SUNY Delhi and Hudson Valley Community College Enter Bachelor's Degree Transfer Agreement

DELHI, NY (01/09/2013)(readMedia)-- SUNY Delhi and Hudson Valley Community College have announced a reciprocal transfer agreement that will allow graduates of Hudson Valley's Construction Technology and Civil Engineering Technology degree programs to spend a fifth semester at Hudson Valley for continued classroom/laboratory learning and a sixth semester in an internship before moving on to a fourth year at Delhi to complete a bachelor's degree.

This articulation agreement assures that all credits will transfer seamlessly, and is open to current students, as well as alumni, of the construction and engineering programs. Students have the advantage of a junior ranking when beginning at Delhi in their third year.

"This transfer option is beneficial in so many ways for our students. For many, it is convenient to have an extra year in this area. They can maintain important ties for another year and continue working with the faculty and college they've been familiar with. And then there's the cost savings," said Christine LaPlante, department chairperson for Construction, Industrial and Mechanical Technologies at Hudson Valley. "They'll be so well-prepared to move on."

The third-year class work and related labs, established by SUNY Delhi and taught by Hudson Valley faculty, place emphasis on compliance with the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and familiarity with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation. During the sixth semester, students will undertake an 800-hour internship with a construction or engineering business of their choice. Delhi will assist students in finding internships, locally or in other parts of the state or country. Hudson Valley's associate degrees in these programs do not currently require internships.

"Previous students who have taken the path from Hudson Valley to Delhi have experienced great success in school and in the job market upon graduation. We expect continued academic excellence from Hudson Valley students, and we're making transfer more accessible with this particular agreement," commented Eric P. Robert, dean and associate professor of Applied Sciences and Building Technologies at SUNY Delhi.

Begun in 1933, SUNY Delhi's Construction Technology degree program is the oldest post-secondary construction program of its kind in the country, admitting nearly 35 students per year, according to Robert. The school began offering the Construction Management Bachelor of Technology program as a concentration in 2006, and has had a 100 percent job placement rate each year, he said, adding that approximately 85 percent of Delhi graduates accept full-time positions with the companies they intern for.

Hudson Valley's 68 credit-hour Construction Technology program was the first in the country to receive accreditation by the American Council for Construction Education. Building construction electives are included in the 69-credit-hour Civil Engineering Technology program. Enrollment in both programs is capped, with each at the maximum of 50 students annually.

Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 70 degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of more than 13,500 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. Hudson Valley has more than 70,000 alumni.

SUNY Delhi is a member of the State University of New York, the largest comprehensive university system in the U.S. Delhi's seamless approach to education includes over 60 academic programs, leading to one-year certificates, two-year associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees in select program areas at Delhi. For more information about SUNY Delhi, call toll-free 1-800-96-DELHI or visit Delhi's web site at www.delhi.edu.

For more information about this agreement, contact Sharon Collis at (518) 629-7355 or s.collis@hvcc.edu