Formal ceremony to be held Monday, May 8
PITTSFIELD, MA — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces it intends to sign an articulation agreement with Western New England University (WNE) in Springfield, Massachusetts, allowing BCC students to transfer seamlessly to WNE.
The official signing ceremony will be held at BCC's Berkshire Science Commons on Monday, May 8 at 12 p.m. Attending the ceremony from WNE will be Provost Maria Toyoda, Associate Provost Lisa Celovsky, Director of Transfer Admissions Mike Russell and Assistant Vice President for Public Relations Margaret Boyle. Attending from BCC will be Dean of STEM Allied Health and Business Frank Schickor, Vice President of Academic Affairs Laurie Gordy, Coordinator of Transfer Affairs/Articulation Geoffrey Tabor and Director of Academic Operations Erin Lynn.
The Joint Admissions Program, which is consistent with the individual missions, policies and regulations of each institution, seeks to:
- Strengthen the academic and student support partnerships between BCC and WNE;
- Facilitate student access to baccalaureate and graduate education; and
- Provide barrier-free movement for students enrolled in an associate degree program at BCC to the baccalaureate graduate degrees at WNE.
The articulation agreement with Western New England is particularly exciting for BCC because of the excellent quality of education at WNE, and because of the geographical proximity of the two schools. We're pleased that our BCC graduates will have another option to continue their education in the Commonwealth, and we're proud to be able to make the transition easy and accessible for our students.
Students will be informed about the opportunity to participate in the Joint Admissions Program at the time they are applying to BCC. In order to satisfy the conditions of admissions into WNE, participating students must earn a minimum 2.50 cumulative grade point average (based on a 4.00 scale), earn at least a grade of a C- or better in their major coursework and earn their associate degree. Students seeking joint admissions into specialized programs such as business, engineering, computer science, chemistry or biology must satisfy all program requirements and earn the minimum cumulative grade point average established for those programs.
Students who satisfy the requirements of the Joint Admissions Program are eligible for the following benefits:
- Guaranteed acceptance to WNE, provided they complete an approved associate degree program at BCC and meet the requirements of the Joint Admissions Program and major-specific requirements;
- Guarantee of junior status at WNE upon matriculation with an associate degree; and
- Guarantee of 60 transfer credits, with some stipulations.
For more details about the program, contact Geoffrey Tabor at gtabor@berkshirecc.edu.
About Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College (BCC), situated on 180 park-like acres, is located four miles from the center of Pittsfield in the heart of the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1960, BCC was the first community college established in the Commonwealth. As a public, fully accredited community college, BCC strives to place higher education within reach of all residents of Berkshire County and beyond, offering associate degree and certificate programs to approximately 2,000 enrolled students per year. The mission of BCC encompasses five core values: integrity and engagement; innovation; diversity and inclusion; service; and sustainability.