Westchester Community College
Suburban 218 acres (88 ha) | |
Colors | Navy and Gold |
---|---|
Nickname | Vikings, Westcos[5] |
Affiliations | NJCAA Division I, III Region 15, District 3, Mid Hudson Conference[5] |
Mascot | Chester[5] |
Website | www |
Westchester Community College (WCC) is a
History
New York state opened five
New York governor Thomas E. Dewey appointed WCC's first board of trustees, which was composed of "successful lawyers, editors, manufacturers, labor readers and persons of varied racial backgrounds".[8] The college's first president was Dr. Philip C. Martin, and its first board chairman was Chauncey T.S. Fish. WCC began operating with a budget of $400,893.[7] Original enrollment at the school was 550 men and women, paying in-state tuition of $125 per semester, and out-of-state tuition of $250 per semester. Westchester County billed the home counties of non-Westchester students an additional $125. The first courses available were in business administration, building construction, technologies (electrical, mechanical, industrial chemistry), food administration, and medical-dental office work. Originally, the college awarded Associate of Applied Sciences degrees. Night courses were offered, but did not count towards a degree. Additional instruction was provided in English, mathematics, and social sciences. Initial extracurricular activities included music, golf, basketball, track, chess, radio, and photography.[6]
The salary range for faculty was $3,900-7,000, "somewhat higher than most public schools" in 1953, but required 12 months of work and no tenure was granted at the time.[6] "Minor employees" of the college had a salary starting at $3,480, and the president received a salary of $12,400.[9]
Search for a permanent location
Paying $30,000 per year in rent to the county, and facing eviction from the Battle Hill School facility, the college began looking for alternate housing.[10] The trustees of State University of New York (SUNY) approved spending $25,000, matching a pledge by the county board, to plan for a permanent site for WCC.[11] In April 1955, a ten-member committee was formed by County Executive James D. Hopkins investigated possible sites for Westchester Community College. In addition to "many old estates", three main sites were available to the college: Ridge Road Park (Greenburgh), reservation land in White Plains on the Bronx River Parkway, and "an used state normal school site" in White Plains on North Street.[10] By late in that year, sixteen properties had been examined, including lands located in parks, private estates, closed schools, and open countryside. The site committee agreed to a minimum of 100-acres for the college, and the state and county were sharing a capital commitment of $5,800,000 to build the new campus.[12]
In August 1956, the site committee chose to locate the campus on the Ridge Road Park property in
With the Gaisman estate off the table, the county turned its attention to the 364-acre
Expansion
In 1971, Joseph N. Hankin succeeded Martin as the college's president. Hankin had previously been the director of evening and summer sessions, and then the president, of
Campus
WCC's main campus sits at an elevation of 500 ft (152 m),
A master plan for the college was completed in 1961, with plans for the buildings on campus.[27] The plan included 8 buildings, and they were to be finished by 1988: the Engineering Technologies building (1962), the Student Center (1963), the Physical Education building (1964), the Classroom building (1967), the Learning Resource Center (1969), the Science building (1978), the Academic Arts building (1981), and the Administration building (1988).[28] The Mount Kisco architecture firm of Kaeyer, Parker & Garment designed the Science, Academic Arts, and Administration buildings. The Administration building was originally to have four floors, according to the master plan, but was scaled back to three after funding from the county and the New York State Dormitory Authority was reduced due to inflation.[27]
The Learning Resource Center was renamed the Harold L. Drimmer Library in 1994, after a longtime chairman of the college's board of trustees.[29] The library was completely renovated and expanded in 2002,[30] at a cost of $15 million. The new design was carried out by the firm Lothrop Associates, which doubled the size of the building to over 100,000 square feet. The updated building contains not only library facilities, but also computer training labs, a student lounge, and conference rooms.[31] The building's architect, Aaron B. Schwarz of Perkins Eastman architects, incorporated as much natural lighting as possible into the new design. The building's facade has stones similar to the original Learning Resource Center building, to better match the existing look on campus. Schwarz received a Design Award in 2003 for the building, from the Westchester/Mid-Hudson chapter of the American Institute of Architects.[32] A more recent addition was the Gateway Center which functions as a unique resource on the campus, housing the college's Business Programs, Professional Development Center, and multi lingual programs. The design of this building was made by Ennead Architects, and structurally engineered by Leslie E. Robertson Associates. This building has won two awards; National Winner, AISC Ideas2 Award (2011), and Excellence in Structural Engineering, SEAoNY (2011).[33]
Extension sites
In addition to the Valhalla campus, the college provides instruction at twelve other off-campus locations including extension centers in
Native Plant Center
The Native Plant Center (NPC), a
Westchester Center for the Arts
The Westchester Gallery is located in the Westechester Community College Center for the Arts in the County Center in White Plains. Located in the entryway of the Center for the Arts, the gallery hosts professional local, regional, and national artists, as well as the center's yearly faculty and student art exhibitions. Exhibitions at the gallery are frequently accompanied by talks, lectures, and presentations from the featured artists, and draw audiences from around the county.[34]
Academics
The college offers three associate degrees: associate of arts, associate of science, and associate of applied science.[35]
The college's curriculum is registered and approved by the New York State Education Department and offers associate degrees in forty areas and certificates in twenty. Courses are offered during spring and fall semesters as well as two sessions during the summer.
In addition to courses leading to associate degrees or certificates, the college offers a range of non-credit courses for students of all ages to sharpen their skills and broaden their interests. The student body numbers 12,000.
Admissions
Although the college does not require
The college's Admissions Office has a staff of counselors who work with students on their academic choices. There is an international student office (the student body includes individuals from dozens of countries) and an office for students with learning disabilities.
