Community College/University Articulation A Programmatic Approach In Engineering And Technology

The educational missions of the typical Community College and University are diverse. Within the sciences and liberal arts there is a similarity in offerings, and students have the ability to matriculate from the 2-year institutions to the 4-year institutions. However, in the areas of Engineering Technology the two institutions have objectives that are both similar and diverging. Within Technology, there is a group of students that complete 4-year degrees through the transfer process, however, there is also a group of students who enroll in the Community College to obtain specific knowledge which is typically vocational in nature, either in CAD, CNC, Machining, HVAC, to name a few. The mission of the 4-year institution is to provide a broader based education. Even though each institution has a constituent audience to which it must provide educational programs, there is an overriding need to provide accessibility to students from all of the communities served. To provide students with this type of access, in which they can chose the career direction, Rock Valley Community College (Rockford, Illinois) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) have developed a unique series of programs within the Technology realm. As part of this program, students can choose their desired degree path and stopping point; after 2-years or 4-years. In addition the students can determine the appropriate level of Technology that will suit their educational needs. As a result, students will be able to obtain the needed technical knowledge to obtain employment after two years at RVC or continue their education career through transfer to NIU. This aspect of the program is not novel, however, both institutions have worked together to develop a program that satisfies both constituent groups, while most of the credits are transferred between institutions. This paper will outline the array of technology programs around which articulation initiatives have been developed, and how these programs fit within the educational needs of the Northern Illinois region. Current Articulation Programs within Illinois To obtain a 4-year degree in one of the many technical fields, students typically choose one of two options; matriculation directly into a University, or into a Community College followed by transfer to a 4-year school. The transfer process is gaining a wide recognition, especially as the students and their families examine cost and accessibility issues associated with higher education [1-5]. While the route to transfer is difficult in any major, the difficulty is increased in a vertically structured curriculum like Engineering and Technology. In these areas, the entry point and course prerequisites are of great concern. Within the State of Illinois, there are many Community Colleges, each offering a multitude of different programs. In order to provide the population with access to quality cost-effective education within the various areas of Session 2148