With both Warren Community College and Warren County Technical School offering programs in law and public safety, it always seemed natural that the two should somehow work in tangent to benefit those students taking many of those courses. Initially the two schools began this process in 2012. Recently they cemented this relationship with an updated articulation agreement.

“The program has been very successful to date,” said Dr. Will Austin, President of WCC, who was joined for a signing ceremony by Dr. Marianne Van Deursen, VP Academics, WCC, Noreen Matias, Supervisor of Curriculum Instruction, Warren County Technical School, and Robert Wheatley, Law & Public Safety, Warren Tech. “It makes perfect sense to continue with this agreement for years to come.”

The program allows for Tech students who complete the Law & Public Safety program at the Tech to transfer and receive credit for four criminal justice program core courses at the College when the student enrolls there after graduating high school. That equates to 12 credits. The law and public safety articulation program, not part of the dual enrollment high school program (which can add even more college credits), can only be utilized by students attending WCC.

“This is helpful for those students on a criminal justice pathway,” said Dr. Van Deursen. “For the College, it is a great way for us to collaborate with the community, especially for the law enforcement and public safety sector “

WCC and Tech have collaborated on other programs as well over the years.

“We are always looking for ways to work together for the benefit of our residents,” said Dr. Austin. “We have mutual goals and in many ways complement each other. And it certainly helps that we are figuratively neighbors located next door to each other (on Route 57). We will continue to see in what other areas we can combine our efforts.”

For more information about WCC’s criminal justice program, visit http://www.warren.edu/criminal-justice/. For general information, as well as degree and non-degree programs at WCC, go to warren.edu. To learn more about this cooperative endeavor contact Dr. Van Deursen at vandeursen@warren.edu.

In the photo: The signing of the Articulation Agreement between WCC and the Technical School with, back, Dr. Marianne Van Deursen, VP Academics, WCC, and Noreen Matias, Supervisor of Curriculum Instruction, Warren Tech, and in front, Dr. Will Austin, President, WCC, and Robert Wheatley, Law & Public Safety, Warren Tech.