Three more NIU College of Education bachelor’s degree programs are now available in a seamless 2+2 format to Waubonsee Community College students.
Early Childhood Education, Special Education and Kinesiology have joined Elementary Education, Physical Education and Sport Management on the menu of majors.
“We have 22 current 2+2 agreements, and six are with Waubonsee,” says David Walker, associate dean for Academic Affairs. “They’re great partners, and this was a natural fit. It was executed really quickly, and from here, we’ll continue to work on the curricular aspects and, more importantly, we’ll work on the relationship developing and sustaining that over time.”
Sarah Kocunik, Graduation and Transfer coordinator at Waubonsee, agrees.
“Waubonsee Community College is excited to partner with Northern Illinois University in bringing a seamless transfer experience for students interested in careers in early childhood education, special education or kinesiology,” Kocunik says.
“Our 2+2 program is a convenient and guaranteed pathway for these students to save time and money from Day One, making it easier for students to reach their goals,” she adds. “They can be confident in knowing they will receive a quality education at Waubonsee at an affordable price, and most importantly, that their courses will transfer directly into a bachelor’s program at Northern Illinois University.”
Articulation agreements between four-year universities and community colleges provide students with a prescribed, sequential set of general education courses for their first two years near home and put them right on track when they arrive at NIU for their major-specific curriculum.
Coordinated academic advising, along with an earlier introduction to the Office for Student Success in Gabel Hall, creates strong relationships that yield improved enrollment management, retention and graduation rates.
Meanwhile, Walker says, the continual arrival of transfer students helps to diversify the college’s enrollment.
Laura Hedin, chair of the Department of Special and Early Education, expects Waubonsee students will appreciate and want what the 2+2 delivers while participating in efforts to confront the teacher shortage.
“Because of the partnership, these students know that all of their credits are going to count toward their degree,” Hedin says, “and they are right here in NIU’s backyard, so it’s convenient. We can arrange placements for field experience and student-teaching in their home districts around Kaneland. We have a great relationship with the Kaneland School District, along with St. Charles and Montgomery and other area districts.”
For future Huskies pursuing the B.S. in Early Childhood Education, she adds, the state’s new Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Program could mean free tuition, fees, books, supplies, transportation, child care and other living expenses.
“ECACE is a full-cost-of-attendance scholarship that our Early Childhood juniors can qualify for,” she says. “It’s a wonderful deal, and we hope many, many students will take advantage of that opportunity.”
Hedin also has good news for students determined to graduate on time.
“We have streamlined our program; we used to make the ESL-bilingual endorsement mandatory, but we found that that really packed the number of credits,” she says. “Students coming from Waubonsee with an applied associate degree in Early Childhood can opt out of that endorsement, so it’s a true 2+2.”
Steve Howell, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, is excited to add KNPE’s other undergraduate program to the agreement with Waubonsee.
“As the world, and academia and curriculum, get more and more complicated, it’s important to remove barriers to entry and to create a seamless transition for community college students to come to NIU and know that they’re on a clear path and that all the previous coursework they’ve taken allows them to earn a degree,” Howell says.
“KNPE has had a really strong connection to community colleges throughout the last five to 10 years, so we’re building off those successes,” he adds. “We know that Waubonsee is an ideal partner, given its location relative to DeKalb.”
NIU’s program offers students numerous ways to gain immersive, hands-on experience through Educate and Engage and departmental outreach initiatives, Howell says.
Completing a four-year degree, along with being in position to earn various certification, also opens the door to sound employment as well as graduate school.
Meanwhile, he says, the articulation structure allows student to plainly envision their future.
“These programs are so important because students can see what’s next and what the next two years are going to look like,” he says. “Knowing that clear path goes toward a forward mindset of, ‘I’m going to earn a bachelor’s degree in the standard amount of time,’ and also thinking about being financially responsible.”
Hedin and Howell value Waubonsee’s partnership – as well as the teamwork of NIU’s Ron Smith, director of Community College Partnerships, and Jennifer Johnson and Christy Schweitzer of the Office for Student Success.
In terms of educator licensure, Hedin says, Waubonsee faculty and staff forge strong connections with their local school districts to better understand the requirements for teachers and to produce “some of the most qualified candidates we see.”
“Waubonsee’s students are amazing,” Hedin says. “They come with all the knowledge and skills that we look for in candidates entering a professional career pathway. They’re prepared to be teachers and to enter their field experiences on Day One, and we just appreciate how our Waubonsee partners prepare them.”
Howell, who is taking over the department and the articulation process from Todd Gilson, now the college’s associate dean of Research, Resources and Innovation, appreciates the support of his colleagues in Gabel Hall.
“I can’t thank Jenny, Christy and the Office for Student Success enough for their work and their help on this,” Howell says. “They are the ones on the ground floor, making community college visits and working to get students to open houses and informational sessions. That has been very beneficial, from where our department sits, from a recruitment standpoint.”