Student life
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2019) |
Extracurricular and co-curricular activities at Westchester Community College include varsity, club, and intramural athletics; student publications; a variety of special interest clubs; a student government association; a student run programming board called the Westchester Events Board (WEB), who plans major social events; and a full range of cultural events. These activities complement students’ academic work and offer opportunities to form new friendships and develop leadership and other transferable skills. Participation can give a sense of community with the rest of the college and help make education a memorable experience with the 66 clubs to choose from. Noteworthy clubs/organizations include: The Viking Newspaper,[36] Alpha Beta Gamma, Drama Club, Dance Club, EMS Club, Urban Poets Society, Black Student Union, The Italian Club, The Brazilian Club, WARY, and Gays, Lesbians and Others of Westchester (GLOW).
See also
References
- ^ Institute of Education Services. National Center for Education Statistics. "College Navigator - SUNY Westchester Community College". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
- Gannett Company. p. A1.
- ^ Office of Institutional Research and Planning (2012). "Fact Book 2011-2012" (PDF). Westchester Community College. Retrieved 2012-10-13. [permanent dead link]
- ^ "SUNY Fast Facts". State University of New York (SUNY).
- ^ a b c "Westchester Community College Athletics General Information". Westchester Community College. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
- ^ a b c d "WESTCHESTER GOES INTO COLLEGE FIELD: On Tuesday It Adds Community Institution to Its Tax Bill -- 12-Month Schedule Planned". The New York Times. 1953-08-30. p. 58.
- ^ a b c "COLLEGE IN WESTCHESTER: County Successor to Institute of Arts and Sciences Set Up". The New York Times. 1953-08-13. p. 41.
- ^ "WESTCHESTER COLLEGE". The New York Times. 1953-08-31. p. 16.
- ^ "THRUWAY 'ISLANDS' HELD INADEQUATE: Westchester Board Calls for Center Barriers That Cars Could Not Cut Across". The New York Times. 1953-09-15. p. 33.
- ^ a b "COUNTY AND STATE TO BUILD COLLEGE: Cost of $5,800,000 Home of Westchester Community School Will Be Shared". The New York Times. 1955-04-30. p. 19.
- ^ "STATE UNIVERSITY SCANS EXPANSION: Plans Parley to Consider the Needs of Long Island as Population Grows 378% STUDENT RISE SEEN Survey Indicates 26,000 Will Be Ready for College by 1970, Against 5,000 Now". The New York Times. 1955-04-16. p. 21.
- ^ "COLLEGE WILL HAVE A 100-ACRE CAMPUS". The New York Times. Nov 2, 1955. p. 23.
- ^ Folsom, Merrill (Aug 4, 1956). "CAMPUS IS CHOSEN FOR WESTCHESTER: Gaisman Estate in Hartsdale Planned as Site of County Community College". The New York Times. p. 14.
- ^ "HARTSDALE FAVORED AS SITE OF COLLEGE". The New York Times. 1956-08-26. p. 45.
- ^ "Westchester to Condemn Estate For Community College Campus: Board Also Opposes Rail Rate Rise but Favors Airport and Voting Plans". The New York Times. Aug 4, 1956. p. 37.
- ^ "BIG ESTATE SOUGHT FOR COLLEGE IS SOLD". The New York Times. Apr 10, 1957. p. 23L.
- ^ a b "WESTCHESTER QUEST FOR CAMPUS SHIFTED". The New York Times. 1957-06-20. p. 31.
- ^ a b "Westchester College To Get Site in Valhalla". The New York Times. 1957-06-28. p. 21.
- ^ a b Hershenson, Roberta (Oct 8, 2000). "College Mansion Tours Set". The New York Times. p. WE19.
- ^ a b Folsom, Merrill (Aug 6, 1957). "CAMPUS ASSURED FOR WESTCHESTER: Westchester Community College Acquires a Rustic Hilltop Campus". The New York Times. p. 28.
- ^ "COUNTY TO SPLIT TRACT: Westchester to Use Acreage as Campus and for Recreation". The New York Times. 1957-07-30. p. 32.
- ^ Joseph N., Hankin; Stuart Steiner (Apr 3, 2010). "With a Combined 78 Years on the Job, These Two Presidents Have Learned a Thing or Two". Chronicle of Higher Education. 56 (32): B20–B22.
- ^ Sarina, Trangle (Sep 24, 2011). "President Joseph Hankin Celebrates 40 Years at WCC". Greenburgh Daily Voice. The Greenburgh Daily Voice. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
- ^ United States Geological Survey (2012). "USGS The National Map Viewer". The National Map. United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ HigherEdJobs. "Institutional Profile: Westchester Community College". HigherEdJobs.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-24.
- ^ a b Kalick, Rosanne. Once upon a time. (Pamphlet). Archive 6. Westchester Community College.
- ^ a b Keegan, Patricia (1988-10-16). "Westchester Journal: A College Dedication". The New York Times. pp. WC3.
- ^ Westchester Community College. "Main Campus - Valhalla". Westchester Community College. Archived from the original on 2011-01-13.
- Gannett Company. p. A10.
- ^ Cooper, Rose (2012). A handbook for full-time faculty: 2012-2013. Valhalla, New York: Westchester Community College.
- ^ Lothrop Associates (2005). "PROJECT : Harold L. Drimmer Library/Learning Resource Center". Lothrop Associates. Archived from the original on 2006-05-20.
- Gannett Company. pp. G1.
- ^ "The Gateway Center, Westchester Community College / Ennead Architects". 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Gallery - Westchester Community College". Archived from the original on 2013-06-29.
- ISBN 1-882933-42-7.
- ^ "The Viking News".