DeSales Announces Partnership with Diocese of Allentown

DeSales Announces Partnership with Diocese of Allentown

On Friday, August 9, DeSales University announced a dual enrollment agreement with the Diocese of Allentown and four of its high schools.

Notre Dame High School of Bethlehem, Central Catholic High School of Allentown, Nativity B.V.M. High School in Pottsville, and Marian Catholic High School in Tamaqua all entered the agreement, which will allow students to complete courses while in high school that automatically result in transcripted high school and college credit at the successful conclusion of the course. Credit will then be recognized and applied to degree completion at DeSales or other institutions.

Michael St. Pierre, Ed.D., superintendent of Catholic education for the Diocese of Allentown, sees the value of the partnership with DeSales not only with college credit available but with an incentive for parents to invest in a Catholic education.

"Not only will students receive an excellent education, but the tuition costs will be returned with earned college scholarships and now, with this partnership, college credit earned while in high school."

Michael St. Pierre, Ed.D., superintendent of Catholic education, Diocese of Allentown

DeSales faculty members Scott Mattingly, Ed.D., associate dean of academic life; Erin McLaughlin, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Arts, Education, and Humanities; Danielle Kearns-Sixsmith, Ed.D., assistant professor of education and director of field experiences; and Fr. Kevin Nadolski, OSFS, Ph.D., chief of staff, vice president for mission, and assistant professor of education, hosted the representatives from the four high schools. Mattingly offered insight into the dual enrollment process, which he said "has been trending upward in many high schools."

Representatives from the Diocese and the high schools included St. Pierre, Jonathan Slabek and Dena Farrell, both assistant principals from Notre Dame High School; Diane Young, vice principal, and Karen Rolston, assistant superintendent of education for the Diocese; Charles Kustan, social studies chair from Nativity B.V.M.; and Michael Brennan, head of school from Marian Catholic.

Kearns-Sixsmith spoke to the group about the shared benefits as well as the shared mission of DeSales and the diocesan high schools while Nadolski reminded the group of another dual enrollment.

"Here at DeSales we educate our students, but we also want to get them into heaven," he said. "There's a dual enrollment for you."