UM-Flint and WCCC Announce Collaboration

The University of Michigan-Flint and Wayne County Community College District will formalize a new collaboration Thursday, December 16 at 11 a.m. in the WCCCD University Center in Harper Woods. The event marks the completion of articulation agreements between UM-Flint and WCCCD for their nursing and business administration programs, streamlining the process for WCCCD students transferring to UM-Flint to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Bachelor's of Business Administration (BBA) degrees.

"The University of Michigan-Flint is known statewide and across the country for the quality of our business and nursing programs, both of which are accredited in their fields, and we are pleased to be able to reach out to students in the greater Detroit area," says Gerard Voland, Ph.D., UM-Flint provost.  "Through new articulation agreements and actually being able to offer courses at the WCCCD University Center, we hope to be able to build upon the success of WCCCD and expand opportunities for learners in southeast Michigan."

Curtis Ivery, Ph.D., WCCCD chancellor, has been instrumental in moving the collaboration forward.  "We welcome UM-Flint to our educational family. This affiliation is an initiative that is right in line with our mission of providing access to the highest quality education for our students in the communities that we serve. WCCCD's University Center was created to offer University courses in a convenient location for our east side students.  We are excited to be working as a team with UM-Flint to provide university-level courses that have been designed to respond to the demands of  today's job market."

UM-Flint will offer two nursing courses at the WCCCD University Center in January, with hopes of offering a complete RN-to-BSN program there as soon as approval has been secured from the Higher Learning Commission, which oversees accreditation of both UM-Flint and WCCCD.  "We hope that the convenience of on-site courses and academic advisors will facilitate the educational mobility of WCCCD associate degree alumni and current students," says Margaret Andrews, director of nursing at UM-Flint.

Associate-degree business students from WCCCD will be able to complete their bachelor's degrees in business administration completely online.  Students can apply for admission now for the January 2011 semester at www.umflint.edu or at the University Center, 19305 Vernier Rd., Harper Woods, on Thursdays.