May 8, 2007
The heads of Southwestern
Community College and Western
Carolina University signed
an agreement on Monday (April
23) for a new partnership
that will help students who
are not quite ready for college-level
courses at Western to prepare
for full admittance.
Through the agreement signed
by SCC President Cecil L.
Groves and WCU Chancellor
John W. Bardo, SCC will provide
testing and instructional
services in reading for students
enrolled in WCU’s Academic
Success Program, which is
offered on WCU’s Cullowhee
campus during a five-week
session each summer.
Officials
from Western Carolina
University and Southwestern
Community College gather
for the signing of an
agreement that will provide
for the participation
of SCC faculty members
in WCU's Academic Success
Program. Meeting for the
signing ceremony are (from
left) WCU officials Kyle
Carter, provost; John
Bardo, chancellor; and
Fred Hinson, associate
vice chancellor for academic
affairs; and SCC representatives
Gene Couch, vice president
for instruction and student
services; Cecil Groves,
president; and Barb Putman,
dean of arts and sciences. |
The partnership is the first
of its kind in the state; no
other schools in the UNC and
community college systems are
working together to offer a
similar summer enrichment program,
said Fred Hinson, WCU associate
vice chancellor of academic
affairs. “I believe this
partnership is going to be so
successful that other community
colleges and universities will
want one,” said Gene Couch,
SCC’s vice president for
instruction and student services.
Students who successfully complete
the program can get a head start
on earning college credit, with
seven hours of academic credit
available through the three
courses that are offered. Two
of the courses, English composition
and reading, are worth three
credit hours each. Those courses
will be paired for the first
time this summer to form an
academic theme, allowing reading
instructors from SCC and English
composition instructors from
WCU to relate the two classes
and provide a collaborative
learning experience, Hinson
said.
The third course offered is
a one-credit “University
Experience” course.
The classes will be limited
to about 20 students each to
allow for more personal attention
from instructors, and WCU’s
reading and writing centers
will provide additional support.
“We’ll be working
with a cohort of students with
similar abilities,” said
WCU Provost Kyle Carter. “That
way, we can focus on their respective
needs for college-level reading,
vocabulary, time management
and study skills,” he
said.
Each academic theme also
will include field trips and
a service learning component
to engage the students in
becoming active participants
in learning, Hinson said.
"We are excited about
the prospects of SCC and WCU
faculty working together to
boost the quality of this
very important program,”
Hinson said.
"I think this exemplifies
the collaboration that people
want to see among institutions
of higher education to ensure
student success,” said
Groves. Bardo agreed, saying,
“We want to improve
the quality of students’
collegiate experience. The
transition to college is very
important. It is critical
that students have the skills
to do the work that is required.
I am delighted that SCC faculty
will be working with the students
in our Academic Success Program
so that every one of them
is prepared for success.”
This year’s session
at WCU begins June 23. For
more information about the
Academic Success Program,
call (828) 227-7170 or click
on the program Web site at
http://www.wcu.edu/advising/asp/.
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