Community College Partnerships Expand

FDU has expanded its agreement with Gloucester County College (GCC) to add six academic offerings to its inventory of undergraduate degree-completion and graduate programs beginning in fall 2011. These programs (the bachelor of arts in communication studies, bachelor of arts in criminal justice, bachelor of arts in fine arts with a computer graphic design concentration, bachelor of arts in psychology, master of administrative science and master of science in homeland security) illustrate the University’s commitment to one of its original partner community colleges.

Anthony Mastropietro, left, director, with Jennifer Hagenow, program assistant, both Community College Partnership program (Metro).

Since 2001, FDU has offered programs in partnership with GCC. “The southern half of the state of New Jersey has long been an underrepresented area in terms of physical access to higher education, and the Community College Partnership program was created to help ease individuals’ paths to bachelor’s degree completion and/or earning a master’s degree,” said Anthony Mastropietro, director, Community College Partnership program (Metro). Students may choose from undergraduate programs in English language and literature, history, humanities, criminal justice, individualized studies with specializations in business and technology and the QUEST program leading to teacher certification and graduate programs in master of arts in teaching and an MA in educational leadership. More than 400 degrees have been conferred through the fall semester of 2010 to FDU students attending classes at GCC.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the University Center at Gloucester County College (GCC) are, from left, Cody Miller, president, GCC Student Government Association; Anthony Mastropietro, director, Community College Partnership program (Metro); Kristina Fernald, president, GCC Foundation; Stephen Sweeney, Gloucester County freeholder director and New Jersey Senate president; Russell Davis, GCC president; and Gene Concordia, president, GCC Board of Trustees.

The concept of the Community College Partnership program is to service students in underrepresented areas of the state by providing individuals with associate’s degrees or the equivalent number of credits a path to the baccalaureate degree or those with a bachelor’s degree a more convenient path to a master’s degree. While doing so, the program increases the University’s enrollment without taxing campus resources and increases the University’s visibility in the southern part of the state. FDU provides students in the program with an on-site coordinator who acts as liasion/adviser. Students have dedicated personnel from the Metropolitan Campus enrollment-services and financial-aid offices. Plus, the Metropolitan Campus dean of students visits each partner school semi-annually to keep abreast of the student-service side. Additionally, as the community college acts as the location for the course work, FDU students can access the resources of the community college through a special identification card.

Gloucester County College is one of FDU’s eight partner institutions. Burlington County College and Raritan Valley Community College were the other two original partners in 2001. Since that time, Atlantic Cape Community College, Cumberland County College, Ocean County College, Mercer County Community College and Camden County College have become part of the program. Academic programs vary depending upon the needs of each community and, as is the case with GCC, have expanded based upon those needs. Through fall 2010, more than 1,100 degrees have been conferred to students who have attended FDU through the Community College Partnership program. For more information on the program go to http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=1761 .