Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Cora Zaletel - USC
August 6, 2002	(719) 549-2810
	Gary Faranchi - PCC
	(719) 549-3053

PCC & USC ANNOUNCE FIRST OF A SERIES OF TRANSFER AGREEMENTS  Pueblo, Colo. - The higher education journey for those who seek a career devoted to helping others has been made easier thanks to an agreement announced today by the University of Southern Colorado (USC) and Pueblo Community College (PCC).  The presidents of USC and PCC along with faculty, students and administrators from the two schools gathered today (Tuesday) at the local Soup Kitchen, 422 Greenwood, to celebrate the signing of a transfer agreement that allows students to earn both an Associate of Arts degree at PCC with a Social Work emphasis and a bachelor's degree in Social Work from USC. Similar agreements will be developed in a variety of academic programs over the next year, according to PCC President Mike Davis.  "We've been working with the university for some time to make it easier for students to pursue bachelor's degrees after they have completed their associate degrees at PCC," said Davis. "This is another example of how the two institutions are collaborating to help students get the great education they need to start successful careers, and there will be more of these collaborations in the future."  Students earning a PCC associate's degree will be granted junior standing at USC if all of their PCC courses are completed with a grade of "C" or better. As part of the ongoing collaboration between USC and CSU - Fort Collins, students then may move seamlessly from undergraduate to graduate work toward a master's degree in Social Work. As an added incentive to students, those who complete their PCC studies with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better will be eligible for a $500 per-semester, renewable scholarship at USC through the Destination USC Program.  "This agreement is a perfect example of what can happen when educational administrators place students first in the development and evaluation of academic programs and policies," said Dr. Ronald Applbaum, USC president. "The seamless passage to undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work made possible through the cooperation of the three institutions was crafted with students in mind to help them attain their academic potential and to more easily reach their personal and professional goals."  A bachelor's degree is considered the minimum requirement for many positions in the field. PCC's associate degree requires 34 credits of general education courses and another 27 elective credits in the Social Work emphasis. The bachelor's degree at USC requires 120 semester hours, with at least 60 of those taken at the university.  To learn more about programs in social work and psychology, USC and PCC are sponsoring a free information session about job opportunities and career options in the social work field beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday (August 8) in the Fortino Ballroom on the PCC campus. The Fortino Ballroom is in the College Center, which is located at the corner of Orman Avenue and Harrison Street.  For more information about the social work agreement, contact Lana Carter at PCC, 549-3390, or Felix Gonzales at USC, 549-2336.