Macomb Community College and Oakland University launch joint "Macomb 2 Oakland" program
August 17, 2006 by chamberofcommerce comments (7)
Macomb Community College and Oakland University are welcoming students into the states first joint admission, concurrent enrollment program this fall. Dubbed Macomb 2 Oakland, the program is the centerpiece of a partnership between the two higher educational institutions to bring more meaningful degree-program options directly to the residents of Macomb County.
Responding to the Cherry Commission recommendations designed to increase the percentage of residents with college credentials while building a workforce with the talent and skills necessary for success in the 21st century, Macomb and Oakland in August 2005 announced that the two institutions were stepping up their more-than-two-decade collaboration by introducing a joint admission, concurrent enrollment program by Fall 2006. The program, Macomb 2 Oakland, has begun to accept students.
Unique in Michigan, Macomb 2 Oakland offers:
- Joint admission through one application (available online at www.oakland.edu)
- Concurrent enrollment at OU and Macomb, offering the flexibility to take courses at one or both institutions at the same time
- Maximized financial aid at both institutions by combining credit for concurrently enrolled students
- Expanded course selection
- Coordinated advising and course planning
- Timely completion of associate and bachelors degrees
- Access to the on-campus resources of both institutions, including Oakland University housing
Macomb 2 Oakland takes the concept of the seamless transfer from community college to university to an unprecedented level, said Donald Ritzenhein, interim provost, Macomb Community College. Together with Oakland University, we have created a unique partnership that offers our students the benefits of integrated programs, resources and processes as if they were dealing with a single educational institution.
Our concurrent enrollment program with Macomb Community College is a vital component of OU at Macomb, Oakland University's initiative to greatly expand the opportunities for baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate education available in Macomb County, said Oakland University Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Academic Administration David J. Downing. We are excited about the potential of this program and look forward to expanding upon it.
The Macomb 2 Oakland integrated degree path is designed to reduce false starts to bachelors degree completion, help move students toward degree attainment more quickly and ease educational debt loads. With research showing greatly increased degree-completion rates for students who first complete associate degrees, students in the new program are able first to earn their associate degree, which also gives them the opportunity to leverage the credential in the labor marketplace while completing their bachelors degree.
To support growth of the Macomb 2 Oakland program and increase options for students to complete college coursework within the county, Macomb is building the third phase of the Macomb University Center. The 40,000 square-foot classroom building addition is scheduled to open by Fall 2007. Since pioneering the now nationally replicated University Center concept in 1988, more than 2,900 students currently attend the Macomb University Center to complete bachelors degrees and earn masters degrees. A portion of the current University Center is being renovated to serve as headquarters for Oakland University programs in Macomb County.
For more information about Macomb 2 Oakland, contact Macomb College at 586-445-7999 or Oakland University at 586-263-6258.
Macomb Community College is one of the nations leading community colleges, nationally ranking in the top two percent in number of associate degrees awarded and as the largest grantor of associate degrees in Michigan. The colleges comprehensive educational programming includes pre-collegiate experiences, university transfer and career preparation programs, bachelor degree completion and graduate degree programs, workforce training, professional education and certification, and continuing education and enrichment opportunities.
Oakland University is a doctoral research-intensive university located in Oakland County, Michigan. The university has 113 bachelors degree programs and 84 graduate degree and certificate programs. Dedicated to delivering a distinctive undergraduate experience that is complemented by the strength of its graduate offerings and research accomplishments, Oakland University is organized into the College of Arts and Sciences and the Schools of Business Administration, Education and Human Services, Engineering and Computer Science, Health Sciences, Nursing, and The Honors College. Visit Oakland University on the web at www.oakland.edu.
Originally Published here.












