UA partners with KSU and YSU to create technical education center

The University of Akron, Kent State University and Youngstown State University were awarded $432,558 by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents to establish the East Central Region College TechPrep/Program of Study Center (ECRC). The ECRC will serve more than 100 school districts and their students in an effort to boost student enrollment in College Tech Prep/Program of Study programs in high schools as well as in Ohio colleges and universities.

The center will provide students a direct pathway to higher education by ensuring they obtain all necessary college-prep course requirements and transferrable college credit through their College Tech Prep (CTP) programs, according to ECRC Chief Administrator Kelly Herold. Students also will receive college-readiness assessments and, if needed, focused intervention to enable them to advance from high school to college. Through articulation agreements with the three institutions, the center will help facilitate students’ readiness for and transition to college.

The ECRC is a virtual center with offices at the partner universities and a central office at Kent State staffed by ECRC Regional Director Jennie Royer, and Jennifer Anders, regional program assistant. They and other ECRC collaborators will work with university deans, department chairs and other faculty members to ensure steady communication and momentum.

Royer says the center will serve as the point of contact to create the multi-institutional articulation agreements for more than 440 current high school programs. The ECRC also will serve school districts outside the region interested in linking with one of the higher education institutions.

According to Arlene Floyd, who is leading efforts through YSU, extensive professional development also will be available for educators, including mathematics and English Language Arts coaching.

"This model will provide students in regional school districts with broadened academic opportunities and create movement toward statewide articulation," Herold adds.

About The University of Akron

The University of Akron is the public research university for Northeast Ohio. The Princeton Review listed UA among the "Best in the Midwest" in its 2010 edition of Best Colleges: Region-by-Region. Approximately 29,700 students are enrolled in UA's 300 associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and law degree programs and 100 certificate programs at sites in Summit, Wayne, Medina and Holmes counties. For more information, visit www.uakron.edu.

About Kent State University

Kent State University is Northeast Ohio's leading public research university and the second largest university in the state with more than 42,000 students. The university's eight-campus system is among the largest regional systems in the country. Kent State is ranked as one of the top 200 universities in the world by Times Higher Education of London and one of the best national universities by U.S. News & World Report. The university also is ranked among the nation's 77 public research universities demonstrating high-research activity by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Today, Kent State has become an engine for economic, cultural and workforce development – locally and internationally – as one of the premier Ohio universities. For more information on Kent State, visit www.kent.edu.

About Youngstown State University

Youngstown State University is a comprehensive urban research university that offers nearly 15,000 students more than 135 undergraduate and graduate programs backed by a strong tradition of teaching, scholarship and public service. As a major educational and economic development resource in the region, YSU is known for its focus on academic research and creative programs that transform its students into successful professionals, scholars and leaders. Located in the heart of the Tech Belt between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, YSU provides opportunities for students to actively participate with accomplished faculty, often in one-on-one settings, on advanced research and creative collaborations. The beautiful 145-acre campus includes high-tech classrooms, state-of-the-art labs and performance facilities, a variety of on-campus housing options and recreational facilities among the best in the nation. The university's 18 athletics teams, including the four-time national champion football team, compete on the Division I NCAA level, while the Dana School of Music and the Department of Theater and Dance offer a variety of performances on and off campus. For more information, visit www.ysu.edu.

Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.