COMMERCE, Texas - Texas A&M University-Commerce and Northeast Texas Community College have formed a partnership to meet the need for social workers in the region.
A&M-Commerce President Keith McFarland and NTCC President Charles Lorio recently signed an agreement for the university to offer the Bachelor of Social Work at NTCC's Hanson-Sewell Center in Pittsburg.
A&M-Commerce will officially start the program in Fall 2008.
An orientation meeting for interested students will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, in the NTCC Main Campus Cafeteria in Mount Pleasant.
McFarland and Florio both said they anticipate the degree program will attract students who, for various reasons, cannot easily make the drive to Commerce for courses.
"We realize many students are place bound," McFarland said. "This field attracts women who have families and may find it difficult to come to Commerce several times a week to work on their degree," he said.
When it comes to higher education, Northeast Texas residents are underserved, Florio said. "When you bring education to the people, they have a better chance of participating and improving their lives," he said. "Proximity and access translates hopefully to success," Florio continued.
McFarland said A&M-Commerce is pleased to offer the program to NTCC students.
"We are honored to bring the program to Northeast Texas Community College students and believe it will have a dramatic impact on the region."
The initiative is similar to the Navarro Partnership, a relationship between A&M-Commerce and Navarro College that began several years ago. In that region, there was a need for teachers, and thanks to the program in the last five years about 500 teachers have been added to public school classrooms in Navarro and surrounding counties, McFarland said.
Florio said that NTCC is "really proud of this partnership and our relationship with Texas A&M University-Commerce."
NTCC has been offering introductory social work classes for about 10 years.
Carla Asbill, director of Communities In Schools and adjunct faculty-social work at NTCC, saw the potential of the students she taught to do well at the university level.
"Some of these students had incredible skills, but they didn't get to the university because of money, time, energy, and family."
NTCC student Kimberly Bullock plans to enroll in the program in Fall 2008. "I want to do something to help people," said Bullock, who is employed at the Child Advocacy Center in Longview and is interested in a career in which she works with children.
Dr. Herbert Riedel, vice president for Instruction and Student Development at NTCC, said often a champion is needed to get an initiative started.
"For this program, this person was Carla Asbill," Riedel said.
At A&M-Commerce, Dr. McFarland said Dr. Brenda Moore, head of the Department of Social Work, and interim Dean of the College of Education and Human Services Jim Vornberg played instrumental roles in getting the program started.
At NTCC, the Bachelor of Social Work program provides "enhanced opportunities," Riedel said. "It makes community college programs more attractive and versatile. Students can go to a four-year degree in a seamless transfer f their coursework," he said.
For information on the program, contact A&M-Commerce Bachelor of Social Work Program Director Hugh Clark. By email, reach Dr. Clark at Hugh-Clark@tamu-commerce.edu His office phone is 903-886-5874.
PARTNERSHIP - Texas A&M University-Commerce and Northeast Texas Community College have formed a partnership to meet the need for social workers in the region. Pictured are (back, left) Patsy Boshears, social work faculty; Brenda Moore, social work department head; Brian Brumley, social work faculty and bachelor of social work field coordinator; Hugh Clark, bachelor of social work director; and Carla Asbill, adjunct social work faculty and Communities In Schools director. (Front) Keith McFarland, A&M-Commerce president and Northeast Texas Community College President Charles Florio sign the agreement. (A&M-Commerce photo)