A new agreement with the Wisconsin Technical College System will help students move more seamlessly from a two-year Education program to an accelerated bachelor’s degree path.
Concordia University Wisconsin is excited to announce a new articulation agreement between the university and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). Effective immediately, students who complete their Foundations of Teacher Education associate degree through a WTCS member school and meet the admission requirements can enroll in CUW’s Accelerated Elementary Education Bachelor of Arts program.
We asked Dr. Adam Paape, professor and assistant dean at CUW’s School of Education, to answer a few questions about the new program:
Q. What does this agreement offer to students?
All candidates who come to CUW after completing their Foundations of Teacher Education associate degree through the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) will be able to complete their licensure program through CUW in as little as two years.
Q. How is this program special?
Our program is unique in that all of the coursework is online. Our 8-week courses are taught primarily in a collaborative manner where students interact with each other and their instructors. Our program has consistent, for-credit field work courses that can be experienced within the Elementary schools nearby where our candidates live.
Because it’s an online program, these candidates can finish their associate degrees near where they live and can immediately join our program. This ease of transferring eliminates a barrier that could exist in transitioning from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree program.
All candidates who come to CUW after completing their Foundations of Teacher Education associate degree through the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) will be able to complete their licensure program through CUW in as little as two years.
Dr. Adam Paape
Q. Why is that so important right now?
A January 2023 report by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction indicated that 3,630 teaching positions were filled in the 2020-2021 school year by teachers who had not fully satisfied the licensing requirements in that license. This means that Wisconsin schools are not able to staff their classrooms with enough fully qualified teachers. Our program provides an accessible option for all candidates, especially those joining us from the WTCS.
Q. What about working professionals who already have classroom experience?
The Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) allows for our students to apply for up to 6 credits of the field work course sequence based on their lived experiences. This is perfect for candidates who have served as paraprofessionals in schools. We also welcome other leadership experiences to be used for the PLA. The PLA application process is embedded within our early field work courses.
Proud partners
“An agreement like this is powerful and important because it shows we at Concordia recognize the hard work of student at technical schools and are able to apply all those credits into our program,” said Linda Szczerbinski, director of post traditional admissions at CUW. “The student does not lose any credits as they transfer and can continue on with their junior and senior year and earn their Bachelor’s degree.”
Concordia University Wisconsin is proud to be in partnership with these schools to help meet the staffing needs of schools in Wisconsin.
“Articulation agreements also help to establish strong relationships between colleges and universities,” added Ana Sanchez, community outreach specialist at CUW. “They encourage collaboration and communication between the schools, which can lead to further opportunities such as additional agreements in other program areas, and academic collaborations.”
Take action
For more information about CUW’s Accelerated Elementary Education Bachelor of Arts degree, click HERE. To contact someone about whether this program may be right for you or someone you know, email Jon Cain at Jonathan.Cain@cuw.edu in the Department of Admissions at Concordia University Wisconsin.
Want in?
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