Excelsior Community College to benefit from two MOUs
Published:Tuesday | July 18, 2017 | 12:00 AMPaul Clarke
The Excelsior Community College (ECC) took a major step in advancing the reach of its degree programmes with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ohio, United States-based Hocking College.
The MOU was signed at Tuesday's South East Power Breakfast, a collaborative effort between the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) and the Excelsior and Portmore Community Colleges.
The first set of programmes to be offered for the 2017-2018 academic year at the ECC will include Health Information Management, Network Systems and Cyber Security, and Office Administration.
Philmore McCarthy, president, Excelsior Community College, hailed the agreement as far-reaching, noting that it would give students a wider range of choices.
"We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hocking College that I am certain will benefit our students. On top of that, we believe it is a great move that will further help to develop our students for the future," McCarthy said.
President of Hocking College Betty Young said that the agreement was a vital sign, showing the long-standing relationship her college has with Jamaica, while explaining the decision from her school's board to offer a number of scholarships to Excelsior Community College students.
SEVERAL SCHOLARSHIPS
"Our board of trustees has agreed to offer several scholarships with your students. In Ohio, our students pay half their education and the state the other half. If a student comes to us from out of state or out of country, they have to pay the full fare because the state does not pay a tax, but the board of trustees is extending this scholarship, recognising our Jamaican students as Ohio residents," Young said.
"In other words, if they choose to come to study for a semester or so, they will be treated as Ohio residents. That is what this scholarship brings with it. It will make study affordable for Jamaican students."
Head of the School of Business & Entrepreneurial Studies Gwyneth Jackson said that the MOU would provide students with the opportunity to grasp requisite skills in areas pertinent to their studies.
"The objective of this joint Associate of Science Degree between Excelsior Community College and Hocking College is to provide learners with core management competencies in business administration in the modern business environment," she said.
Jackson said that some of these skills would include extensive computer training in numerous software packages, QuickBooks, records management, human resources, sales, marketing, customer service, administration, and management.
CCJ signs MOU with ACCA
The Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which seeks to aid the development of the profession in Jamaica.
The signing, which took place recently during the CCCJ's 15th Annual Conference, was hailed by Bruce Scott, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Jamaica, as a groundbreaking arrangement.
"I think it's very important because it provides a layer of certainty for the students. So if I were a student at one of these colleges that will benefit from this MOU, I would not be wondering about how many subjects I would be exempted from," stated Scott.
He was the keynote speaker at yesterday's South East Power Breakfast, a collaborative effort between the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) and the Excelsior and Portmore Community Colleges.
Under the MOU, students pursuing an Associate Degree in Business Studies will be provided with the opportunity to register for the ACCA professional qualification, while those wishing to pursue a Bachelor in Business Studies, with an accounting major, can get up to five exemptions and also register with the ACCA at significantly discounted rates.