The new partnership is for a faith-based academic pathway that will help high school students maximize their time in high school and earn college credits before high school graduation.
Bethel University has partnered with five other Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) institutions and the Indiana Department of Education to create a Professional Pathway credential, providing high school students with even more opportunities to earn college credits while still in high school. Bethel University has joined Anderson University, Grace College, Huntington University, Indiana Wesleyan University, and Taylor University for the faith-based academic pathway that will help high schoolers earn up to 30 transferable college credits before high school graduation.
According to an article on Bethel University’s website, Abson Joseph, Ph.D., who serves as the university’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, was quoted as saying of the new partnership, “This partnership is an exciting opportunity for Indiana students. Bethel is already transfer-friendly and our REACH program allows high school students to earn college credit while working toward their diploma; however, the Professional Pathway Credential will expand these efforts even further.”
High schools throughout Indiana can partner with any of the six CCCU institutions to give their students the opportunity to earn these college credits, and as part of the partnership, those credits can be transferred to any of the other CCCU institutions in the agreement. The partnership was created with the state’s faith-based high schools in mind.
The Professional Pathway credential gives students the opportunity to complete “blocks” of college credits that are then transferable to any of the six participating institutions. These blocks are made up of general education courses, like communication or civics, that will benefit students no matter their career trajectory; students can also choose to take a block of courses that feature more industry- or skill-specific courses to help them begin their career training. If students complete less than the 30-credit block, the institutions will still allow students to transfer whatever portion of credits they completed for individual courses.
Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner noted that the partnership has been designed to benefit students. She said, “As we seek to maximize the four years of high school, this is yet another option for students to earn guaranteed currency before ever leaving high school and get a jumpstart on their future.”
For more information about Bethel University, visit the school’s website.