Welcome to Westchester Community College & Your First-Year Seminar

Congratulations

You made it! You’ve already shown the perseverance and dedication necessary to get into college. Maybe your path here from high school was short, or maybe you’ve had many life experiences since your time in high school. Either way, welcome to Westchester Community College. We’re so glad you’ve chosen WCC!

Westchester Community College’s History

Westchester Community College began as New York Institute of Applied Art and Sciences in 1946, located in the Battle Hill School in White Plains. It was one of five coed technical institutes in New York supported by state. In 1953, the state decided to close the schools unless the five communities in which these institutes were housed would accept operating responsibilities and share the financial costs with the state. Many community organizations, voiced support and pledged scholarships, and deal was reached so the financial burden would be shared equally between the state, county, and the student body, with each contributing one-third towards the school’s operating costs. The Institute became Westchester Community College on September 1, 1953.

The breadth of programs and degrees offered by Westchester Community College has expanded greatly since 1953. At that time the College awarded Associate of Applied Sciences degrees and the first courses available at WCC were in business administration, building construction, technologies (electrical, mechanical, industrial chemistry), food administration, and medical-dental office work. Additional instruction was provided in English, mathematics, and the social sciences. Initial extracurricular activities included music, golf, basketball, track, chess, radio, and photography.

In 1955 the College began looking for a permanent site, and identified the estate of the late John A. Hartford as the location to build Westchester Community College. Hartford had been the president of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. The 364-acre property in Valhalla, called Buena Vista Farm, was partially occupied by Yale University, which had contracted with the Hartford Foundation to use the land until 1972. However, in 1957, the county board purchased the Hartford site and Yale agreed to vacate the property in mid-1958. The Hartford Foundation agreed to sell the property, valued in 1958 between $3,000,000-4,000,000, for only $750,000. The low price was offered to help lower the cost of tuition for students.

A master plan for Westchester Community College was developed in 1961, including 8 buildings that 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).

In 1971, Joseph N. Hankin succeeded Philip Martin as the college’s president. Hankin had previously been the president of Hartford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland. He served as president of WCC for more than 40 years, the longest serving community college president in the United States.

The Learning Resource Center was renamed the Harold L. Drimmer Library in 1994, after a longtime chairman of the WCC’s board of trustees. The library was completely renovated and expanded in 2002 doubling the size of the building to over 100,000 square feet. The updated building contains not only library facilities, but also computer labs, a student lounge, and conference rooms. The most recent addition to the campus is the Gateway Center which houses the College’s Business Programs, its Professional Development Center, and its multilingual programs.

In addition to the Valhalla campus, the WCC provides instruction at twelve other off-campus locations including extension centers in Peekskill, Ossining, White Plains, Mount Vernon and Yonkers. In addition, the College offers classes in Shrub Oak, New Rochelle, Mahopac and Port Chester. The Educational Opportunity Center is in Yonkers.

The Native Plant Center (NPC), a non-profit project of the Westchester Community College Foundation, is an affiliate of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. The NPC, with the goal to educate the community on the value of native plants, presents various educational programs including workshops and conferences, is responsible for two demonstration gardens on the main campus, offers trips to gardens and horticultural displays, and coordinates an annual plant sale.

The Virginia Marx Children’s Center was established in 1986 to provide care for the preschool children of students and staff. The center is a laboratory school for students in the Early Childhood curriculum, Human Services curriculum, and the Dietetic Technology curriculum at Westchester Community College, and it has recently received the highest rating from QUALITYstarsNY, NY’s Quality Rating and Improvement System with a 5 out of 5-star rating.

Values of Westchester Community College

To better ourselves and our relationships, we are committed to

Personal Excellence – Promote life-long learning, academic growth and intellectual development.
Respect – Support an environment of open, honest and collegial communication.
Integrity – Expect personal accountability through ethical behavior.

2. To better our community and collective efforts, we are committed to

Collaboration – Work together on the achievement of a common goal.
Civic Engagement – Advance active involvement in the life of the community.
Innovation – Encourage and empower a creative environment.

3. To better our society and our world, we are committed to

Diversity – Fostering an inclusive community through acceptance and understanding.
Environmental Sustainability – Protect, preserve, and conserve resources for the future.
Empathy – Respond to each other’s views and opinions without judgement

Westchester community college’s mission statement

WCC’s Mission:

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.

Transitioning to WCC

Most students feel a sense of excitement and enthusiasm, along with a bit of anxiety, as they begin classes, especially in their first semester. In many ways the beginning of each semester is a fresh start. It is an opportunity to learn and grow. You’ll meet new people, have new experiences, and be inspired to attain high standards. The transition to college is full of exciting opportunities and challenges.

This book, just like this course, is intended to be a resource for you as you navigate your transition to college. Each chapter is designed to help you think about important issues in college life. Some of the ideas will be relevant immediately, and others will be of use to you as you move through your educational career. You may want to keep this text to use as a resource throughout your time at WCC. As the required text for this class, all students can access the book online in your course Brightspace site.

This First-Year Seminar textbook is organized so that each chapter focuses on two or more related issues important to college students, and most chapters have separate sections. Here’s an overview:

Chapter 1: Starting Smart

Encourages you to value class time, learn about how you learn, and think through your communication as it introduces you to some of the technology you’ll use in college.

Chapter 2: Motivation, Goal Setting, & Grit

Gives you the opportunity to find out more about yourself and set some short-, mid-, and long-term goals. You will also be introduced to WCC’s policies and procedures.

Chapter 3: Exploring Academic & Career Pathways

Assists you in thinking about who you are and where you are going within and beyond Westchester Community College.

Chapter 4: Managing Time & Responsibilities

Helps you achieve your goals by giving tips for time management, organization, and managing personal responsibilities.

Chapter 5: Learning & Studying Effectively

Explores deep learning, taking notes from readings and lecture, and familiarizing yourself with the settings in which you learn best.

Chapter 6: Test-taking, Presentations & Writing

Acquaints you with strategies for preparing for and taking tests.

Chapter 7: Educational Planning, Adademic Advising & Registration

Equips you with the knowledge and abilities to plan out the curricular and co-curricular experiences that will help you graduate from WCC and reach your academic and professional goals.

Chapter 8: Transfer

iIntroduces you to the transfer opportunities that may await at a college or university after you graduate from WCC.

Chapter 9: Health & Wellness

Examines personal wellness issues, such as eating well, exercising, managing stress, and maintaining mental health.

Chapter 10: Diversity & Inclusion

Focuses on topics that help diverse learners create a positive learning environment by honoring the similarities and differences between unique individuals.

Chapter 11: Thinking & Analysis

Explores critical and creative thinking and how to use them to solve problems.

Chapter 12: Personal & Financial Responsibility

Examines personal finances and budgeting.

This First-Year Seminar is one step along your journey through higher education. It is the hope that this text and course will offer you a solid foundation for future opportunities and challenges. By being open to hard work and new experiences, collaborating with classmates, and accessing college resources, you are on your way to a successful college experience.

Again, welcome to WCC. We are glad you are here.

female student bumps fists with WCC viking mascot

The most up-to-date version of this text is available to students online through their First-Year Seminar’s Blackboard space. It is also available online at the following address:https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-wcc-collegesuccess2/

To the Student