UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Butler County Community College (BC3) students can now make a smooth progression to 14 Penn State Commonwealth campuses through an articulation agreement signed Oct. 7.
Kevin Snider, chancellor of the New Kensington campus and Nicholas Neupauer, president of BC3, formalized the agreement, which is in effect for the current semester.
Students at BC3 who earn an associate degree can transfer all of their credits toward a similar bachelor’s degree program offered at Penn State’s six western Pennsylvania campuses — Beaver, DuBois, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, New Kensington, and Shenango. In addition, BC3 graduates can easily transition to four-year programs at eight other Commonwealth campuses — Brandywine, Hazleton, Lehigh Valley, Mont Alto, Schuylkill, Wilkes-Barre, Worthington Scranton or York.
“We are excited by this articulation agreement and what it does to further our goals of access to Penn State and affordability,” said Snider, who has headed the campus for seven years. “BC3 has traditionally been a great partner for our University, and we expect that this articulation agreement will bring us even closer, which is great for students, our respective institutions, and the communities we serve.”
The agreement is especially gratifying to Neupauer, as it reconnects him with his alma mater and his roots at a Commonwealth campus. The BC3 president attended Penn State Beaver before completing his bachelor’s degree at the University Park campus.
"I am always excited when we provide our wonderful students with new opportunities,” said Neupauer, who has served as BC3's president since 2007. “However, I can say this particular agreement with several of the Commonwealth campuses of Penn State has personal meaning. My experience at Beaver was a key reason why I even thought of advanced degrees and a career in education. Furthermore, some of my closest friends date back to my days at Penn State Beaver."
This agreement opens up opportunities for BC3 students to obtain four-year degrees in a number of disciplines through Penn State campuses. The New Kensington campus offers BC3 graduates eight bachelor’s degree programs: administration of justice; business; communications; electro-mechanical engineering technology; information sciences and technology; nursing; and psychology (bachelor of arts and bachelor of science). Parallel programs at BC3 are business administration, communications, computer information systems, criminology, engineering technology, marketing management, nursing and psychology. Many transfer programs, such as English and health and human development, are not available at the New Kensington campus but are offered at the other Penn State campuses.
“Students will be able to move more easily from BC3 into one of our four-year degrees at Penn State,” Snider said. “We see our educational experiences transform lives every day, and we believe our partnership with BC3 will provide even more students from Butler County the opportunity to undergo that transformative process. The possibility of working with BC3 to engage these students is exciting, and we believe that together we can provide the region with a well-trained workforce. Our experience is that Penn State degrees positively influence lives, and our intent is to work with BC3 to bring more of those opportunities to students from the community college. Working together, Penn State and BC3 can provide Butler County and the surrounding areas with a well-trained workforce.”
The coordination of transferable coursework, supported through academic advising, will generate a successful transition for students. When transferring to Penn State, BC3 students must apply for admission, submit required transcripts, and meet Penn State’s admissions requirements. Penn State's application fees will be waived for BC3 students who apply for baccalaureate programs. Penn State campuses have a variety of scholarships available to community college transfer students.
Butler County Community CollegeLocated in Butler, about 30 miles from the New Kensington campus, Butler County Community College (BC3) has been "The Smart Place to Start" for more than 100,000 students. BC3 offers 54 associate degrees, career, and transfer programs. In addition to its Butler main campus, BC3 has additional locations, including Cranberry, Lawrence Crossing, LindenPointe, Brockway and Armstrong. BC3 was established in 1965 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Now more than ever, students are discovering the advantages of obtaining an associate degree before entering the workforce or moving to a four-year college or university. For more about Butler County Community College, call 724-287-8711 or visit www.bc3.edu.
Penn State New KensingtonPenn State New Kensington is located in Upper Burrell Township, within easy commuting distance from almost anywhere in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. One of the advantages of attending the New Kensington campus is the small classes and one-on-one interaction with the faculty, many of whom are recognized nationally and internationally in their disciplines.
“I specifically chose Penn State New Kensington because it is much smaller than University Park, and the faculty was able to provide more specialized education,” said Zak Hudak, a computer science and mathematics major who started at New Kensington before moving on to University Park. “I also just really enjoyed the atmosphere, professors and staff at the campus. They were unmatched by any other place I was looking into going.”
New Kensington faculty bring exciting new developments from their fields into the classroom and are at the forefront of a national trend to bring hands-on, student-centered, active-learning techniques into the classroom. The faculty welcomes opportunities to incorporate internships, service-learning projects, and community involvement into their courses and programs as employers continue to look very closely for these experiences in applicants' resumes. Discover Penn State New Kensington, earn a degree from a school that's known and respected around the world, and begin your experience of a lifetime. For more information about admissions to Penn State New Kensington, contact the admissions office at 724-334-LION or 888-968-PAWS, or visit http://nk.psu.edu/Admissions/default.htm.