Academic Partnerships and Programs

academic News

(above) Julie Tremaine, Josh Santiago, and Emma Peters find good spaces to study in the ARC at Levitt.

New fOrmat fOr eNgiNeeriNg majOrs

York College has announced a partnership with the University of North Dakota (UND), among other possible institutions in the future, to offer a dual degree program in engineering that will allow students to complete both degrees from the York campus. While an engineering major isn’t new to York College, what is new is the educational format. "This agreement will provide a pathway for our students to receive training in the engineering field, opening up a wider range of professional career choices for them," YC Provost Dr. Shane Mountjoy said. "Our pre-engineering students have continually expressed a desire to stay engaged on our campus, and we are excited that this partnership will allow them to remain in York while they complete their studies."

Through the Dual-Degree Natural Science Program, students will be able to earn a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science from York College while also earning a Bachelor of Science from an engineering program at another university that has been approved by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). UND is fully accredited via ABET.

To earn the B.S. in Natural Science from York College, students must fulfill all the requirements listed in the natural science degree plan and then complete an additional 24 hours, approved by York College, of the 120 required hours through the partner institution.

Most students will complete the upper-division coursework from the partner institution, UND at present, which offers coursework through distance education. This allows students to complete both degrees from the York campus. Students will travel to North Dakota during one summer to complete required labs.

Each student will receive personalized advising at York College regarding the requirements of a specific engineering field. The expected time to complete a dual degree program is five years.

In previous and ongoing engineering degree partnerships, York College students have been able to complete three years in preengineering courses at York, but they would have to transfer for two final years of engineering courses at such places as Washington University in Missouri. Those agreements continue, as those engineering programs continue to be highly regarded.

Yc jOiNs the lOwer cOst mOdels cONsOrtium

York College has signed an agreement with the Lower Cost Models Consortium (LCMC) to offer academic programs that create new pathways to employment for students in high-demand areas. By partnering with over 100 institutions that share the mission to create lower-cost, career-ready experiences for students, York College plans to begin offering students new degree programs within high-demand fields by Fall 2022.

“This opens the door for specialized partnerships in the future, something student feedback has identified as a need," commented Dr. Shane Mountjoy, provost at York College. "Joining the LCMC helps us find other pathways that will allow our students to pursue specialized majors while remaining on our campus.”

“We are excited to welcome York College into the LCMC,” said President Docking of the LCMC Steering Committee.

“Collaboration allows us to provide greater academic diversity and employer relationships on behalf of our students while retaining the institutional autonomy that makes each of our campuses unique.”

The LCMC is a national consortium of over 100 fully accredited, non-profit colleges and universities formed in 2017. Leveraging an innovative, online coursesharing model, LCMC institutions collaborate to start academic programs that provide new pathways to employment for students.

New accelerated BachelOr tO master PrOgram Offered tO educatiON majOrs

Undergraduate education students can now save time and money by pursuing a Master of Arts in Education. Upperclassmen students who meet the entrance criteria can enroll in graduatelevel education courses beginning in spring 2022. These courses will count towards both the graduate and undergraduate program requirements. The master's level courses are offered through York College's online platform in eight-week sessions.

For more information, contact Dr. Erin DeHart or Dr. Cheryl Couch or fill out a free application at online.york.edu/apply.

PriNciPal eNdOrsemeNt NOw aVailaBle

Graduate students in the Master of Arts in Education (MAE) program at York College will have the option to earn credit and apply for their Principal Endorsement in Nebraska in January 2022. The program currently has around 200 students and has four concentrations to choose from while completing a degree: • Curriculum and Assessment • Educational Leadership • Social and Emotional Leadership • Sports Administration

According to Dr. Cheryl Couch, master of arts education program director, “The new EDL pathway that leads to a principal endorsement will expand a student’s role in leadership and in life while preparing educators for not only their position as a building leader but more importantly, their calling in education.”

For more information or to apply for free, visit online.york.edu.

OPeN facultY POsitiONs

Full-time faculty positions are open at York College in Agriculture Business and in our newest BS degree program Computer Science and Cybersecurity. For details go to www.york.edu/employment.

studeNts eNrOlled iN iNaugural graduate hYBrid PrOgram

Twenty-one York College students have the best of both worlds starting this fall 2021 term. These "hybrid" students are enrolled in the Master of Arts in Organizational and Global Leadership program and are enjoying the benefits of taking classes that are in-person as well as online. They complete most assignments and readings in a structured but self-paced virtual setting. Then they meet face-to-face, twice a week, with Dr. Shane Mountjoy in a classroom format to engage in the traditional on-campus setting.

This two-year, 36 credit hour degree program prepares graduate students for leadership positions in diverse settings, whether in hospitals, non-profits, churches, banks, schools, agriculture, and more while obtaining a master's degree. The hybrid program has four concentrations that each student can choose from while completing the degree in two years; business information leadership, organizational and global leadership, social and emotional leadership, and sports administration.

Students participating in the program consist of area residents, York College employees, graduate assistants, and students with continued eligibility in campus athletics or performing arts. Most of the students also have full or part-time jobs apart from the college experience and welcome this unique educational opportunity from York College.

The hybrid program launched this fall in large part due to the efforts of the Dean of Online Learning, Dr. Shannon Leinen, who is also the program director for the Master of Arts in Organizational and Global Leadership. For more information on the online programs available at York College, go to online.york.edu. n

photo by Emily Hoskin '21