Partnership Gives Teacher Education Students a Head Start

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.

Central Michigan University will join three Michigan community colleges to pilot a new admissions program intended to help potential teacher education students get a jump on their course requirements.

Starting this fall, the university will initiate a provisional admissions program for teacher education transfer students from Delta, Lansing and Mid Michigan community colleges. The plan is to take the program statewide in 2004.

Community-college students may begin the application process for the provisional admissions program early in their community-college careers, so that they can be advised concerning the correct courses to take to ensure full transfer credit.

"This program allows community-college students to be more efficient in their course selection because they are assured that the courses in which they are enrolled will transfer and count toward an education degree," says Dr. Karen Adams, dean of CMU's College of Education and Human Services.

As students near completion of their community-college programs, they also can register with CMU for a teacher education admission interview that will take place on the community college and university campuses.

The personal interview is an important part of the competitive admissions process for CMU's teacher education program and is considered along with the student's grade point average, Michigan Basic Skills Test results and completion of relevant courses.