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Two of the most influential schools in the Bayou Region are continuing to grow their partnership.
This afternoon, Fletcher Technical Community College Chancellor Dr. Kristine Strickland and Nicholls State University President Dr. Jay Clune signed official documents creating an articulation agreement between Fletcher’s Associate of Applied Science degree in Care and Development of Young Children and Nicholls’ Bachelor of Science degree in Birth to Five/Early Interventionist Education.
“If you had an opportunity in the past week to pay attention to some of the things that have been happening in our Capitol, you may have heard that significant emphasis that is being placed on early childhood education and the importance of early childhood education to our State and to the future of our communities,” Strickland said. “So this program is perfectly timed to align with that new emphasis and the importance of educating our young youth.”
“My introduction to early childhood education came when I got a call that we had real challenges with our childcare center on campus. And my first question was: ‘We have a childhood center on campus?’ Clune laughed. “But we made great strides in that, and this articulation agreement, like every one we have signed with Fletcher, is special.”
At the signing ceremony on Fletcher’s campus, the two education leaders inked two updated agreements. One is between Fletcher’s Integrated Production Technologies Associates of Applied Science and Nicholls’ Petroleum Services Bachelor’s degree. The other was a cross-enrollment agreement for shared courses between the two schools.
Clune and Strickland said there are other joint programs in the works, including in the fields of precision agriculture and maritime (Both are on the Houma Maritime Campus redevelopment task force.).
“Chancellor Strickland and I decided that we were not going to compete. We were going to benefit one another, complement one another, be completely transparent with one another and share anything, and we have,” Clune said.
“People in our region, our community, they want to go to school here. They want a pathway to achieve not only an associate’s degree but a baccalaureate degree and beyond,” Strickland said. “And it is through the strong foundation that has occurred over the years and continues in our partnership with President Clune and his entire staff that we can say to our community that all of the options you need for education are right here in your backyard. That is something for all of us to be very proud of.”
