image: MCCC President Jianping Wang with NJIT Provost and Senior Executive Vice President Fadi P. Deek at the May 10 signing ceremony to enact the five-year agreement between NJIT and MCCC. view more
Credit: NJIT
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, N.J., and Mercer County Community College (MCCC) in West Windsor Township, N.J., have signed a joint agreement designed to improve student access across the two higher-education institutions. The 2+2 Connect Articulation Agreement will enable MCCC students to earn a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from NJIT while studying almost entirely at MCCC's campus.
Under the terms of 2+2 Connect, MCCC students who earn an associate degree in engineering science may transfer up to 67 common-course credits toward a B.S. in civil engineering from NJIT. They will then have the opportunity to pursue the additional 66 credits required for the bachelor's, primarily through face-to-face courses on the MCCC campus; some courses will be offered online or at NJIT's main campus. Transferring MCCC students must go through NJIT's customary transfer process and meet all applicable admission requirements and deadlines.
"It is important for us to create pathways to success and eliminate as many barriers as possible for community college transfer students," noted NJIT President Joel S. Bloom. "With this collaboration, we are expanding access and creating exciting professional opportunities for academically successful students enrolled at Mercer County Community College while introducing them to NJIT's outstanding undergraduate programs. As New Jersey's public polytechnic university, it is incumbent upon NJIT to articulate well with the STEM programs at our state's community colleges."
NJIT instructors will teach the NJIT courses in classrooms and laboratory space licensed to the university by MCCC. Additionally, they will be responsible for grading, classroom rules and student conduct and disciplinary matters.
"This partnership is all about building on the strengths of both institutions," said Jianping Wang, president of Mercer County Community College. "NJIT has a top quality engineering program, and now we are bringing their quality programs to our campus."
Officials from both NJIT and MCCC gathered at MCCC May 10 for a signing ceremony to enact the five-year agreement, which, subject to Middle States Commission on Higher Education approval, will begin fall semester 2017 and be reviewed annually by both parties. Basil Baltzis, vice provost for academic affairs at NJIT, and Taha Marhaba, professor and chairman of civil and environment engineering at the university, were instrumental in drafting the agreement.
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About NJIT
One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. With an enrollment of 11,400 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus intimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering and cybersecurity, in addition to others. NJIT is among the top U.S. polytechnic public universities in research expenditures, exceeding $130 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to PayScale.com. NJIT has a $1.74 billion annual economic impact on the State of New Jersey.
About MCCC
Established in 1966, Mercer County Community College is a publicly supported comprehensive educational institution that provides opportunities for higher education through an open-door admissions policy. MCCC offers 70 degree program options and 30 credit certificate programs. It enrolls more than 13,000 full- and part-time students each year.