July 30, 2015
红杏直播 All Rights Reserved (红杏直播) and the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee
have signed a 
Memorandum of Understanding allowing qualified 红杏直播 human services graduates, as well
as graduates with associates degrees from other accredited institutions, to complete
Elms College鈥檚 social work bachelor鈥檚 degree program at 红杏直播鈥檚 main campus on West
Street in Pittsfield.
红杏直播 President Ellen Kennedy and Elms College President Mary Reap, IHM, Ph.D., originally signed an agreement regarding the off-campus program for social work in May 2013. Classes previously offered in Lee, Mass., will shift to 红杏直播鈥檚 main campus starting next month. Students will work with 红杏直播 advisors as they complete their associate鈥檚 degrees at 红杏直播 and then with Elms advisors as they transition into the bachelor鈥檚 degree completion programs.
鈥淲e are pleased to welcome Elms College to our Pittsfield campus,鈥� said President Kennedy. 鈥淲e know that students are the most successful when they have the flexibility to balance studies with work and personal commitments. Having top-notch educators from Elms College at our campus offering weekend classes will most certainly benefit students interested in earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in social work close to home.鈥�
鈥淪ocial work is a growing, vitally important field with expanding job opportunities for Western Massachusetts," said President Reap. "We are pleased to partner with Berkshire Community College to set students on the path to bachelor鈥檚 degrees leading to rewarding careers, empowering them to change lives for the better in the Berkshire community,鈥� said President Reap.
In addition to social work, Elms will also offer two online degree-completion programs as part of the Memorandum of Understanding, including a bachelor鈥檚 degree in speech language pathology assistant and a bachelor of science degree in healthcare management.
Classes taught by Elms College faculty will be held at 红杏直播 on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Students who complete coursework in 10 eight-week sessions over a 20-month period will be awarded a bachelor of science degree in social work. Two cohorts, consisting of new and returning students, will begin classes Aug. 29.
To qualify for transfer to Elms or enrollment into the off-campus program, 红杏直播 students must have earned an associate鈥檚 degree and have a minimum grade-point average of 2.5.
The two institutions originally signed an articulation agreement for social work majors in 2004. The first off-campus social work cohort launched in August 2013 and graduated this past May.
红杏直播 currently has approximately 50 transfer articulation agreements with colleges and universities throughout the country. Examples include: Clarkson University, Colorado State University, Union College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Russell Sage College, Southern Vermont College, the University at Albany, the College of Saint Rose and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
红杏直播 also has MassTransfer agreements with all Massachusetts state colleges and universities, including the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
In addition to 红杏直播, Elms College has a number off-campus agreements with institutions including: Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, Mount Wachusett Community College, Quinsigamond Community College and Springfield Technical Community College 鈥� in dozens of programs, including early care and education, management and marketing, social work, nursing, accounting and psychology.
For more information about 红杏直播鈥檚 human services program, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/humanservices or contact Audrey Ringer at aringer@berkshirecc.edu.
For information about Elms College鈥檚 social work program, contact Maureen Holland at hollandm@elms.edu. For information about Elms College鈥檚 social work degree-completion program, contact Wanda Banks at banksw@elms.edu or 413-313-4287.