WCC Receives $2.4M Grant to Boost Enrollment, Student Success  

Congratulations to BCW Member SUNY Westchester Community College which was awarded a $2.4 million state grant to improve accessibility, increase retention, and boost completion rates for its students. The grant was announced January 27 by State University of New York Chancellor John B. King. The announcement was made on campus on Jan.27 alongside SUNY WCC President Belinda Miles, SUNY Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Cesar Perales, officials, faculty, staff and students during Chancellor King’s first visit to the campus since starting January 9.

The funding, provided by Governor Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers in the 2022/23 Enacted Budget, builds on SUNY WCC’s successful academic programs and wrap-around services, including its successful Viking ROADS (Resources for Obtaining Associate Degrees and Success) program, which is demonstrating early success in helping students complete their degree in three years or less.

“Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving Institutions are unique because of the remarkable opportunity and excellence that they can provide students, regardless of background. We are proud that SUNY WCC has both federal designations,” Chancellor King said. “With this investment, SUNY WCC is poised to take further action to reach more students and adult learners in the community, help them succeed while here, and leave with a degree in hand. It will also expand existing academic programs. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, and lawmakers for their commitment to public higher education.”

SUNY WCC will also develop a Spanish-language website to more effectively reach the large non-English speaking segment of the county’s population. In addition, these funds will be used to expand existing academic programs, hire faculty, and purchase new equipment for updated laboratories. Another area that will be supported through this funding are mental health services including the continuation of their Interactive Screening Program for Suicide Prevention, TogetherAll membership, and Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) subscription.

SUNY Westchester Community College President Belinda Miles said, “SUNY WCC is highly regarded nationally as an incubator of innovative, next-generation student success initiatives among community colleges, and our impressive outcomes are the result of scaling evidence-based practices to broader populations. This critical funding from SUNY will expand and enhance our ability to deliver personalized case-managed services to increasingly diverse populations, especially as part-time enrollment continues to expand and Westchester families look for accessible, affordable pathways that provide economic mobility.”