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WSCC’S UPDATED ACCOUNTING PROGRAM ATTRACTIVE TO WORK ING ADULTS [LINK] The newly redesigned Accounting Technology program at Washington State Community College is adding up to increased access for adult learners and working students. When accounting associate professor Christina Gater began working for the college in 2019, she repeatedly saw students who, due to work and family obligations, couldn’t finish their degree, and many others who had the desire but simply could not commit to the pursuit of a degree. “I recognized this struggle as an incredible opportunity for me because I knew I had the ability to improve the program and remove this barrier,” she said.
WINTER 2021
Johnathon Carpenter is one of Gater’s students. As a salesperson at an automotive dealership in Caldwell, Ohio, Carpenter wanted to earn his degree, but needed to maintain his employment. He works throughout the week plus Saturdays, so flexibility was important. Gater’s program had several features that made it attractive to him as well as others in a similar situation. The most notable benefit for working adults like Carpenter is that the classes are offered in a blended format, which means both in-person and online. “The blended night courses allow students to get what they need in the classroom, while completing most of the work when it best fits their own schedules,” Gater said.
