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2016 Remarks at WCC CW Articulation Signing Ceremony

May 12, 2016

Gateway Building, Davis Auditorium, Westchester Community College

As delivered.

It is particularly gratifying to The College of Westchester to be signing an agreement with Westchester Community College that formalizes the informal relationship that we have had as neighborhood colleges for many, many years.  Our liquid borders are being celebrated and recognized between two colleges who continue to be integral to the local and regional community.  Many thanks to President Belinda Miles and team for their collaboration.  When Dr. Miles was first appointed, Dr. Rosenberg and I visited and welcomed her to the neighborhood last summer.  We are delighted that this day has arrived!

Anytime we have an opportunity to lift up our fellow man, it is a great day.  Whether degree completion, further education or educational collaboration, we look forward to continuing to help individuals reach their educational goals and help them continue on their path to success.

Those of us who work in education devote our lives to that intangible asset, an education, which reaps myriad rewards.

The College of Westchester and Westchester Community College have many grads in common who have benefited greatly from the combined education of our two institutions.  Just a few of our most recent grads in common, who first graduated from WCC and now CW include Raquel Castra, Gregory Keller, Davor Lucaj, Lillian Merlo, Gina Olaya, Sean Swann, William Terrones, and Zaneta Williams, all of whom are employed and thriving.

The College of Westchester has just celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015.  We roll into our next 100 years as a Middle States college in good standing, among the top 25 Colleges and Universities in Phi Theta Kappa participation across the US, the 900 member Quality Matters organization having recognized CW as the college chosen for excellence in online education, and having just been recognized in April as one of the seven organizations recognized by the Business Council of Westchester’s Hall Of Fame awards, and our students continue to distinguish themselves by becoming I3 scholars, entering the Clemson Institute for Entrepreneurship, participating in Cisco’s dream team, among many other recognitions.  Our student satisfaction is high, which is important when encouraging students to commit to complete – a program that helps CW graduate student at twice the state average of colleges in New York State.

While there are upwards of a dozen colleges in the Westchester are, the right fit is important for each recent high school grad and each adult student.  We have witnessed many of WCC’s grads finding their way through our doors and online to continue the success they began here on your campus.

Though we are different in some ways:

  • You offer many programs – we offer 15
  • You are large – we are smaller
  • Your campus sprawls – ours is housed in one building and in cyberspace

What we have in common is more important.  We both care about each and every student who attends, whether for one course or for an entire program.  We care about what happens to our students when they are ready to leave as a graduate and we both have what students need to succeed.

Our family of CW is so very pleased to officially welcome the family of WCC into the fold to officially continue to practice the mission of educating Westchester’s students and helping them achieve their dreams, whether a 17 year old entering college for the first time, a mother of young children who finally has time to continue her education and achieve her dreams, to the young man who has been working to help support his family and has decided that now is the time for him.

Our students are scholars, they dream big and they achieve and we are all there with them, every step of the way.  Thank you, Dr Miles, and to all of us from both of our institutions who live this mission every day.  Thank you!

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