Beaver, WV (WOAY) – a signing ceremony at New River Community and Technical College unveiled their partnership with Marshall University on a new bachelor’s degree program.
The agreement will allow New River CTC students a smooth transition to Marshall.
“Marshall’s willingness to partner with us means us a whole lot,” said New River CTC’s president Bonny Copenhaver. “A lot of our students that graduate with an associate of science don’t think their credits will transfer. This is a program that will allow those students and those graduates to transfer to Marshall University and complete a bachelor’s degree. So it is a wonderful victory for the students.”
This aspiring flight nurse can now more easily follow her dreams.
“I don’t feel stuck,” New River CTC surgical technology student Alea Simms said. “It’s a great opportunity for students like me looking to further their education but not have to leave our city or go so far. So it’s really exciting.”
Marshall University’s president says continuing education is important for all of us, no matter what form of education you choose; a certificate, two or four-year degree or beyond. He calls the schools’ collaboration groundbreaking.
“We live in a world now where YouTube and Khan Academy and general artificial general and ChatGPT are surrounding us,” said Brad Smith. “All of us need to continue to learn and lean into that intellectual curiosity. But there’s historically been walls between all the different options. Those walls are now gone.”
Lily Hollingshead, who is looking forward to becoming a physician’s assistant thinks this New River CTC/Marshall collab is amazing.
“Knowing the fact I get to continue my education through Marshall,” said Hollingshead, a surgical technology student. “And getting my bachelor’s in applied science — is going to be so much easier to transfer over to where I don’t have to go through the process of fully re-enrolling.”
Smith says that someone might have historically thought an associates of applied science was a terminal degree. This is transformational.
“And they would stop at two years or would say, ‘I want to go one.’ And not all 60 credits would transfer. They’d only get credit for a certain number,” said the Marshall president. “Well, now they can make this just the point in the journey. And then when they decide to get back into the education game or want to continue, all of that work will transfer with them.”
