PAUL SMITHS, NY (07/23/2014)(readMedia)-- Paul Smith's College is partnering with Newcomb Central School this fall on a new advanced studies program.
Under the agreement, Newcomb students who pay tuition for the program can earn up to 45 college credits for certain high-school classes. During the upcoming school year, Newcomb will offer up to 10 advanced studies courses, including finite math, English composition 1, financial accounting, business law and physics.
"This is a huge opportunity for our students," said Skip Hults, superintendent of Newcomb Central School. "Programs such as this give students confidence and increase their chances of going on to grad school later. It's also a much less expensive path to a baccalaureate degree."
Hults has nearly doubled Newcomb's enrollment in recent years by recruiting international students to the school district, effectively turning around its declining enrollment and saving the school from consolidation. Hults said the partnership with Paul Smith's College will help out even further.
"This will allow us to reach out to the brightest of the bright," Hults said. "We're sweetening the deal for many international students, who could potentially transfer to Paul Smith's and continue their education more easily, and more cheaply. This will open the door for a longer stay."
John W. Mills, president of Paul Smith's College, agreed.
"We're so excited this is in the works," he said. "As the college of the Adirondacks, we have long been committed to helping park communities meet challenges. Newcomb has already done an excellent job overcoming their declining enrollment. Now they've asked us to partner to help them reach a new level of excellence in their program offerings, and we couldn't be happier."
And the partnership might not end there.
"We want to eventually offer an associate degree in integrative studies at Newcomb," said Amy Tuthill, director of Transfer Services at Paul Smith's College. "But that would require a branch campus at Newcomb, which is the ultimate goal."
ABOUT PAUL SMITH'S COLLEGE
At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. Paul Smith's, which was founded in 1946, is the only bachelor's degree-granting institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs – in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences – draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information: www.paulsmiths.edu.