St. Clair County Community College and Oakland University have announced a partnership for a joint admission, concurrent enrollment program that will provide a seamless higher education option for Blue Water Area residents.

The partnership, called St.Clair2Oakland, or SC2O, was unveiled at a luncheon Monday, April 26, on the college’s Port Huron campus.

Announcing the program were university President Dr. Gary D. Russi, college President Dr. Kevin A. Pollock, university Vice President of Outreach Dr. Mary L. Otto and college Vice President for Academic Services Denise M. McNeil.

The partnership is only the third of its kind in Michigan. The other two are Oakland University partnerships with Macomb Community College (Macomb2Oakland or M2O) and Oakland Community College (Oakland2Oakland or O2O).

St.Clair2Oakland will offer:

• Joint admission through one, free application (available online at www.oakland.edu/sc2o).
• Concurrent enrollment at the university and community college, offering the flexibility to take courses at one or both institutions at the same time.
• Coordinated financial aid at both institutions by combining credit for concurrently enrolled students.
• Expanded course selection.
• Coordinated advising and course planning.
• Timely completion of associate and bachelor’s degrees.
• Access to the on-campus resources of both institutions, including housing at Oakland University.

“St.Clair2Oakland will offer students the best of the university and community college experiences together,” Pollock said. “This partnership is another way we are removing barriers our students may face in getting a four-year degree.”

A four-year degree is critical for students in today’s job market, Russi said. “Given the dramatic changes we’ve seen to the state’s economic base – as well as the increasingly competitive nature of the global marketplace – I think it’s clear that a high-quality education is more indispensible now than it has ever been.”

St.Clair2Oakland is designed to both help move students toward degree attainment more quickly and to lower the cost of a college education. Students in the SC2O program will be able to earn their associate degree, achieving a useful credential in the job marketplace in the near-term, while continuing to work toward their bachelor’s degree.

First-year and transfer students may begin applying to SC2O for fall 2010.

• 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 6, Oakland University – Lake Huron Room, Oakland Center, Rochester.
• 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 20, St. Clair County Community College – Room 150, Citizens First Michigan Technical Education Center, Port Huron.
• 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 10, St. Clair County Community College – Room 150, Citizens First Michigan Technical Education Center, Port Huron.
• 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, Macomb University Center – Suite 103, UC2 Building, Clinton Township.
• 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, Oakland University – Lake Huron Room, Oakland Center, Rochester.

To sign up for one of these sessions, visit www.oakland.edu/toursandevents.

To talk with an Oakland University advisor, call (586) 263-6242. To talk with a St. Clair County Community College advisor, call (810) 989-5821.

Founded in 1923, St. Clair County Community College serves students with a variety of on-campus and online classes. The college offers associate degrees, certificate programs, programs that transfer to four-year colleges and universities, and work-force training. Through its university partners, the college makes bachelor’s and master’s degrees available locally. The college’s main campus is in downtown Port Huron with satellite centers at Algonac, Bad Axe, Croswell, Peck and Yale. Visit the college online at www.sc4.edu.

Dedicated to delivering a distinctive higher education experience, Oakland University offers 133 bachelor’s degree programs and 117 graduate degree and certificate programs. Visit the university online at www.oakland.edu.