Seated: Kim Owens, vice president, University of Phoenix; Dr. Carl Hite, CSCC. Standing: Ryan Hampton, Campus Director II, University of Phoenix; O’Brien McCarty, Southeast regional manager, University of Phoenix; Lydia Syed, Advisor, National Accounts, University of Phoenix; Dr. Denise King, vice president for Academic Affairs, CSCC.
Cleveland State Community College signed an articulation agreement with University of Phoenix that will ensure a smooth transition for CSCC graduates to transfer to University of Phoenix to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
The articulation agreement allows a seamless transfer of credits and offers Cleveland State graduates a five percent tuition reduction at University of Phoenix. The agreement also offers a 100 percent prior learning assessment (PLA) fee reduction to new students entering into a bachelor level degree program at University of Phoenix who obtain their associate degree from CSCC.
Dr. Denise King, vice president for Academic Affairs, said, “Our students need a variety of options. We have a wide range of students. Some of them transfer to local universities where they attend face to face and on ground classes, but not everybody can do that. They have family responsibilities and obligations that don’t allow them to attend class full-time during the day, so having options like accelerated programs at night or online degree programs like University of Phoenix offers—those create choices for our students to go on and continue their education—both in content and in delivery.”
Dr. King continued, “University of Phoenix is assisting us in our completion agenda by offering additional benefits to those who have graduated from Cleveland State and go on to University of Phoenix. In addition to a tuition reduction, they will assess for free any prior learning that has not already been taken care of by Cleveland State, which is nice. They are offering this tuition and PLA fee reduction to faculty and staff, as well.”
“It’s clear that today’s college student is anything but traditional,” said Dr. Bill Pepicello, president at University of Phoenix. “In fact, the Department of Education reports that non-traditional students make up nearly three quarters of today’s student population. These students, many of whom are first generation college students, returning veterans, single parents value programs uniquely designed to fit their needs. Our partnership with CSCC and other community colleges across the country do just that and by providing a seamless transition to a four year degree program, we are not only offering a streamlined path to obtaining a college degree but are also getting them one step closer to a career.”