Cheyney and DCCC forge admission agreement

Qualified graduates of Delaware County Community College bearing associate degrees are now guaranteed admission to Cheyney University in Thornbury with some able to start as third-year students, according to an articulation agreement signed Monday by the presidents of both institutions. The agreement applies to fulland part-time Delaware County Community students who will also be exempt from paying the $25 application fee, according to Gwen Owens, director of public relations and development at Cheyney. “This agreement expands the many educational opportunities available to our students to achieve academic success,” said Delaware County Community College President Jerry Parker in a joint press release issued with Cheyney. Based in Marple, Delaware County Community College has eight campuses in Delaware and Chester counties. Enrollment at the two-year college, that was established in 1967, is now about 23,000 students. On May 19, 1,741 students are expected to graduate with certificates and/or associate degrees, according to Anthony Twyman, assistant to the president for communications at the college. Students with Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Fine Arts or Associate in Applied Science degrees and at least a 2.0 grade point average will qualify for guaranteed ad-

mission to Cheyney, where they will be admitted to the major course of study of their choice provided they meet the requirements of that major.

Some courses, including graphic design and education programs, have grade point average restrictions. Delaware County Community graduates who previously attended Cheyney do not qualify for guaranteed admission.

Students with Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees and at least a 2.0 grade point average qualify for core-to-core transfers to Cheyney through which they can begin as full-time juniors and feasibly earn their bachelor degrees in four semesters.

Current t uit ion at Cheyney, the only Delaware County institution overseen by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is $7,060 for in-state undergraduates. With student fees, room and board, annual current cost for state residents is $9,494. Tuition for out-of-state residents is $11,650. With fees and room and board, current annual cost is $14,162. Owens noted that 91 percent of the students receive some sort of grant or scholarship aid.

Next year’s tuition is not yet known for Cheyney,

which was founded in 1837 in Philadelphia as the African Institute and is the oldest historically black institution of higher learning in the nation. Enrollment is currently 689 with about 130 students expected to graduate May 7, said Owen.

“The number of students who have applied for fall 2016 admission is up 55 percent right now compared to this time last year,” noted Owens.

No upcoming Delaware County Community College graduates have yet applied for the guaranteed admission or core-to-core transfers because the programs have just been announced, she said.

“This articulation agreement will enhance college attendance, and improve retention and graduation rates at both institutions. There is increasing evidence that we need to reach out to K through 12 and community college students and parents much earlier than we have in the past. This is exactly what this agreement does,” said Cheyney Interim President Frank Pogue in the joint press release.

Owens said that the articulation agreement is in no way connected with meeting accreditation standards of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that last November put Cheyney on probation because of insufficient evidence that it is in compliance with several standards. Cheyney remains

fully accredited but has until Sept. 1 to produce a monitoring report documenting the implementation of a technology plan, the development and implementation of a long-term financial plan, steps taken to strengthen the institution’s finances and updated cash and financial projections for the next five years.

“Cheyney had an articulation agreement with DCCC years ago, long before the current administration. This was an updated renewal of an old agreement to make it more current and to meet the program needs of today’s students,” noted Owens.

Twyman said officials at Delaware County Community and Cheyney had talked on and off for years about establishing a guaranteed admission agree-

ment.

“Recently, in coordination with the new administration at Cheyney University, both institutions were able to solidify the particular details of an agreement,” said Twyman.

He noted that Delaware County Community College has 20 guaranteed admission agreements with area colleges and universities that can be found through

the college’s “TransferCheck” online service at: https://transfercheck.academyone.com/TransferAdvisor/Widget.

“In addition, many colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware have articulation agreements — for example dual admission, core-to-core, program-to-program — with one another that allow students

to transfer credits in an individual subject or major,” said Twyman.

He noted that some of those schools also have guaranteed admission agreements.

“Schools do this all over the country to be more flexible and to collaborate to offer what students need to meet workforce demands and professional school requirements,” said Owens.