Owens to offer start on 4-year Lourdes degree in business
3/6/2011The idea to create a program at Owens Community College that gets students started on four-year degrees at Lourdes College began with a simple conversation.
And like all good ideas, it grew, said Renay Scott, Owens Community College executive vice president and provost.
Starting this fall, Owens Community College students looking to earn a bachelor of science degree in business from Lourdes College soon will be able to start taking the required classes without leaving Owens' Perrysburg Township campus.
The new collaboration will allow recent Owens graduates or those who are nearing completion of their associate's degree to start earning credits toward one in business from Sylvania-based Lourdes.
"There's a big conversation about the completion agenda and part of that conversation involves students being able to maximize their time," Ms. Scott said.
"One of the things that this bridge set of courses will do is shorten the time … for students to complete their bachelor degrees."
More than 100 transfer students from Owens are pursuing bachelor of science degrees in one of the business majors offered, Jean Kujawa, Lourdes' associate chairman of business and leadership studies, said.
The partnership is just another collaboration between the schools, she said.
The program allows Owens students enrolled in the program to begin taking select courses taught by Lourdes faculty without leaving the community college campus.
With those courses, students can start earning credits toward one of eight majors: accounting, accounting and finance, business administration, health-care administration, human-resource management, integrated business, and marketing and management.
"We've always had a very good relationship and we really value the Owens students who want to complete their education at Lourdes because they are always very well prepared," Ms. Kujawa said. "It's really a location option. Students know they want a four-year degree, so this is a convenience for them."
To enroll in the program, students must meet with the Lourdes transfer coordinator/adviser at Owens, who will help them establish a plan of study. And to make things a bit easier and affordable, qualifying students may be awarded Pathways scholarships, which are renewable merit-based grants providing up to $2,000 of tuition assistance each academic year.
Ms. Scott said that although the initiative started with collaboration with Lourdes on business degrees, the school hopes to expand the program to other majors and perhaps other partners.
She said the option allows students to save time and money and ultimately get a jump-start on earning a four-year degree.
"The staff is truly excited. Ultimately who benefits is the students," Ms. Scott said. "This program maximizes the students' time as well as the resources of the two institutions."
Contact Erica Blake at: eblake@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.