Rowan University, Community College of Philadelphia announce partnership to expand access to four-year degrees

Rowan University and the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) announced a new program-to-program transfer partnership June 27 for eligible CCP graduates, many of whom are active in the Greater Philadelphia Regional Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), a national organization that encourages students from underrepresented groups to pursue degrees in the STEM fields.

To qualify, students must complete an associate degree in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields or other approved majors and earn admittance into Rowan’s corresponding programs.

Program-to-program transfer partnerships are agreements in which credits from an entire curriculum or program of study is accepted. Participating degree programs for the Rowan-CCP partnership include biology and biological Sciences, Black studies, chemistry, computer science, construction management, mathematics and sound recording and music technology.

“The College is excited to partner with Rowan University to ensure that our graduates can seamlessly and affordably complete their undergraduate degree,” said CCP President Dr. Donald “Guy” Generals. “Not only is Rowan a nationally-ranked public research institution, but they have a great reputation for preparing students for the workforce. The latter is more important now than ever.”

Eligible CCP students will receive scholarships to reduce their cost of attendance at Rowan to in-state tuition rates when they transfer.

Launched in 1994, the Greater Philadelphia Regional LSAMP includes Cheyney, Lincoln and Delaware State universities, which represent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as well as CCP, Rowan, University of Delaware, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania and Temple University.

Rowan President Dr. Ali A. Houshmand noted that the partnership expands a history of supporting students moving from community colleges in the region to the Glassboro, N.J.-based university.

“Community College of Philadelphia has very high standards so we know that their students will succeed at Rowan,” Houshmand said. “We have created a variety of pathways for community college graduates to continue on and attain an affordable four-year degree.”

Careers in STEM fall within a wide swath of good-paying, rewarding fields and include such tracks as medicine, dentistry, engineering and computer science.