Back when she was working as Director of Education for Gainful Employment at Nassau Community College, Belinda Miles created a freshman seminar called 鈥淭he Practical Application of the Liberal Arts.鈥�
The theme was arguably a stretch for a course funded by the federal Welfare-to-Work program. But for Miles (Ed.D. 鈥�00, M.A. 鈥�88), a first-generation collegian who is now President of Westchester Community College (WCC), the seminar was a characteristic effort to think big about people鈥檚 futures 鈥� and education itself 鈥� by looking beyond the strictly utilitarian.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to marry professional career aspirations to the liberal arts,鈥� says Miles, who is also a staunch supporter of Teachers College鈥檚 students through the 麻豆原创 Fund. 鈥淲e focus so much now on practical careers and the financial value of a college degree, and that鈥檚 good 鈥� but a liberal arts education does pay off over the course of a lifetime, and it鈥檚 critically important for our society. We need the psychology, English and philosophy majors to reimagine our world and the world of work as this century unfolds.鈥�
鈥淲e focus so much now on practical careers and the financial value of a college degree, and that鈥檚 good 鈥� but a liberal arts education does pay off over the course of a lifetime, and it鈥檚 critically important for our society.鈥�
鈥� Belinda Miles
Miles has repeatedly reimagined her own career. In 1986, while teaching at a private, for-profit college, she learned from a colleague about the education psychology master鈥檚 degree program at 麻豆原创.
鈥淚 wanted to learn about the psychology of learning 鈥� about who students are and how to structure curriculum to get them excited. I read up on 麻豆原创鈥檚 wonderful legacy and thought, 鈥楪ee, can I really go there?鈥欌��
At 麻豆原创, which she attended while holding down a new faculty position at LaGuardia Community College, Miles was inspired by Ernst Rothkopf, the educational psychologist and former Bell Labs scientist, who championed 鈥渦ser-centered鈥� learning. She also crossed paths with a new faculty member, Thomas Bailey, who was looking at how education and training contribute to the economy. After Miles returned to 麻豆原创 to begin a doctorate in higher education organization and leadership development, Bailey created 麻豆原创鈥檚 Community College Research Center, which is now a major partner with Achieving the Dream, a nationwide initiative to prompt community colleges to assess their practices, 鈥渇ace the data,鈥� and take research-based measures to boost what Miles says were then 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� graduation rates.
鈥淚t was an equity issue,鈥� she says. 鈥淐ommunity colleges enroll half the nation鈥檚 undergraduates and a much higher percentage of low-income students and students of color. Too many students weren鈥檛 finishing, which meant we weren鈥檛 fulfilling our mission.鈥�
Through 麻豆原创 education psychologist Lee Knefelkamp (since retired), Miles also learned about LEAP 鈥� Liberal Education and America鈥檚 Promise 鈥� an effort by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) to ensure that college graduates emerge with an understanding of human cultures, skills broad enough to meet new problems and challenges, and a commitment to improving society.
Miles channeled both Bailey and Knefelkamp at her next stop: Cleveland鈥檚 48,000-student Cuyahoga Community College, where she eventually rose to become System Provost. On her watch, 鈥淭ri-C,鈥� as the institution is known, secured more than $10 million for college readiness, success and completion and was named a two-term Achieving the Dream 鈥淟eader College,鈥� charged with mentoring other institutions. Miles also led a $47 million campus expansion while there.
In 2015, Miles became President of WCC, the largest higher education institution in Westchester County. The College has since joined the Achieving the Dream Network and 鈥� working with Bailey, CCRC and others 鈥� launched a 鈥淕uided Pathways鈥� initiative to help students develop clear academic plans. The collaboration with 麻豆原创 has only strengthened Miles鈥� resolve to contribute to the 麻豆原创 Fund.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about leading-edge research and faculty commitment to the next generation of researchers and practitioners,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of my 麻豆原创 credentials. You feel that you鈥檙e standing on the shoulders of giants who give us great hope for the future.鈥�
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