Member Matters February 2024

Hands-on Learning and Creative Credentials
Tiffin University's new WorkforceReady program is aimed at workers who want to upskill or reskill and the employers who urgently depend on them. It includes nearly 60 certificates, which typically take between three and six months to complete (Tiffin University).

Scottsdale Community College's new Fast Track certificates, designed by industry experts, offer students an accelerated alternative for qualifying for high-demand jobs (Scottsdale Independent).

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has received a $100,000 pledge from Staab Construction Corporation to support its live construction sites and other hands-on learning that prepare students to succeed in the “largest single industry in the United States” (UW-Platteville).

Following three years of curricular collaboration with local industry, Cabrillo College will offer its first wine studies associate in science in the fall, pairing it with two certificate programs, including a free, noncredit offering, to expand students' choices for pursuing professional and personal interests (TPG).

From its appellation to its activities, Mississippi State's new Bulldog Experience is centered on experiential learning, helping students transcend "traditional classroom education [and experience] more immersive activities that foster personal growth, intellectual development, and professional preparedness" (MSU).

A local brewery is partnering with The University of Texas at Arlington on a brewing and fermentation science certificate. A 16-hour internship complements the program's four courses (Lakewood - East Dallas Advocate).

Workforce Development Strategies
The value of workforce development partnerships within higher ed was a highlight of a panel discussion when the University of the Incarnate Word School of Professional Studies hosted the Greater San Antonio Chamber (UIW).

Prince George's Community College has opened the Engineering Workforce Development Center, which offers resources to employers, high schools, colleges, and other partners (PGCC).

The LSU-led statewide endeavor Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) has landed the largest-ever U.S. National Science Foundation grant, which will steer as much as $160 million to bolster Louisiana's energy sector, including workforce development partnerships involving "private energy companies, universities, community and technical colleges, and state agencies" (LSU).

CareerSource Tampa Bay, through a partnership with Abe Brown Ministries Inc., has started the Career Advancement and Reintegration Education (CARE) program to "provide operation and support services for the delivery of workforce training and placement services to Hillsborough County Justice involved/returning citizens to develop a pipeline of talent with fundamental employability and aptitude to obtain employment" (Tampa Free Press).

Cal State LA will use a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to "link formerly incarcerated college graduates with regional employers and community organizations to work toward achieving an equitable workforce" (Cal State LA).

Accelerating Adult Learning
Following 15% and 20% increases in applications and enrollment, respectively, in "part-time, online, flexible, and professional development" programs, Atlantic Technological University is now among the largest providers in Ireland of such offerings. The university, which partners with dozens of regional companies to recruit and advance workers, offers work-based learning and credit for prior learning opportunities (Irish Independent).

Designed to be efficient and convenient for adult learners, Gordon State College's eMajor program has added its newest degree program, a bachelor of science in organizational leadership (GSC).

A $250,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Social Services dedicated to helping student parents complete short-term, work-relevant credentials will augment Danville Community College's student support services (DCC).

Additional Proactive Partnership
Elizabethtown College's School of Graduate and Professional Studies has partnered with the Northern Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce and Penn State Health to make tuition discounts available to employees, their spouses, and their dependents (Elizabethtown College).

American Public University System and Ardent Health Services, whose network includes 30 hospitals and more than 200 care sites, are partnering to create a tuition grant offering a 15% savings to more than 23,000 Ardent employees and their family members (APUS).

In Their Own Words
In a joint op ed with a local business executive, the president of Barry University propounds partnerships among postsecondary institutions and employers (Barry University).

Pointing to community colleges' outperformance in national enrollment trends, the president of the College of DuPage writes of their twin ability to advance learners in the workplace and in their pursuit of additional degrees (Daily Herald).

Awards and Other Achievements
Bay Path University's online college for adult women, praised for its retention rate and We Empower Learners and Leaders program, was recognized as a premier online women's college in the U.S. (Bay Path University).

The Texas A&M University System was honored with the William Pearson Tolley Champion for Veterans in Higher Education Award (Texas A&M University System)

Based on an assessment of "credibility, affordability, student outcomes, student experience, and application process," Springfield College has been declared a top online college in Massachusetts (Springfield College).

The International Technology and Engineering Educators Association has made Laurel Ridge Community College one of only six postsecondary institutions and the only community college to receive its School of Excellence distinction (Laurel Ridge).

A Louisiana State University economist has determined that EPCE member Entergy injected nearly $500 million in economic benefits to New Orleans in 2021 (Entergy).

The Art of Articulation
Benefits including early admission, degree planning, personal transfer advising, and financial savings are part of an agreement between Ohio University and West Virginia Northern Community College to help students complete a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice or social work, two growth areas in the schools' workforce region (Ohio University).

A "2+2" agreement between Harper College and Rockford University will help students complete a degree in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity, a field the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects will grow by 33% in employment this decade (Harper College).

An articulation agreement between Pitt Community College and Western Governors University allows a seamless transfer of PCC students to complete bachelor's degree and also offers graduates and employees of PCC the opportunity to apply for WGU's Community College Partner Scholarships (WNCT).

Students transferring from Metropolitan Community College to Park University under a new agreement will receive guaranteed admission and be eligible for the yearly $1,000 Park University Associate Degree Recognition Scholarship (Park University).