College partnership makes transfer easy

April 20, 2000|By DAN KULIN /Staff Writer

The presidents of Hagerstown Community College and Shippensburg University signed an agreement Thursday that makes it easier for students hoping to graduate from the Pennsylvania school to take their first two years of classes at HCC.

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The Dual Admissions Program provides for a "seamless" transfer between the schools and helps students "avoid the hassles of credit transfers," Shippensburg University President Anthony Ceddia said.

"The students will be able to transfer without any loss of credits," HCC President Norman Shea said. "They will transfer in as a junior."

Shea said HCC students do not always receive credit for all their courses when transferring to another school.

Ceddia said the program will provide Shippensburg with "good students. Men and women who are committed to continuing their education."

Under the agreement, students can apply for the Dual Admissions Program as early as senior year in high school, but no later than after completing 30 college-level credits in their program.

There are minimum academic requirements for admission to the program. And while enrolled in the program, students must maintain continuous enrollment and meet other Shippensburg University academic requirements.

Students in the program will have access to Shippensburg's academic, advising and library resources.

The Dual Admissions Program is similar to an agreement formalized in July between HCC and the University of Maryland University College.

The University College offers distance learning classes at HCC. For those classes, teachers at sites away from HCC communicate with their students in Hagerstown through the Internet or television.

The University College tried to offer more typical courses this semester but not enough students enrolled. The college has plans to offer live courses next semester.

James R. Hartsock Jr., director of Western Maryland academic programs for the University College, said those live classes probably would be moved to a planned University System of Maryland education center in downtown Hagerstown when that facility opens.

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