Arapahoe Community College, CCCS Institutions Authorized to Offer BAS Degrees
Denver, CO (PRWEB) June 24, 2014 -- Governor John Hickenlooper signed legislation – Senate Bill 14-004 – on Feb. 27, 2014, authorizing the Colorado’s community colleges to offer four-year bachelor of applied science (BAS) degrees in a wide array of career and technical fields.
Senate Bill 14-004, which was initiated by the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) and sponsored by Senator Nancy Todd, Representative Jim Wilson and Representative Jenise May, was approved by the State Senate and the State House of Representatives, and supported by both the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
“The approval of Senate Bill 14-004 allows us to fulfill workforce needs in a variety of specialized fields,” said Diane Hegeman, Ph.D., Vice President of Instruction at Arapahoe Community College. “Many students will now be able to stay in their local communities to complete their degrees.”
This legislation was initiated by the CCCS to address the gap in Colorado higher education whereby students pursuing career and technical studies may not otherwise have access to a four-year degree in their field. Even more, affordable tuition rates at community colleges pave the way for students to realize a higher education opportunity without incurring significant debt. The business community benefits from Senate Bill 14-004, as well, via the increased quantity of well-qualified/educated job applicants.
“We will continue exploring workforce needs in our region in conjunction with ACC’s current program strengths in order to best determine how ACC moves forward with its BAS offerings,” stated Matt McKeever, Dean of Community and Workforce Partnerships at ACC.
About Arapahoe Community College
Founded in 1965, Arapahoe Community College was the first community college to open in the Denver area. What began as Arapahoe Junior College with 550 students has grown into a vibrant community college serving over 22,000 credit, non-credit and online students. ACC offers nearly 100 degree and certificate programs and over 200 online classes. Our mission is to provide innovative and responsive educational and economic opportunities in an accessible, inclusive environment that promotes success for students, employees and the community.
Jessica Horning, Arapahoe Community College, http://www.arapahoe.edu/, +1 303.797.4222, [email protected]
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