Colleges enter into educational alliance

RBC — Colorado Community College System and the Colorado State University System’s new Global Campus announced Sept. 9 they are creating an educational alliance aimed at ensuring access for community college graduates who want to earn a bachelor’s degree or a more advanced degree.
Leaders from the two institutions, including the newly launched CSU-Global Campus, came together at the Community College System Office’s Lowry Campus to publicly announce they are working as a team to build a bridge of access, opportunity and success for thousands of community college graduates.
The new alliance will provide an affordable, high quality associate’s to bachelor’s degree program that can be delivered to students at the time and place of their choice.
Moreover, the commitment by these two institutions will provide working adults and other students constrained by time, location and life commitments, the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree through classes at a community college or online through CCCOnline and then complete a bachelor’s degree or earn a master’s degree 100 percent online through CSU-Global Campus.
“A key objective of CSU-Global Campus is to expand access to higher education and create a path to a four-year degree for those students who find a traditional university setting is not a viable option for them,” said CSU President Larry Edward Penley. “This alliance will provide thousands of community college graduates a link to bachelor’s degree programs.”
“The Colorado Community College System has experienced a great deal of success with CCCOnline for the past 10 years. When Dr. Penley and Rich Schweigert approached us with the concept of forming a strong alliance between CSU Global and the Colorado Community Colleges, we saw the opportunity for another way to serve our students,” said Dr. Nancy McCallin, Colorado Community College System president. “We are all in the business of serving our students. What better way for them to benefit from their start at a community college that to have an accessible, affordable, seamless education to complete their degrees.”
“This alliance will meet the demands of new and emerging industries by providing career-relevant training and education and help build the educated workforce that is needed to maintain a strong economy and high quality of life for Coloradans,” said Rich Schweigert, CSU-Global Campus CEO.