 

WCF is a division of the New York Community Trust, one of the largest community foundations in the country, with assets of approximately $2.6 billion. 

Westchester Community College provides accessible, high quality and affordable education to meet the needs of our diverse community.  We are committed to student success, academic excellence, workforce development, economic development and lifelong learning.

The new Westchester Community College Foundation Emergency Aid Program has been established to assist students who have unforeseen financial hardships that occur during the academic year and endanger their continued enrollment.

Emergency situations may include, but not limited to homelessness or sudden loss of housing, fire; eviction; overdue utility bills; theft of computer, books or clothing, temporary loss of job or income; victims of violence,  sudden loss of childcare; and other such situations.

Click here for more information about the program.

Dr. Belinda S. Miles, president of Westchester Community College, has been named to the newly created National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Presidential Advisory Council. She is one of two representatives of the Northeast District. The new Council members will evaluate issues relating to athletics and back the organization’s mission to foster a national program of athletic participation in an environment that supports equitable opportunities consistent with the educational objectives of the 500+ member colleges.

“I am proud to represent the college on this Council,” says Dr. Miles, noting that the formation of the group was part of legislation that was passed by the association’s Board of Directors during its recent annual meetings. The Council will be comprised of twelve presidents with two members from each of the six regional districts. The members will be eligible for reelection following a three-year term.

Since 1938, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has served as the governing of two-year college athletics, offering athletic and academic opportunities to college students. The NJCAA is the second-largest national intercollegiate athletic association in the United States with member schools in 43 states. Each year, nearly 60,000 student-athletes compete in one of the 28 different sports and the organization sponsors 48 national championship events and eight football bowl games. NJCAA Headquarters has been located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, since 1985. For more information visit njcaa.org.

Westchester Community College and the New Skills at Work-Lower Hudson Valley Stakeholder Collaborative are pleased to announce the release of CONNECTING TO PROMISING CAREERS Middle-Skill Jobs in the Lower Hudson Valley.

Click here for more information.

COMMENCEMENT DAY INFORMATION

The Graduation Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 6:00 pm at the County Center, located at 198 Central Avenue, White Plains, NY. Graduates should plan to arrive at the County Center between 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm. Upon arrival, graduates should proceed to the lower level of the building. Graduation procession will begin promptly at 5:45 pm. Admission into the County Center for guests (non-graduates) will only be given to those with a Graduation Guest Ticket. Due to the limited parking and increased traffic in the area of the County Center, please include extra time in your travel plans in order to arrive safely and on time for the Ceremony. Parking is not free at the County Center and all graduates and their guests will have to pay a nominal fee. If you have any questions or concerns about the Graduation Ceremony, please contact the Department of Student Involvement or at (914) 606-6731 or visit us in the Student Center, Room 103.

LIVE STREAMING

For any friends or family members that are not able to join you at graduation, they can watch the whole ceremony online! The graduation ceremony will be live streaming starting at 5:45 pm on Thursday, May 19. Just click on the following link to watch. http://www.sunywcc.edu/gradlive

It is with deep sadness that Westchester Community College and the WCC Foundation mourn the passing of long-time Foundation Board member and friend Jerome Siegel.  Jerry passed away on March 25, 2016, just two months shy of his 99^th birthday, at his beloved home in the Dominican Republic.

Together with his late wife Ruth, Jerry believed deeply in the transformative power of education.  He joined the Foundation board in 1994, and for nearly twenty-five years was an active and involved member, serving on the Foundation’s Student Focus Committee.

In 2002 he established the Ruth & Jerome Siegel Scholarships which have awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to help hundreds of WCC students achieve their dream of a college education.

He also contributed generously to the construction of the College’s Gateway Center, for which the Siegel Café is named in his honor.

Jerry also leant his support to several community organizations including White Plains Hospital Center, Columbian Presbyterian Medical Center, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of NYC, an organization with which he was helping the College develop a partnership.

We are honored by this incredible legacy that has allowed so many students to pursue their dreams of higher education.

Westchester Community College has received a $100,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to support the Center for Financial and Economic Education (“CFEE”) for the current 2015-2016 academic year. This grant will enable the CFEE to continue to offer a unique co-curricular program, the Money Smart Forum, which helps students build financial capability through financial coaching and education.

The Money Smart Forum was introduced as a pilot program last year and includes one-on-one financial coaching, financial education, and career readiness training. Students in the program work with a financial coach to improve their financial lives by incorporating practices such as budgeting, tracking expenses, saving money, building credit, and managing debt. The ultimate goal is to help students build healthy habits and make sound financial decisions so that they can complete a college degree and pursue career goals.

Last year, more than three hundred students took advantage of resources offered by the program including individual coaching, workshops and career training sessions. Renewed funding for the 2015-16 academic year will allow the program to involve more students and to help them continue to gain critical money skills.

“JPMorgan Chase has been a very significant partner in terms of supporting financial capability initiatives at Westchester Community College,” says Tere Wisell, the college’s Vice President and Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development. “We are grateful for their continued generosity and for the important program that this grant funding makes possible. Financial coaching provides our students with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions that support their academic and personal success and have the power to transform their lives.”

“Across the country, too many people lack the tools and resources the need to manage their daily financial lives,” says Michael Haberman, Managing Director and head of the Northeast Region for Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. “The Money Smart Forum provide these resources to the students of Westchester Community College, promoting financial stability and economic opportunity.”

Suzanne Matthews, Director of the CFEE, notes that “Westchester Community College is one of the few institutions in the country to offer customized financial coaching to students, and this type of service is increasingly considered an important leading edge practice in the financial education community. Feedback from last year overwhelmingly demonstrated that the program succeeded in helping participants to get control of their expenses, save on a regular basis, reduce debt, and build a framework for future financial security.”

Based in Valhalla, New York, Westchester Community College is the largest educational institution in Westchester and the fourth largest community college in the SUNY system, with 24,000 students enrolled in full-time and part-time credit courses, as well as Continuing Education programs. The college is the most accessible institution of higher education in Westchester County. The school serves as a pathway to economic advancement for students who seek a college degree as well as those who intend to go directly into the workforce after graduation.

The mission of Westchester Community College is to provide accessible, high quality and affordable education to meet the needs of our diverse community.  We are committed to student success, academic excellence, workforce development, economic development and lifelong learning