Dr. Joseph N. Hankin

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The stewardship of a president is the key to any successful educational institution, and Westchester Community College has been lucky enough to have had steady, visionary, and energetic leadership from one individual for four decades. Today we celebrate Dr. Joseph N. Hankin’s achievements and his key role in support of our own successes.  

Dr. Hankin was named the leader of the college in 1971 and the transformation of the institution was almost immediate. Following through on his suggestions proposed during his interview process (opening the campus to the community, expanding academic programs, repairing infrastructure, etc.), he moved forward to begin the rejuvenation of the college. Although relatively new to the role of president (having previously served as president of Maryland’s Harford Community College for four years), Dr. Hankin immediately began his four-decade mission toward a commitment to quality, accessibility, affordability, and expansion.

His first role was to further cement the ties between the president’s office and the faculty, a relationship that is the lifeblood of all successful colleges. Working together with full-time professors and instructors, along with adjuncts, he immediately improved their opportunities for professional development. After consulting with them and administrators, he worked to jointly review and refine various academic policies. For the students, he initiated an academic support system which encouraged them to use new advisory and educational services, thus ensuring classroom success. He met with administrators to update numerous procedures, discussed with staff members their role in supporting the mission of the institution, and began his tenure as one of the most highly connected individuals in the county.

The latter role has been exemplified by his extraordinarily visible and involved presence in the various discussions that have been crucial to the development of Westchester County since the early 1970s, notably the role of workforce development. As a board member with various business organizations (he is a current member of the Westchester County Association and Business Council boards), he continues to respond to the needs of the business community by participating in the formation of county-wide initiatives, and has encouraged the formation of new academic programs leading to local careers. Also under his leadership, the college formalized its training options for those in the workplace by forming the Professional Development Center, which has helped train and educate Westchester workers since 1984.

Dr. Hankin also was a significant member of the team that expanded the Westchester Community College Foundation, which has raised millions in support of faculty and staff (training and education), students (annual scholarships totaling $1 million), academic programs (providing seed money through private donations and grants), and infrastructure (raising money for new buildings including the recently opened Gateway Center). The growth and evolution of this financial support entity has been critical to the success and expansion of the institution.  

When addressing his impact, one might consider what the stature of the college, now respected on a national level, would be without his involvement. Without our stellar leader, we would still have a Division of Continuing Education, but would it be the largest in the entire SUNY system?  Undoubtedly, the main campus in Valhalla would not be the only place where classes would be held, but would we have courses on the main campus plus five large freestanding hub sites (Peekskill, Ossining, White Plains, Yonkers, and Mount Vernon)? Would we still also offer courses at more than 100 other locations throughout the county? Would thriving cultural arts, Native Plant Center, and volunteer programs flourish here?

To take the most recent decade out of context, we can see the tremendous impact Hankin has had over one particular ten-year period. In addition to opening several new extension centers during this time, he oversaw the overhaul and expansion of the Harold L. Drimmer Library and Learning Resource Center which doubled in size in 2002. In addition, he opened Gateway (a 70,000-square-foot landmark structure designed by the renowned Ennead architectural firm to provide educational resources for thousands of students). During the same decade, the college dramatically expanded its online learning options, added a dozen new academic programs, and instituted the Collegium, a resource for mature learners interested in serious study and social exchange. Simultaneously, the college reached record enrollment figures for both credit and non-credit study. 

So looking merely at a partial list of achievements from one random time period during “The Hankin Era,” we can see the huge influence he has had over the college. Multiply that by four, and one begins to realize the overwhelming scope of his influence. But looking at these achievements alone tells only part of the story. Any successful administrator can point to concrete improvements, timely expansions, and deft changes in direction and mission that revitalize an organization. But a truly transcendent leader’s tenure also may speak to less apparent achievements that may not make it to the tally sheet.

It can truly be said that Dr. Hankin is Westchester Community College. His work ethic and visionary leadership have resulted in one of the nation’s finest community colleges and the largest and most successful educational institution in the county. But that influence goes beyond programmatic changes and brick and mortar improvements. It also has to do with his positive influence over the people of Westchester Community College. Through example and leadership, he has inspired others to do their best on behalf of the college.  

His influence ranges through a large number of individuals who have been a part of the college community. This includes his impact on the student leader who sought the president’s counsel while wrestling with a volatile home life; the faculty member, unsure of her future in academia, who sought career advice and then decided to pursue doctoral studies resulting in a rejuvenated career; the administrator who oversaw a dramatic overhaul of his office after being inspired by one of the president’s many witty, informative, and rousing speeches.   

