Spartanburg Community College’s Early Childhood Development Program Offers Students a Seamless Transfer to Clemson University

SPARTANBURG, SC – October 24, 2010 – Spartanburg Community College (SCC) and Clemson University recently signed an articulation agreement that offers students in SCC’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Program the opportunity for a seamless transfer to Clemson University’s College of Education to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
 
“This is an exciting opportunity for our students to earn their bachelor’s degree at a major university,” said Becky Bridwell, SCC’s department chair of ECD program. “We are very proud to be one of the first community colleges to have this articulation with Clemson.”
 
SCC is one of four Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited programs in the Upstate to participate in this new articulation, which also includes Greenville Technical College, Piedmont Technical College and Tri-County Technical College.
 
Clemson University will admit the first group of students under this agreement in the spring 2011 semester. Eligible students must complete an SCC associate degree in Applied Science General Technology Advanced Childcare Management or Applied Science General Technology Infant Toddler with a maintained 2.5 GPA or higher. Students must also apply to Clemson University and attend an advising session before admittance. In addition, students may be eligible for T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood South Carolina scholarships, which require they are currently working 30 or more hours in an early childhood development-related position.
 
As a new mother who works full time, Nakita Wright, a graduate of SCC’s ECD program, thought she’d have to put her goal of completing a bachelor’s degree aside. “I was already taking a few courses at SCC to receive an infant-toddler certification when my instructor told me about this transfer agreement,” said Wright. “With the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship and the flexible class times, I can earn my bachelor’s degree earlier than I thought.”
 
“This is a perfect fit for our early childhood development students – SCC program credits will transfer easily and students are dually enrolled here at SCC and Clemson,” said SCC President, Dr. Para M. Jones. “There is a huge demand for this type of program across the state and the nation in an effort to improve and continue the education of our workforce. This partnership represents a wonderful opportunity not only for our students, but for our faculty to collaborate and come together on behalf of our students, their education and their future jobs.”
 
“We went through an extensive review of SCC’s curriculum, and this really is an ideal match for Clemson. Our administration is very encouraged by this,” said Dr. Kellye S. Rembert, coordinator of special projects in Clemson University’s College of Health, Education and Human Development. “Convenience is another benefit of this partnership for SCC students since these classes will be held at the University Center in Greenville, in the evenings and on the weekends, to accommodate their busy work schedules.”
 
To learn more about SCC’s Early Childhood Development Program, visit www.sccsc.edu  or contact SCC Department Chair, Becky Bridwell, at (864) 592-4699 or [email protected]. For more information on SCC spring 2011 classes and the many SCC opportunities, visit the website at http://www.sccsc.edu or call the SCC Admissions Center at (864) 592-4800 or tell-free, 1-866-591-3700.
 
View photos of the articulation-signing event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sccsc/sets/72157624969258935/
 

About Spartanburg Community College
SCC offers more than 80 academic programs of study including associate degrees, diplomas and certificates plus University Transfer opportunities to four-year universities. SCC provides flexible class scheduling including online classes through SCCOnline, FlexStart classes, evening classes and more. The College also offers non-credit classes through the SCC Corporate & Community Education Division.  For more information visit www.sccsc.edu <http://www.sccsc.edu> .
 
About Clemson University
The Clemson University College of Health, Education, and Human Development is recognized for innovative and multidisciplinary instruction, research, and outreach/service that support and enhance human capabilities across all life stages and environments by preparing skilled professionals and creative leaders and by building healthy, well-educated communities in the fields of education, nursing, public health sciences, parks, recreation, and tourism management. For more information visit http://www.clemson.edu/hehd.
 
About T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood South Carolina
Administered by the Center for Child Care Career Development/South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness, the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project provides comprehensive scholarships for teachers employed at regulated child care facilities to take courses toward the South Carolina Early Childhood Credential, a Certificate, a Diploma, or an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. The Project is an effort to improve the quality of childcare in South Carolina by increasing the education, compensation and stability of the early childhood work force. For more information visit http://www.sc-ccccd.net/Teach.htm.

About National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
NAEYC, the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children, is dedicated to improving the well being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age eight. A major part of organization’s efforts to improve early childhood education is through an accreditation system for programs that are committed to meeting national quality standards. The organization provides a common vision for quality early childhood teacher education in associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs and is implemented through two accreditation systems. There are 113 NAEYC accredited associate degree programs from 86 colleges across the nation. For more information visit http://www.naeyc.org.
 
About Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS)
SACS is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. The Commission’s mission is the enhancement of educational quality throughout the region and it strives to improve the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that institutions meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students. For more information visit http://www.sacs.org.