Seminole State College and East Central University have officially entered into a consortium agreement, making it possible for students to pursue an Associate in Science in Elementary Education by enrolling in courses at both SSC and ECU.
SSC President Dr. Jim Utterback and ECU President John R. Hargrave met last week to sign the agreement. “This is a win-win situation for students, Seminole State College and ECU,” said President Hargrave. “With the need for more teachers in the state, this puts transfer students on a faster track in obtaining their degree and prepares them well for the teaching field. I’m excited about this partnership with SSC and anticipate it being a long-lasting relationship.”
President Utterback agreed, adding, “We appreciate the leadership of President Hargrave in extending the relationship between East Central University and Seminole State College for the betterment of our students. This agreement is beneficial for all parties involved.”
The purpose of this agreement is to give SSC education majors the ability to transfer to ECU after graduation and be on schedule for graduation from ECU two years later. Prior to this agreement, SSC education students who transferred to ECU were at least a semester, and often a year, behind due to taking required sophomore-level education courses upon arrival.
To complete this new option, elementary education majors will complete five credit-hours of education courses through ECU, which will count toward their SSC degree. Students will take the following major field requirements from ECU: EDUC 2012 Foundations in Education; EDUC 2211 Field Experience; and EDUC 2402 Survey of Exceptional Children. These courses may be offered online or on the campus of SSC or ECU and will be available to students beginning spring 2017.
SSC will be the degree-granting institution for this agreement and will also be responsible for administering all aspects of the student’s financial aid for all aid-eligible classes through either institution. Students participating in the consortium program will be required to enroll in a minimum of 6 credit-hours each semester.
In addition to helping students complete college more quickly, another goal of this collaboration is to help alleviate the well-documented teacher shortage in Oklahoma.
For more information about becoming an education major at SSC, contact current Education Degree Program Mentor Melissa Bryant by phone at 405-382-9742 or by email m.bryant@sscok.ed.