Students Can Earn College Credit at Their High School
(second from left) Dr. Robert Zywicki, superintendent of the Mt. Olive School District, and Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, CCM president, exchange agreements at the signing today launching the college’s first dual enrollment partnership for high school students. Also pictured are Elizabeth Ouimet, president of the Mt. Olive School Board and student success specialist at CCM, and CCM Trustee Chair and former Mt. Olive mayor Paul Licitra.
County College of Morris (CCM) and the Mt. Olive School District today signed the college’s first dual enrollment agreement that will provide high school students with the opportunity to begin their higher education early.
Through the partnership, CCM will provide Mt. Olive High School students with a pathway to start earning college credits, while exploring college and career options. The program is aligned with the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s vision for higher education that calls for providing New Jersey students with early exposure to college.
Mt. Olive high school students will have the opportunity to take college courses identical in content to CCM classes at half the price of the in-county tuition rate. Currently, that cost would equate to $68.50 a credit, plus fees, for Mt. Olive students.
The program, named Titans Express, will start this fall. Classes at the high school will be taught by Mt. Olive High School teachers working collaboratively with CCM professors. Through the program, participating students also will have access to CCM resources, such as the library, tutoring services and academic advisement. To start, four courses will be offered, Audio Engineering, Music Theory, Industrial Design and Advanced Art. CCM will offer additional courses as the program grows.
“This is an absolutely fabulous day,” said Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, president of CCM. “This is a premier partnership that is not just providing students with classes but with pathways to begin their higher education early. I think we’re going to change a lot of lives in the process.”
“This is a true partnership because it’s the students who are going to benefit,” added Dr. Robert Zywicki, superintendent of the Mt. Olive School District.
“What we noticed is that our faculty are speaking a common language. They have the same purpose – they want students to succeed,” noted Susan Breton, director of Social Emotional Learning for the Mt. Olive School District.
(center) Dr. Robert Zywicki, superintendent of the Mt. Olive School District, and Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, CCM president, sign the college’s first dual enrollment agreement to provide high school students with college credit courses, as Elizabeth Ouimet, president of the Mt. Olive School Board and student success specialist at CCM, watches.
“It has been an absolutely spectacular journey to come to this day where will be signing this partnership agreement,” said Dr. Bette Simmons, vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Management at CCM.
Credit hours earned by students will be applied to the corresponding certificate or associate degree program at CCM should students decide to enroll at the college. The college credits also may apply to their high school graduation requirements or bachelor degree programs offered at four-year institutions.
To apply to the program, parents and guardians first need to fill out the application for CCM’s Challenger Program for high school students. The application can be downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/y432pjz2/. That application then should be submitted to the CCM’s Admissions office or Mt. Olive High School.
CCM plans to expand the Titans Express program to other high schools in the area. The college also offers a number of other programs for high school students. To review those programs, visit https://tinyurl.com/yxbysrcq/.
To view additional photos from the signing ceremony, visit the CCM Flickr page.
