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Calhoun Community College Signs Articulation Agreement With Jacksonville State University

July 22, 2019

Representatives from Calhoun Community College and Jacksonville State University (JSU) met today for an official signing ceremony for a new articulation agreement of conditional guaranteed admission between the two educational institutions that will help to facilitate a seamless transfer of students from Calhoun to JSU.

According to the mutually agreed upon terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), JSU created a Transfer Pathway Program to improve the process through which Calhoun students transfer to JSU. The purpose of this program is to provide students that choose this path with a course specific route that will lead to the completion of a bachelor’s degree.

Calhoun Community College and Jacksonville State University will work collaboratively in the development of and execution of the Transfer Pathways Program under the following general guidelines:

  • Faculty and academic administrators from both institutions will develop the discipline-specific transfer pathways and maintain close contact to revise these agreements as necessary.
  • Faculty and academic administrators at both institutions will maintain the responsibility for the accuracy of the programmatic content of the pathway programs.
  • Qualified students will have the opportunity to choose to enter a pathway agreement and to follow the pathway programs for their specific majors.
  • lf a student does not follow the pathway program, or changes his/her major, the acceptance/ transferability of completed coursework may not be honored by either institution.
  • Members from the leadership teams at both institutions will provide internal review and approval of all pathway programs prior to implementation.
  • The Executive Director of the Transfer Pathway Program at Jacksonville State University and the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Calhoun Community College will serve as liaisons for this agreement.

Commenting on the MOU, Dr. Joe Burke, interim president of Calhoun Community College, said, “I received my Master of Science in Counseling from JSU, so I have a personal connection with the college from a student perspective. Over the years, I continue to appreciate the dedication for student success from the faculty and staff at JSU, and wholeheartedly value all of the hard work that was placed in creating the Transfer Pathway Program. Not only will this program provide a road map for our students to successfully complete their bachelor’s degree, but it is also a true testament to the continued dedication of both higher education institutions in establishing opportunities that will continue to prepare our students for the workforce,” added Burke.

“Calhoun Community College does an excellent job at providing the framework for students to successfully transfer to a four-year university such as JSU. We understand how extremely important it is to not only establish relationships such as this with community colleges in our service area, but to also provide students with the tools they need in order to be successful. JSU offers a variety of scholarships, and some that will allow students to attend JSU tuition free,” commented Dr. John M. Beehler, Jacksonville State University President.

About Calhoun Community College

The largest of the two-year institutions comprising The Alabama Community College System, Calhoun is an open-admission, community-based, state-supported, coeducational, comprehensive community college dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality and accessible education to individuals in its four-county service area. Offering 49 associate degree options and 52 career/certificate programs, Calhoun serves approximately 11,500 students at its 110-acre Decatur campus; its Huntsville/Cummings Research Park site; and at the Limestone Correctional Facility. The college’s faculty and staff are well qualified and remain current in their areas of expertise. Over 80 percent of the full-time faculty possess at least a master’s degree, and approximately 15 percent hold the doctorate. For over 70 years, Calhoun has been an active member of North Alabama. Graduates of the college permeate the community, and many of them have gone on to complete baccalaureate degrees at other institutions in the area, or have entered the work force after successfully completing programs of study and training.

About Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in five academic units leading to bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist, and doctorate degrees in addition to continuing and distance education programs. In the Fall semester of 2011, JSU began offering the school’s first doctoral degree, Doctor of Science in Emergency Management.

JSU currently has an enrollment of about 8,500 students, with nearly 500 faculty members (more than 320 of whom are full-time). Jacksonville State’s Business School was ranked within the nation’s 90th percentile by the Princeton Review. The current University President is Dr. John M. Beehler. Jacksonville State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In addition, 40 academic programs (79% of programs that can be accredited) earned specialized programmatic accreditations. 221 international students representing 73 countries were enrolled in the 2013–2014 academic year. The University has run its International House program, an international exchange program, for over 60 years.