RyeCity REVIEW THE
August 6, 2021 | Vol. 9, Number 29 | www.ryecityreview.com
WCC signs transfer agreement with SUNY Potsdam
Sweet sounds Electric Kingdom Studios, a brand-new recording complex situated in Westchester County, has been created by longtime producer and recording artist Gordon Bahary. For more, see page 6. Contributed photo
County passes 80% vaccination threshold among 18 and older Westchester County Executive George Latimer today announced that 80% of adult residents 18plus+ living in Westchester County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The 80% vaccination rate equates to 653,829 people vaccinated out of a total population of 967,612 in Westchester. Westchester County continues to outpace the national vaccination rate for adults, as well as over-performing vaccination rates in neighboring Bronx, Suffolk, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess and Ulster counties. “I am extremely proud that we have achieved this great milestone with 80 percent of our population receiving the COVID-19 vaccine,” Westchester County
Executive George Latimer said. “The vaccine has proven month after month to protect the people that we serve, with positive cases on a general downward trend along with hospitalizations and deaths. We have a long way to go and COVID is not yet behind us, but these vaccination statistics are proof that we are moving forward, we are united, and we will be stronger because of it.” Since the COVID-19 vaccine first became available to Westchester’s residents, the county set the stage with a robust marketing campaign to get the public vaccinated and keep them informed. Westchester County successfully ran vaccine distribution centers at the Westchester County Center,
Westchester Community College and the Health Department clinics in Yonkers and White Plains. The county also worked to create pop-up vaccination sites across Westchester, to ensure that the largest number of people had access to the vaccine. The marketing campaign included a series of town halls targeted to specific populations such as youth, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, the business community and others. Using the tagline “Kick COVID to the Curb,” a series of public service announcements were released on social media and in local news, featuring testimonials from residents young and old, students, religious leaders, members of
the non-for-profit community, athletes, celebrities, Spanish language PSA’s and more. Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services established the in-home vaccination program, to ensure that those who were homebound or disabled and their caregivers could still receive the vaccine. Free ParaTransit Transportation Service was also made available for seniors and people with disabilities to transport constituents who needed help getting to the vaccine. Latimer continues to hold regular conference calls with the local school districts and municipal leaders, to build public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. (Submitted)
Westchester Community College, WCC, has signed a new transfer agreement with SUNY Potsdam enabling students who have earned either an Associate’s in Science degree in Environmental Studies or Health & Human Performance to pursue their Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies or Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, respectively, at SUNY Potsdam. These WCC students who graduate with a minimum GPA of 2.0 will be guaranteed acceptance to SUNY Potsdam and will transfer with junior status. Students who participate in this program will have up to 64 credits applied toward completion of the articulated SUNY Potsdam Bachelor’s degree program. Students will need to complete a minimum of 45 upper-division credits, of which 15 must be in the major, to satisfy SUNY Potsdam’s baccalaureate degree requirements. Transferring students with a cumulative college GPA of 3.0 or higher are encouraged to apply for transfer scholarship money. “This articulation agreement
is an exciting new pathway for our students to advance their academic career in high-demand fields,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, president of Westchester Community College. “SUNY Potsdam provides our graduates with the opportunity to seamlessly transition to an excellent fouryear institution where they can prepare for a career that will help themselves, their families, and their communities.” “We are thrilled to partner with Westchester Community College to offer new pathways for students to further their studies in two of our most hands-on majors—environmental studies and exercise science. WCC graduates are well prepared to succeed in our baccalaureate programs, and we know they will thrive here at Potsdam and in their future careers,” said Dr. Bette Bergeron, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at SUNY Potsdam. Students interested in learning more about this transfer opportunity should visit www.sunywcc.edu/sunypotsdam-transfer. (Submitted)