A wide range of educational opportunities are opening up for Western North Carolina residents through a new partnership involving Western Carolina University and 12 community colleges, from Murphy in the west to Hickory in the east.

The partnership, the Carolina Alliance for Transfer Students, has established a series of articulation agreements designed to provide students with a seamless transfer of academic credit from the community college associate’s degree programs to Western’s baccalaureate programs.

Distance learning initiatives established by the alliance provide access to Western’s academic programs for place-bound residents.

Telecommunications technology involved in distance learning allows an instructor on the Western campus to conduct classes with students on community college campuses.

Participating community colleges include Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Blue Ridge, Caldwell, Catawba Valley, Haywood, Isothermal, Mayland, McDowell Technical, Southwestern, Tri-County, Western Piedmont and Wilkes.

Articulation agreements and distance learning programs involving Western’s teacher education program are expected to help the region combat a shortage of available teachers. WCU already offers a bachelor’s degree in elementary education through distance learning at Tri-County Community College in Murphy. The university is preparing now to offer the same degree on the campuses of Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock and McDowell Technical Community College in Marion, as well as a bachelor’s degree program in middle grades education at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, all beginning in fall 2002.

Also, WCU is establishing articulation agreements for elementary and middle grades education with the 12 community colleges. The agreements identify courses available on each campus that transfer toward bachelor’s degrees at Western, and will help transfer students anticipate requirements for entrance into WCU’s teacher education program.

With the start of the current spring semester, Western began offering a weekend bachelor’s degree in industrial technology at Isothermal Community College in Spindale. The same degree is already offered through distance learning at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory and McDowell Technical Community College.