These are the quieter, but equally impactful, influences that have been resulted from his presence.  But they are just as meaningful as those that are on the lists which you will peruse in this document as we celebrate the tenure of the longest serving community college president in the nation. Our leader, mentor, and friend, Dr. Joseph N. Hankin.  
 

 
Joseph Hankin Interview
Not Your Average Joe
Q&A with Dr. Hankin and Beth Holden, Academic Support Center Writing Coordinator.

BH: Let’s start by taking a look at the various roles of a modern president, roles you have filled for four decades. There’s administrator, fundraiser, innovator and facilitator. Also, presidents must represent the college at a large number of internal and external functions. You’re known for your entertaining and informative presentations. How do you manage to give so many speeches?

JH: I’ve always enjoyed these opportunities. I write them myself. It takes about an hour a page. I learned a long time ago if you pepper a talk with fun and interesting anecdotes, more people will listen and more people will retain the information. I’ve been collecting stories, anecdotes and facts forever. I have about 10,000 note cards in a wooden filing cabinet here at the college and about 70,000 at home.

BH: You have had a tremendous influence on the college during your tenure here. What would you consider some of your greatest successes?

JH: Well, first, it’s not just me. I have a team of individuals who have helped the college grow and thrive. We have started many programs including the Women’s Forum. It helps support homemakers and adult women returning to school. Our Academic Support Center offers tutorial support for students who need help in developmental courses. The Black Male Retention Initiative helps students stay in school. I’m also proud of our Virginia Marx Children’s Center. This resource helps us provide care for the children of students and employees. Some of these individuals wouldn’t be able to go to school, or to work here for that matter, if we didn’t have an on-campus facility for their children.

BH: The college now offers classes in more locations than ever before. You have played a key role in that expansion.

JH: When I first came here, we offered off-campus classes, but not to the extent we do now. In addition to the main campus, we now have extensions in Peekskill, Ossining, Yonkers, Mount Vernon and White Plains. For some people, having these options close to home makes all the difference. We constantly hear from students who tell us that if they were not able to walk to school, or take buses nearby, or drive around the corner to these facilities, they wouldn’t have bothered going to college. These extension centers give them the chance to go to school. It just makes things easier for them.

BH: I remember hearing about the various locations where classes are offered. In addition to the extensions, the college offers classes all throughout the county?

JH: Last year, for instance, we offered classes in some 103 difference locations. And through the years, we have had classes at 250 separate places. 

BH: Would you say that your legacy is one of access?

JH: I’ve always tried to open the college up to more and more individuals. When I first came here, 2,000 applicants were turned away. That’s not total access. Over time, we have been able to expand the campus, physically with new buildings and programmatically through new programs. We’re now close to record enrollment and proud of it.

BH: Are there still individuals out there who can’t be reached through education at a community college?

JH: Can we as an educational institution do a better job meeting the needs of potential students in Westchester? I think we can. For instance, I would like to be able to provide more remedial courses and tutoring options. Approximately sixty percent of our students require one or more remedial courses. So there’s that group which we can do more for, and others could use more of our help, too. I think our online programs are one solution in terms of reaching out to those who may not be able to travel, for instance. We can always do more.

BH: But space is also a concern, no?

JH: We still have one of the smallest square-foot-per-student ratios in the SUNY system. This is despite having recently opened the Gateway Center, doubling the size of the library, and other projects. We’re moving in the right direction…slowly. Off-campus centers help a lot to relieve such issues. The extensions are very busy. Online courses are taking some of the pressure off the main campus, too.

BH: How do you keep up with everything? Fundraising tasks, administrative work, speeches, dealing with the college’s finances? You are the busiest person on the campus but you always seem to have time for others.

JH: Thank you. I try to put time aside every day in order to meet with students, faculty, administrators, and staff members. Everyone is involved in the workings of the college and everyone has their own perspective on issues. If I don’t have time for a personal conversation, there’s always email! I get about 450 emails a day.

BH: 450! Every day?

JH: Sometimes more. But I do try to keep up. As best I can. That’s why you may sometimes get an email from me in the middle of the night. I like to stay in touch and it’s a big part of my job.

BH: When do you sleep?

