Local colleges unite for students seeking Bachelor’s

Beginning this fall, a new partnership between SUNY Jamestown Community College and SUNY Fredonia will make attaining a bachelor’s degree more accessible to the Southern Tier.

The colleges are working together to allow graduates of JCC to complete bachelor’s degree programs offered at SUNY Fredonia through classes held entirely on the JCC Jamestown campus. The initial rollout of “JCC + FRED: Bachelor’s Opportunities Locally Delivered [BOLD]” will include Childhood Inclusive Education, Early Childhood/Childhood Education, and Business Administration. The goal is to bring greater ease to the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree for those who have already attained an associate's degree in these areas. The classes will be available in late afternoon and evening to accommodate working adults and traditional students.

“Business Administration and Education are both high-demand career areas,” said Daniel DeMarte, president of JCC. “Bringing these bachelor’s degree opportunities to JCC will make them more accessible to students who find it difficult to attend classes on the Fredonia campus.”

SUNY Fredonia faculty will teach courses on the Jamestown campus with a live feed simultaneously available for JCC’s Cattaraugus County campus, extending the reach of JCC + FRED: BOLD to serve students in Olean and surrounding areas.

"This collaboration with JCC is the latest example of how SUNY Fredonia is fulfilling its mission to serve the citizens of this region," said Fredonia President Stephen H. Kolison Jr. "JCC + FRED: BOLD will make the dream of an affordable four-year degree for place-bound residents of the Jamestown area come true. I am very excited by this and the work that President DeMarte and I are doing together to serve this region."

Recent college and soon-to-be high school graduates, as well as adults with associate’s degrees who seek retraining or are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree are also eligible for JCC + FRED: BOLD. Former JCC students who have some college credit but did not complete a degree program will be able to continue their education and ultimately receive degrees from both institutions. The business program can serve both full and part-time students, while the education programs are primarily geared to full-time learners.

More information about JCC + FRED: BOLD is available at sunyjcc.edu/bold or www.fredonia.edu/bold