Board of Trustees approve three new programs, four articulation agreements
The Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees approved the addition of three new programs and four new articulation agreements with four-year institutions at its November 28 meeting.
Beginning with the Fall 2018 semester, students can opt to pursue an Associate Degree in Fine Arts, enroll in the LPN-to-RN Associate in Applied Science degree program or pursue a 10-credit certificate as a Sterile Processing Technician.
NEW PROGRAMS
— The Fine Arts Associate in Arts degree program is a transfer degree designed to be the first two years of a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree and/or a Bachelor’s of Art Education degree. “We have such tremendous faculty in the Fine Arts area, and I thought this was a shortcoming that we didn’t offer an associate degree in this,” Trustee David DeVarti said when the program was introduced to the board. “I’m really happy to see this.”
— Pending approval from the Michigan Board of Nursing in March 2018, the LPN-to-RN nursing program will prepare students for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Credits earned in this program may transfer to a bachelor’s degree completion program. Learning opportunities are in the classroom, simulation lab, clinical setting and the community. Dean of Health Sciences Dr. Valerie Greaves said that more than 50 LPNs have expressed an interest in this kind of program and that several community health organizations have stated they will offer financial assistance to their LPNs to complete the program.
— The Sterile Processing Technician certificate prepares students for a career in central processing and sterilization of instrumentation, supplies and equipment at hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and clinics. St. Joseph Mercy Health System and the University of Michigan Health System provided WCC detailed information about the need for the program and potential related employment opportunities. The hospitals volunteered to be part of a community advisory committee and to provide clinical experiences for students.
ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS
Each of the four new articulation agreements approved by the Board of Trustees are 3+1 agreements that allow students to complete three years’ worth of classes at WCC and a single year at a four-year institution, providing considerable cost savings. Those agreements include:
— Nursing with Eastern Michigan: The joint Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) to Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) agreement with EMU includes 94 credits at WCC (38 general education and 56 nursing program).
— Photography with Eastern Michigan: This agreement combines the WCC Associate in Applied Science in Photographic Technology and EMU’s Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with Photography Concentration. It allows for 90-91 credits to be taken at WCC (30 general education, 40-41 Photographic Technology major, 20 restricted electives).
— Graphic Design with Madonna University: This agreement combines an Associate in Applied Science with Madonna’s Bachelor’s of Arts in Graphic Design. A total of 89 credits (30 general education, 43 program requirements, 16 restricted electives) can be taken at WCC.
— Multiple programs with Indiana Wesleyan University: This agreement allows the completion of 94 credits at WCC (30 general education, 30 WCC program requirements, up to 34 restrictive electives) to count toward various Bachelor’s of Arts and Bachelor’s of Science majors at Indiana Wesleyan.
The Board of Trustees also approved the discontinuation of the college’s Honors in Liberal Arts program effective Fall 2018. This program was created in 2014, but was undersubscribed due to its narrow focus.