ROCHESTER, N.Y. – March 13, 2009 – Two Monroe Community College programs are recipients of the 2008 Outstanding Student Affairs Program Awards from the State University of New York (SUNY).
The Doorway to Success and “WINS” (Workshops Initiated towards Needs of Students) were cited for making a positive impact on students and their development. Accepting the awards and presenting at the Council of SUNY Community Colleges Chief Student Affairs Officers conference in June will be Dr. Ann V. Topping, dean of Students at MCC’s Damon City Campus; Doorway to Success team members; Betty Smith and Vivian Quimbaya-Winship, both of Counseling and Advising Center; and Anne Hughes of the Career Center.
Both MCC programs are funded through the state Department of Education’s Perkins Grant.
? Doorway to Success is an initiative designed to help African-American and Latino male students at MCC achieve a college degree. More than 90 percent of program participants are considered economically disadvantaged and academically unprepared for college. Established in 2006, the program focuses on strengthening participants’ academic, vocational and technical skills, including information literacy, career planning and study skills, to increase their retention and academic success.
Participants meet with the program coordinator and academic adviser twice a semester to discuss individual progress and set short-term goals. They meet with leadership team counselors to solve difficulties. They also become acclimated to college by participating in orientation tours and attending campus activities.
Since the program’s inception, 62 percent of all participants earned a grade point average of at least 2.3.
“Doorway to Success offers a realistic chance for underserved, underrepresented students to succeed in college,” said Topping, initiative director. “We’re honored that SUNY recognizes this initiative and our efforts to address the academic barriers to achievement that African-American and Latino men face.”
Doorway to Success is a collaboration of MCC Counseling and Advising Center, Transfer and Placement Center, Educational Opportunity Program, Services for Students with Disabilities, DCC Student Services and community organizations.
? “WINS” (Workshops Initiated towards Needs of Students) is a workshop series focused on helping students learn more about how to succeed in college and effectively engaging professors, counselors and academic advisers in the process.
Introduced in 2002, WINS brings “how-to” workshops into classrooms. It enables the Counseling and Advising Center staff to reach a large number of students in one setting, many of whom would not be accessible in any other way. When a professor knows at least two weeks in advance that it will be necessary to cancel class for the day, contact is made with the Counseling and Advising for a staff member to conduct a workshop in that class.
Workshops can be customized to meet class needs. Students learn strategies for personal, career and academic success, such as note-taking techniques, study methods, test preparation tips, career options and the college transfer process.
With this new approach to student outreach, the group of workshop presenters can expand to include staff from other departments, such as Residential Life, Health Services, Educational Technology Services and Career Center.
Since the inception of the WINS series, 86 workshops have been taught to 2,420 students.
“WINS is a successful, cost-effective strategy to engage students in a different way to receive essential information about the college and academic process,” said Peggy Harvey-Lee, director of the Counseling and Advising Center. “Faculty have supported this initiative and appreciate not having to cancel classes. This SUNY award validates the success of our innovative team approach to help students realize their educational and career paths.”
WINS is a collaborative effort of the Counseling and Advising Center and Academic Services.
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