LCCC forges agreement with Bloomsburg University
Officials from Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (BU) will formalize an agreement on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 11:30 a.m. that will enable students with an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Elementary Education to seamlessly transition to a Bloomsburg University Bachelor's Degree.
This ceremony marks the first time a community college and state university in Pennsylvania have had this type of agreement a program-to-program articulation, said Tom Fletcher, director of Corporate and Continuing Education at BU.
"The courses approved for articulation are not based on a course-to-course transfer, as is typically the case," Fletcher said. "Instead, the agreement is a block transfer based on outcomes and competencies. Of the 60 transfer credits, a total of 31 credits in early childhood education are part of the overall agreement."
"In addition, the community college student must graduate from LCCC with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and successfully complete the Praxis I examination. The final 60 credits for a bachelor's degree in elementary education will be earned from Bloomsburg University, either at the main campus or LCCC's Morgan Center in Tamaqua.
This agreement is expected to serve as a model for the other 13 state universities in partnering with community colleges," Fletcher added.
BU President David L. Soltz, Ph.D., and LCCC President Donald W. Snyder, J.D., L.L.M., will sign the agreement during a ceremony on Feb. 3 at 11:30 a.m. in the Fowler Teacher Education Center, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville.
"This agreement expands the opportunities for LCCC's associate's degree graduates by providing a seamless transfer into the elementary education bachelor's degree program at Bloomsburg University," said Snyder. "Not only does this partnership increase opportunities for students, but also it aligns with LCCC's mission to meet the Lehigh Valley area's workforce and career needs, specifically the growing demand for elementary education teachers."
For more information, contact BU's College of Education at (570) 389-4032.
Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts, and Science and Technology.
