Nebraska residents can begin their college education close to home, continue into an online, three-year bachelor’s degree and look ahead to graduate school through new partnerships celebrated by Central Community College, Yavapai College and Bellevue University.
Representatives from the three higher education institutions gathered for a signing event at Central Community College in Grand Island on Thursday, Oct. 29, to commemorate a collaboration that makes continuing education more accessible, affordable and easier to navigate for students.
"Central Community College is pleased to be able to bring these innovative and economical degree opportunities to central Nebraska residents and our thousands of alumni working and living in our communities," said CCC President Dr. Matt Gotschall.
At the event, Central Community College and Yavapai formally recognized six CCC-to-Yavapai pathways; Bellevue University and Central Community College signed an addendum to their existing memorandum of understanding that establishes a pathway from CCC’s RN nursing program to Bellevue’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program; and Bellevue signed a pathway articulation agreement with Yavapai for a variety of Yavapai bachelor’s programs to a number of Bellevue master’s degree programs.
The six CCC-to-Yavapai pathways provide a seamless transfer into fully online bachelor’s programs in business, public safety administration and computer science. Students can earn a qualifying associate degree at Central Community College, then transfer to an online bachelor’s degree program at Yavapai.
The pathways include:
The computer science agreement, signed at the event, establishes Yavapai College’s first transfer pathway into its Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.
For Nebraska students, the partnerships offer the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree without leaving the state. Yavapai College’s use of open educational resources also helps keep textbook costs low to no costs, reducing an additional expense of continuing education.
“Students should be able to build on the education they’ve already earned and see a clear path to what comes next,” said Dr. Doug Berry, Acting President of Yavapai College. “By partnering with Central Community College and Bellevue University, we’re helping Nebraska students earn an affordable bachelor’s degree while staying in their communities, and we’re working to create a smoother transition into graduate school. We want students to have opportunities to advance their careers while remaining connected to the people and places that matter to them.”
The partnership between Yavapai College and Bellevue University extends the vision into graduate education. The institutions are developing six accelerated pathways intended to create a seamless transition from a Yavapai bachelor’s degree into a Bellevue master’s program.
The Yavapai-Bellevue pathways include:
The pathways allow approved graduate coursework to count toward both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, potentially reducing the overall time and cost of earning both credentials.
Dr. Mary Hawkins, President of Bellevue University said "Students are best served when colleges work together to remove barriers and create clear pathways to opportunity. These agreements allow students to begin their education close to home, build on the credits they have earned, and continue confidently toward bachelor's and master's degrees that prepare them for today's workforce. We are proud to partner with Central Community College and Yavapai College to make higher education more accessible, affordable and connected to students' long-term career goals."
By connecting local associate degree programs with online bachelor’s degrees and developing graduate opportunities, the three institutions are working to give Nebraska residents a clear educational path from their first college class.
