October25

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

MINUTES: - Monday, October 25, 2004

EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Chair: Bernice Spreckman; Legislators: Ursula LaMotte; Vito J. Pinto.

IN ATTENDANCE:

STAFF: Emilia Vita

GUESTS: Legislator Lois Bronz-District #8; Dr. Joseph Hankin, President-Westchester Community College; Talbert Spence, Associate Dean-W.C.C.; Marge Glusker, Ann Dorazio; Gina Gaines, Director-Mount Vernon campus; Rick Hyland, Director-Yonkers Cross County campus; Various Faculty members; Members of the W.C.C. Foundation and Board of Trustees.

SITE VISITS:
Westchester Community College Extension Sites in Mount Vernon and Yonkers-Cross County. The tour began at 11:30 a.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m.

MOUNT VERNON EXTENSION SITE:
Mrs. Gina Gaines, Director of the Mount Vernon campus, welcomed the legislators, Board and Foundation members and led them through the various classrooms (some were in session) and explained the various programs offered.

This site is the newest extension site for Westchester Community College and offers a host of classes in a newly renovated 16,000 square-foot building. The campus is equipped with state of the art computers, cutting-edge classroom space, advisement facilities, and brand new kitchen facilities. In additional to General Educations courses, the campus offers credited courses such as Business, Marketing, Foods & Nutrition, Mathematics, English, Reading, and Study Skills.

Mount Vernon is equipped with an Academic Support Center where students are offered free help with writing, reading ESL, math, accounting, and CIS coursework. The campus has a state of the art Culinary Arts Lab, and wireless and computer labs.

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
MINUTES
MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2004
PAGE 2

YONKERS CROSS COUNTY EXTENSION SITE:
The Yonkers Cross County campus is one of the first extension sites of W.C.C. and has been successful. Several legislators were concerned with the awareness of the site and remarked that there were no signs that the campus existed in the mist of the Cross County Shopping Mall. When entering either entrance to the mall there is a marquee listing all stores and businesses, but not the college campus. They stressed to the members that more advertisement was needed and Mr. Hyland explained that the budget is limited at this time, but they were opened for suggestions.

Suggestions were given to the staff to contact the 21st Century grants and the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce, which is a reliable recourse for advertisements.

Mr. Hyland explained this site is a state of the art facility and located in the shopping center. The site provides computer-related enhancement and job training. Several courses offered include Cisco Networking, Microsoft Office Applications, Quick Books Pro, PC Troubleshooting, and Home Networking. In addition, the campus offers credited courses in General Education, Basic Computer Programming and non-credited courses such as ESL, Internet, E-Mail; MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.

The legislators thanked Dr. Hankin and his staff for lunch and an interesting and educational visit.

The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.