Tech Track
Fayetteville community college students have straight path to ECU degree
It’s not a new partnership. East Carolina University has been working with community colleges for decades, opening doors for students to continue their education and enhance their careers and lives.
But when ECU and Fayetteville Technical Community College administrators signed a bilateral agreement, they cemented a bond that provides FTCC graduates who meet certain requirements guaranteed admission to ECU’s Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology (BSIT) program.
From left, Dr. Mark Sorrells, president of Fayetteville Technical Community College, Dr. Allen Guidry, associate provost of learner operations at ECU, and Dr. Harry Ploehn, dean of the College of Engineering and Technology, share a laugh before last week’s signing.
“We have a partnership with Fayetteville Tech, but today, the signing of this agreement shines a bright spotlight on it so we can raise awareness to students, families and parents about the opportunities that they have,” said Dr. Harry Ploehn, dean of ECU’s College of Engineering and Technology.
Ploehn said 40% of the college’s students are transfers from community colleges, thanks in part to the many online course options that allow them to obtain four-year degrees without leaving their hometowns.
“A student in Fayetteville coming out of high school could in principle get a job, go to Fayetteville Tech and get an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree, be admitted to Pirate Promise and then pursue a four-year STEM degree in industrial technology at ECU without leaving their job, without leaving Fayetteville and without leaving their family,” he said.
For Dr. Mark Sorrells, FTCC president, that piece — keeping students working in their hometowns while obtaining transformational degrees — is crucial.
“I am very partial to eastern North Carolina and the plight that individuals have to go through in being able to prepare themselves for the reality of the workplace, and there is no better place than East Carolina University in doing that and helping people stay rooted in the communities in which they were raised,” he said. “That’s critically important because what we’re seeing is students leaving for college and never coming back. You’ve proven a model in your engineering, in the medical programs, in technology where they stay in eastern North Carolina, and that’s critically important.”
Jack Culbreth is one such student. He obtained an AAS degree in computer information technology and cybersecurity from FTCC. He transferred to ECU to obtain his BSIT degree with a concentration in information and cybersecurity technology. Though initially beginning classes on ECU’s campus, he later switched to online courses. From the transfer process to the classes, the experience could not have gone better, he said.
ECU industrial technology student Jack Culbreth, a graduate of Fayetteville Technical Community College, meets with Dr. Mark Sorrells, president of FTCC, before a bilateral agreement signing.
“It’s honestly been really easy the way everything was set up nice for me,” said Culbreth, who graduates from ECU this Friday. “I have no complaints at all.”
Dr. Allen Guidry, associate provost for learner operations at ECU, said helping students like Culbreth obtain bachelor’s degrees is at the heart of the agreement between the two institutions.
“Student success is part of the work that we do,” he said. “When we enter into agreements like this, it’s a commitment to the institutions we partner with, but it’s a commitment to the students to make sure that success is a reality, to put in place those supports and those structures that will make sure those students have smooth pathways. … We’re committed institutionally to make sure that we take care of these students and get them to the finish line.”
Guidry said ECU’s mission is to transform the region, but that starts with graduates who can make more money in their careers and better support their families with a four-year degree.
“One of our commitments is regional transformation, and what I think is really powerful about that is the way in which we transform lives. That’s what it really means,” he said. “We transform the lives of the people who come through this institution and graduate. That’s a shared mission and goal with Fayetteville Tech. We transform those lives by building opportunities, building pathways to meet students where they are, whether that’s geographically, whether that’s professionally or whether that’s where they’re at in life. That’s what I’m excited about when I see this partnership, how we transform those lives, how we build those pathways.”
The BSIT program offers seven concentrations — architecture design technology; bioprocess manufacturing; distribution and logistics; industrial management; industrial engineering technology; information and cybersecurity technology; and mechanical design technology. Five of those concentrations can be completed fully online.
The program recently received national accolades in The Transfer Playbook, produced by the Aspen Institute and Community College Research Center, for its success in helping community college transfer students obtain bachelor’s degrees at a rate 10 percentage points higher than the national average. The report credits advising staff, online classes and an emphasis on transfer student experiences as some of the reasons behind the program’s success, calling it a model for other four-year institutions to follow.
The agreement signed April 28 gives FTCC students who graduate with an AAS degree in any of five technical fields and at least a 2.0 grade point average guaranteed admission to ECU’s BSIT program. The graduates will transfer 53 to 56 credit hours toward their four-year degree, allowing them to get their bachelor’s degree in just two years at ECU. The university has similar agreements in place with four other community colleges.
Dr. Tijjani (TJ) Mohammed, chair of the Department of Technology Systems, said an AAS degree used to be the end of the educational line for students.
“Now it’s no longer the case,” he said. “We have people who have gone on to get their Ph.D.s. through the AAS route and the BSIT program. The sky is no longer the limit.”
He credits Dr. David Batts, BSIT program coordinator, and the faculty and staff who invest in the success of community college transfer students.
“We have a fantastic group at ECU,” he said. “We have people who get it and want to make a difference and truly believe in our mission, and I am thankful for that.”
Dwayne Campbell became FTCC’s computer information technology dean just four months ago. It didn’t take him long to understand the importance of the agreement with ECU.
“I can tell this isn’t just lip service,” he said. “It isn’t just about the institutions and checking a box. It’s really about the students, making sure that they have a pathway to grow to whatever heights they would like to achieve. … I am really looking forward to this partnership. This is just the beginning.”
From left, Dwayne Campbell, dean of computer information technology at Fayetteville Technical Community College, Dr. Tijjani (TJ) Mohammed, chair of the Department of Technology Systems at ECU, and Dr. Harry Ploehn, dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at ECU, talk before the signing ceremony.