TCC, NSU Partner To Help Students Earn Degrees Dual Enrollment, Shared Facilities Highlight Historic Agreement

TCC, NSU Partner To Help Students Earn Degrees Dual Enrollment, Shared Facilities Highlight Historic Agreement

BROKEN ARROW Students who apply to Tulsa Community College can now double their chances for success by opting for dual admission to Northeastern State University and taking aim at scholarship opportunities that will help them earn a four-year degree.

Officials gathered Thursday as presidents from both schools signed a proclamation outlining the collaborative effort. The two higher education institutions have joined forces to make the transition from one institution to the other, a seamless one.

Dr. Tom McKeon of TCC and Dr. Don Betz of NSU formalized work that has been underway since last year to partner through Smart Choice, during a special signing ceremony at the NSU Broken Arrow campus.

McKeon called this an historic day for this state and this community as we celebrate this new partnership.

Were pleased that NSU is planning to offer special scholarships so students can stay close to home and continue their education in Broken Arrow, he said.

The Smart Choice initiative details options for students as they enter collegewhether theyve recently graduated from high school or are starting their college career later in life.

TCC students who are also admitted to NSU will be eligible to apply for special Tulsa Achieves and Smart Choice scholarships that will help them finish a four-year degree at any Northeastern State campus.

We know in these competitive times that one of the touchstones of security is to be able to seek a college degree, Betz said. We look forward to helping students find their way to a seamless transition from TCC into a baccalaureate program, and maybe even a masters program. We will be looking for ways to serve their needs, their families needs, and enrich lives in this state.

Students who opt for dual admission will also have access to shared resources, such as fitness centers on four TCC campuses and NSUs new, state-of-the art library on the Broken Arrow campus.

Smart Choice is represented by a blue to green logo that represents the ease of transitioning from one schools color to the other as the student progresses through a college career. Officials anticipate the model partnership will increase the number of bachelors degree holders in the region, a long term objective of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education that can result in higher income for individuals and overall economic, social, and cultural benefits to the state.

There is an absolute direct correlation between an individuals earnings and the level of educational attainment, McKeon pointed out. No state with a low proportion of bachelors degrees has a high per capita income and no state with a high proportion of bachelors degrees has a low per capita income. Oklahoma ranks in the bottom quarter on a national basis. We need more individuals with college degrees.

The plan provides four-year course outlines, known as Roadmaps to Success, in 24 major areas of study at Northeastern. NSU officials expect to raise the number of complete articulated roadmaps this summer. TCC and NSU recruiters and counselors will use the four-year plans to help students make long-range decisions as they apply for dual admission to the institutions.

Students will also have the option to make changes along the way and can shift to a new roadmap if they decide to change majors.

McKeon said TCC plans to increase the number of course offerings on NSUs Broken Arrow next fall by 60 percent, and is also laying groundwork to seek approval from the Higher Learning Commission to make NSU-BA the colleges first off-site branch campus.

As they pursue degrees, dual-admitted students may attend classes at any combination of TCC and NSU campuses. For several years, TCC instructors have taught freshman and sophomore level coursework at NSUs Broken Arrow campus. This arrangement will continue, and through the Smart Choice plan, students who are working on associates degree requirements may concurrently enroll at NSU to begin taking classes to earn a bachelors degree. They are eligible to attend classes at the Broken Arrow campus, or at NSUs Tahlequah and Muskogee campuses.

In at least 24 degree programs, students who attend TCC and NSU classes at the Broken Arrow campus may be able to take all their coursework solely at that location. NSU also offers a variety of masters degree programs to help students who want to plan long-term educational goals. Masters level classes are available at all three campuses, depending on the course of study.

NSU is also partnering with TCC to bring a four-year ROTC program to the Tulsa area. Beginning in spring of 2010, classes will be offered through TCC and taught by NSU instructors on the Broken Arrow campus. ROTC students can then continue, with associates degree in hand, to complete requirements for a bachelors degree.

About 19 percent of transfer students who attend NSU earned associates degrees at TCC.

Smart Choice represents our collective aspiration to create the kind of environment we want our grandchildren to live in, Betz said. TCC is nationally known for the quality of its programs, innovation and leadership. We have this opportunity together to create a culture of learning that helps students.

NSU holds Smart Choice agreements with Connors State College and Eastern Oklahoma State College. Those partnerships will also provide transfer students opportunities to make a seamless transition to pursue a bachelors degree at NSU.

For more information, visit www.nsuok.edu/smartchoice/tcc.

5/21/2009

Published: 2009-05-21 00:00:00