JH: It’s funny that you mention that. A few years ago, I was worried that my sleep patterns were off so I went to the Cornell Sleep Center in White Plains and found that six hours is ideal for me. If I can get six hours of sleep, or even less, I’m good for the whole day. I go to sleep at midnight. I’m up by four or five. The sleep clinic said that five to six hours is normal, but that I should take a nap in the middle of the day. I said, “Put it in writing!”

BH: Over the years, your family must have been very supportive of your career choice.

JH: I do have a very supportive family. My wife also has an important role in the educational system. (Dr. Carole G. Hankin is superintendent of schools in Syosset, New York.)  I have two sons and a daughter and nine grandchildren ranging in age from six to fifteen. They live all across the county – Los Angeles, Charlotte, and Atlanta. They have always been interested in both of our careers, including our education. When my eldest son was young, I was writing my dissertation. I heard him say, “Be quiet! He’s working on his dissertation.” I didn’t even know he knew the word!

Facts about Dr. Hankin
 
At age 26, Dr. Hankin became the nation’s youngest college president when he assumed leadership of Harford Community College in Maryland.
 
During his tenure, the college’s faculty and professional staff have received more SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence than any similarly-sized institution.  
 
Under Dr. Hankin, the college launched its highly regarded Honors Program in 1987.
 
His support of the expansion of the Continuing Education Division has resulted in tremendous growth. It is now the largest such program in the state of New York.
 
Dr. Hankin’s various efforts to educate immigrants and new citizens have resulted in the expansion of the English as a Second Language Program. More than 5,000 individuals now learn English language skills at the college.
 
Dedicated to active student life, the college president has encouraged the expansion of student clubs. There are now more than seventy student clubs.
 
Under his leadership, the college has expanded its resources for mature adults, and now offers classes through Mainstream, the Institute for Mature Adults, and Collegium, which offers high level educational options for lifelong learners.
 
Thanks to the addition of new buildings on the main campus and an expansion throughout the county (the college now has five freestanding extension hub sites), students learn in more locations than ever before. In fact, Honors students now study in Cambridge, England each summer.   
 
An avid reader, and an active listener of audio books, Dr. Hankin has listened to 500-600 audio books over the last 35 years.
 
An early proponent of online learning, Dr. Hankin’s support of distance education has resulted in a rapid expansion in this area. The college has offered hundreds of online classes over the years.
 
Dr. Hankin is the longest serving community college president in the nation.
 
Dr. Hankin holds six degrees.
 
Dr. Hankin is the recipient of over 100 honors and awards.
 
He has been named one of the Top Fifty Community College Leaders in the Nation.
 
Dr. Hankin has been named one of the Most Effective College Presidents in the United States.
Dr. Hankin’s mission to expand upon the college’s educational offerings has resulted in many new academic programs. There are now more than sixty academic programs offered at the college.
 
Corporate training is now one of the college’s strengths. The Professional Development Center, which began in 1984, has trained and educated thousands of individuals.
 
Each semester, the college holds classes for more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students.
 
In May 2011, Dr. Hankin addressed a record number of graduates at the college’s commencement ceremony. 1,451 students received their degrees on that day. 
 
Since arriving on the Valhalla campus, Dr. Hankin has supervised the construction of four new buildings. 
 
Under his leadership, the college has expanded upon the opportunities for professional development for faculty and staff who expand their knowledge by attending conferences and workshops in-person and online.
 
Encouraged by the president’s interest in supporting students, the Westchester Community College Foundation now awards $1 million in student scholarships annually. 
  
With a Combined 78 Years on the Job, These Two Presidents Have Learned a Thing or Two (excerpt from article by college presidents Joseph Hankin and Stuart Steiner, The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 2010).
 
On July 1, 1965, each of us began his higher education career at Harford Community College in Maryland. Joseph Hankin was director of the evening division and summer session and Stuart Steiner was admissions director. College presidencies followed in relatively short order. Together we now hold a combined record of 78 years of presidential service. Our longevity both humbles and surprises us. We have reflected often on our decades of service and the reasons for our long and successful tenures.
 
Here are some of the lessons we have learned:
 
Successful community college presidents are educators first and foremost. We spend large portions of our time teaching and guiding board members, elected officials, managerial staff members, college committee chairs, reporters, and the college community. Our curriculum consists of educational vision, stewardship of resources, and leadership development.
 
Successful presidents keep learning. Certainly we learn from our colleagues and subordinates. But equally important, we walk around the campus, engage students in conversation, talk daily with faculty and staff, and ask probing questions of visitors. We remain curious about big goals and obscure details. The more we know, the better we lead.
 
