ECU extends path to technology degree with new partnership

ECU extends path to technology degree with new partnership

Students in Duplin County now have an easier path to an East Carolina University degree thanks to the signing of a bilateral agreement with James Sprunt Community College.

The agreement provides guaranteed admission into ECU's Bachelor of Science in industrial technology (BSIT) program for JSCC students who graduate with at least a 2.0 GPA with an Associate in Applied Science degree in industrial systems technology. The JSCC graduates will receive 53 credit hours toward their BSIT degrees at ECU.

"It provides an opportunity for our students to seamlessly transition to ECU," said Dr. Jay Carraway, president of JSCC. "It's more opportunity for growth, more opportunity for success and more opportunity for career development."

Carraway, who grew up in Snow Hill, holds three degrees from ECU and was a member of the Pirate baseball team from 1979 to 1982, so he said he's familiar with the important role the university has in the region.

"This agreement gives our program credibility, and anytime we can partner with East Carolina to make what we do better, we're all in," he said.

Dr. Robin Coger, provost at ECU, sat next to Carraway to sign the agreement amid the computer numerical control machines, robots and manufacturing equipment in the high bay lab of ECU's Science and Technology Building.

"Each of us can reflect on the life-changing effects of earning our college degrees," Coger said. "Today is exciting because it commemorates East Carolina University and James Sprunt Community College partnering together to open doors for learners to continue their education. This bilateral agreement between JSCC and ECU is just the beginning, and I look forward to how our partnership will grow in the future."

Dr. Harry Ploehn, dean of ECU's College of Engineering and Technology, said the agreement is evidence of how the university supports the people and economy of eastern North Carolina.

"It's essential to our mission that we actively collaborate with our community college partners because students and families need to know that there are multiple pathways toward careers in industrial technology," he said. "Being able to start that pathway at the local community college and then continue to ECU for a four-year degree is a very realistic, very cost-effective pathway. These kinds of bilateral agreements are important because they help make families and students aware of that pathway and the collaboration between the community college and the university."

Ploehn pointed out that six of the eight concentrations in the BSIT program can be completed online, meaning JSCC graduates won't have to drive 90 minutes from the Kenansville campus to attend classes in Greenville.

"Students don't have to leave their communities and their jobs to be able to continue on and pursue that four-year STEM degree in industrial technology," Ploehn said. "That's important, and those students get the same hands-on lab experiences that are on campus because of the integration of our equipment for online students."

The BSIT program offers concentrations in architectural design technology; mechanical design technology; distribution and logistics; information and cybersecurity technology; industrial management; industrial engineering technology; bioprocess manufacturing; and health information technologies.

The nationally recognized program is designed for students who have been awarded a qualified Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in an industrial or technical related field. It is accredited through the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering. The program is considered ideal for working professionals who need a four-year degree for career advancement.

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