Penn Highlands, Mount Aloysius agree to program-sharing deal

BY KELLY URBAN
The Tribune-Democrat

May 16, 2008 11:32 pm

— It’s being called a win-win situation.
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and Mount Aloysius College announced Friday they are entering into an agreement that will advance the relationship between the two institutions.
Under the deal, Penn Highlands students who complete an associate’s degree in business management with a minimum of 60 credits and a minimum grade point average of 2.0 automatically will be accepted to Mount Aloysius with junior standing.
Students will have the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s in business administration from Mount Aloysius through an accelerated program.
Classes will be held at the Penn Highlands’ Richland campus during the evening hours in order to be more convenient for employed students.
“We are really pleased to celebrate the partnership of Penn Highlands and Mount Aloysius, and our hope is to continue with our strong ties,” said Mount Aloysius President Sister Mary Ann Dillon.
“We think this will be a smooth transition.”
Walter Asonevich, president of Penn Highlands, said the agreement works particularly well for adult learners who don’t have the opportunity or means to travel to Mount Aloysius in Cresson.
“There is a debate for community colleges to move to a four-year degree program. So through this agreement, we are able to offer a four-year education and for our students to continue on this campus,” he said.
Dillon said she and Asonevich will continue to discuss adding more academic programs to the agreement as the need arises.
“This will be a real service to the students,” she said.