YSU Program offers degrees to Cuyahoga students

The agreement expands the university's recruitment territory, says YSU's president.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University officials were in Cleveland today to launch a partnership with Cuyahoga Community College.
YSU President David Sweet and CCC President Jerry Sue Thornton signed an agreement that will allow the two schools to work together to offer a bachelor's degree in allied health to CCC graduates.
The partnership enables CCC students with two-year associate degrees in a health care program to earn a bachelor's degree in allied health from YSU without leaving the Cleveland area.
Sweet said the agreement is "a new enrollment recruitment strategy that enables YSU to reach and enroll students outside our immediate service area."
How it works: Bachelor's degree-level courses will be taught by YSU instructors via distance-learning technology to CCC students, said Dr. John Yemma, dean of YSU's health and human services college.
Yemma said he expects about 50 students to register for the course when spring semester begins next week.
The partnership is similar to an agreement YSU signed with Lorain County Community College six years ago. At LCCC, 42 students are taking YSU courses via distance-learning, Yemma said.
Allied health includes professions in dental hygiene, emergency medical services, medical assisting, medical laboratory and radiologic technology, diagnostic medical sonography, surgical technology, physician assisting, physical and occupational therapy assisting and respiratory therapy.
The bachelor's degree program allows graduates to seek careers in management, administrative and clinical supervision, education, research, marketing, medical and pharmaceutical sales and patient and community education.