Wilkes University and Luzerne County Community College have entered into a new articulation agreement that will help LCCC graduates transfer to Wilkes to complete their bachelor’s degree. Under the new agreement, students who earn an associate degree in early childhood education from LCCC can transfer into the Wilkes bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education as a junior.
Patrick F. Leahy, Wilkes president, Anne Skleder, Wilkes provost and senior vice president, and Thomas P. Leary, president of LCCC, signed the agreement on Dec. 18. It formalizes the relationship between the institutions, streamlining the admission process for interested students.
“Wilkes University has a long successful history in educating students from Luzerne County Community College and meeting societal needs. We are so pleased to expand our partnership through an agreement that provides a seamless pathway to a bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education for LCCC students while helping to address the nationwide shortage of highly qualified early childhood educators,” said Skleder.
As part of the agreement, students must graduate from LCCC with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 and complete the Praxis Core or Preservice Academic Performance Assessment with passing scores.
“We’re pleased to be able to build on the success of our early childhood education program and enter into this new agreement with Wilkes University to benefit our graduates,” said Leary. “This new agreement further strengthens our cooperative educational partnership with Wilkes, which consistently ranks among the most popular choices for our transfer students.”
Wilkes University’s elementary and early childhood education program leads to pre-kindergarten through fourth grade certification. It includes an 18-credit minor in reading education. Students study how to communicate and engage with young students while learning how to support their teaching with 21st century ideas and technology.
For more information, prospective students can call the Wilkes admissions office at (570) 408-4400 or Jim Domzalski, LCCC director of enrollment management at (570) 740-0342.
About Wilkes University:
Wilkes University is a private, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher education dedicated to academic and intellectual excellence through mentoring in the liberal arts, sciences and professional programs. Founded in 1933, the university is on a mission to create one of the nation’s finest small universities, offering all of the programs, activities and opportunities of a large university in the intimate, caring and mentoring environment of a small college, open to all who show promise. The Economist named Wilkes 25th in the nation for the value of its education for graduates. In addition to 47 majors, Wilkes offers 25 master’s degree programs and five doctoral/terminal degree programs, including the doctor of philosophy in nursing, doctor of nursing practice, doctor of education, doctor of pharmacy, and master of fine arts in creative writing. Learn more at www.wilkes.edu.