Successful presidents think about tomorrow. While many of our faculty and staff members are immersed in managing the “here and now,” we do our jobs best when we manage three, five, or even ten years in the future.
 
Successful presidents are fair. Successful presidents treat faculty and staff members as genuine partners in decision making and strive for stable, productive relationships with them.
 
Successful presidents are careful with resources.  In this day and age, resources are extraordinarily tight. The most successful presidents pay attention to the mechanics of the budget process and scrutinize budget reports. While we have no desire to earn reputations as penny pinchers, we want our constituencies to recognize that we treat the resources entrusted to us as carefully as we would treat our own. 
 
Successful presidents respect the board’s role. Successful presidents understand that the board is the governing and policy-making body.
 
Successful presidents stay fresh.  Just as our institutions are always evolving, effective leaders must continually grow. Active involvement in professional organizations, peer networking, and daily exposure to higher education news helps us stay on top of trends and innovations.
 
Successful presidents celebrate. Celebrations build a sense of community. Institutional milestones deserve celebrations, and each celebration becomes an opportunity to deepen the commitment and involvement of those in our community.
 
 
Dr. Hankin as mentor:
 
Dr. Hankin has mentored Professor Rick Hyland for nearly three decades. Hyland first attended the college as a student in 1983, at which time the two met periodically to discuss student leadership and academic issues. After two semesters here, Hyland joined the Marine Corps, and then spent a decade in private industry. He took a class with Dr. Hankin at Columbia University, and returned to Westchester Community College as director of the Yonkers Extension Center. At that time, their conversations centered on the challenges and issues relating to college administration. Now, he is a faculty member at the college. Dr. Hankin continues to serve as his mentor as a member of Hyland’s dissertation committee.
 
“Dr. Hankin has served as an exemplary leader, advisor, and mentor to me and many others.  For this, we owe him a significant debt of gratitude,” says Hyland.
 
 
Professor Russell Ippolito has been a frequent visitor to Dr. Hankin’s office for decades. First, as a student, Ippolito came to the president for advice on classes and career choices. Admittedly somewhat unfocused, Ippolito says the president helped him to hone in on his strengths. Later, as he pursued a degree after graduating from Westchester, Ippolito sought the president out for counsel on his interest in teaching as a career. Now, as chair of the college’s Paralegal Studies Program, Ippolito frequently confers with the president on issues relating to college policy, marketing, and other institutional issues. 
 
“Dr. Hankin has been a steady influence on me at various stages in my life, including my current role as a college administrator,” says Ippolito. “He has been with me from college on into my professional career. In particular, I took a graduate level course from the president while he was teaching at Columbia University. I was able to learn from him in a formal setting at Columbia, and have leaned on him for advice at various points in my career. I owe a lot to Dr. Hankin,” he says.
 
 
Renata Holcmann was a wonderful student at Westchester Community College. A Liberal Arts/Social Sciences major, she graduated in 2006. But not before she received a Westchester Community College Foundation Merit Scholarship, the Ruth and Jerome Siegel Scholarship, and a SUNY Chancellor’s Award. But her story doesn't end there. She has since graduated from Columbia University and is now going for her Masters degree in Sports Management there. A chess champ when she was a child in Hungary, she now teaches chess and takes part in various tournaments on her own.
“Dr. Hankin has supported me and helped guide me during my time at the college,” she says. “While I was at the school, it was nice to know that I knew the president and could go to him for advice at any time.”  
 
A month after arriving in the U.S. from Uruguay, Sergio F. Serratto was ready to take advantage of the land of opportunity. But instead of becoming a student, he had to drop his plans to study in order to help support his family from afar. His father had been in a serious car accident, which left him unable to work. So Serratto, combining three minimum wage jobs, worked 100 hours a week to help his family make ends meet back home. 
After six years of having his dream deferred, Serratto was finally able to enroll at Westchester Community College. He came back to school with extraordinary passion and drive. The Business Administration student became national vice president of the Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honors Society and was selected to participate in an exclusive summer education program at Vassar College. He was also selected as the student representative to the college’s Board of Trustees, where he worked closely with Dr. Hankin.  
“I am now studying Finance and International Business at New York University, and I want to thank Dr. Hankin for encouraging me along the way. I plan on succeeding in the business world so I can give something back to my community,” he says.