NSU 3+1 Childcare Articulation
Agreements
Making Great Progress
Norfolk,
Va.—After partnering with the South Hampton Roads Early
Childhood Coalition (SHRECC) and Tidewater Community
College almost a year ago to increase the accessibility
and affordability of educational opportunities for
childcare providers in South Hampton Roads, NSU has
expanded its program to include Paul D. Camp Community
College and Thomas Nelson Community College. In the
fall, NSU is expected to enroll nearly 90 students under
the provisions of the “3+1” articulation agreements
between the four schools.
Under this agreement, graduates from the community
college’s associate of applied science degree programs
in early childhood development can complete a third year
of study at their respective institutions and transfer
up to 90 credits into NSU’s baccalaureate degree program
in early childhood development-childcare. NSU classes
are taught evenings and weekends at the Virginia Beach
Higher Education Center and online, and are designed to
meet the demands of working students. During the third
year of their community college curriculum, students are
even allowed to take up to 6 credit-hours of NSU classes
at a dual enrollment status.
Being the first and only “3+1” program for childcare in
the Commonwealth, the agreement:
• provides a career path for an advanced level of
professional development in childcare
• provides an affordable and accessible degree
completion path for early childhood education students
by allowing them to complete three years of coursework
at community college tuition rates
• makes it possible for students to transfer coursework
seamlessly into a four-year program
• contributes to improving the quality of childcare
services in South Hampton Roads by building competencies
of childcare providers
“The 3 + 1 articulation agreement is a natural
progression of the 2 + 2 agreement previously
established,” says Arletha McSwain, chair, Department of
Early Childhood Elementary Education, NSU. “What is
heartwarming is that we are validating the needs of
preschoolers and their families by offering an
affordable four-year degree to students who have the
desire to teach this population, but lack the resources.
TCC and NSU have a long history of providing exemplary
competency-based childcare curricula, and I can not
think of a better collaboration. Now adding TNCC and
PDCCC to the partnership, we can very quickly increase
the number of highly trained teachers for young children
and their families. The bottom line is that these
children and their families deserve nothing less than
what we are requiring of our teacher candidates wishing
to teach pre-k through 12th grade.”
Contacts:
