BCC and University at Albany Sign Articulation Agreement

ALBANY, N.Y. (October 15, 2014) -- Berkshire Community College (BCC) and the University at Albany have entered into an academic agreement allowing qualified BCC atmospheric science graduates to transfer to UAlbany’s atmospheric science bachelor’s degree program.

BCC President Ellen Kennedy and R. Timothy Mulcahy, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University at Albany, signed a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions, which will become effective immediately.

The agreement features a transfer course equivalency table that represents the required and elective courses that align with those completed by degree-seeking students at UAlbany. BCC students who complete the program as outlined in the agreement will be awarded full transfer credit and afforded the opportunity to complete the bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Science in four additional semesters of study at UAlbany.

To qualify for transfer to UAlbany, BCC students must have earned their associate’s degree and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

President Kennedy said, “The fields of meteorology and climate science are rapidly evolving and there are many career avenues for our students. This articulation agreement will give BCC students the opportunity to seamlessly transition to the University at Albany’s bachelor’s program, which is well-known and well respected throughout the nation.”

“The University at Albany has had a long-standing and close relationship with Berkshire Community College,” said R. Timothy Mulcahy, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at UAlbany. “As the reality of climate change makes its way across the globe, the need for trained atmospheric and environmental scientists is greater than ever, and we are happy to extend our partnership by offering students the opportunity to earn valuable and vital degrees in the atmospheric sciences at BCC and the University at Albany. This is precisely the type of collaborative academic partnership that represents the academy at its very best.”

R. Timothy Mulcahy, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at UAlbany, and BCC President Ellen Kennedy sign a memorandum of understanding to establish an cooperative atmospheric sciences program.

BCC launched its new Atmospheric Science concentration in the Liberal Arts degree program this fall. The concentration provides a strong foundation in the sciences, particularly the fundamental calculus, physics and chemistry courses necessary to transfer into baccalaureate programs in the physical sciences.

With its internationally acclaimed Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, UAlbany has the largest concentration of weather and climate researchers in New York, and one of the largest in the nation. Their work focuses on a range of critical issues around the globe and is advancing research in the areas of shrinking glaciers, West African monsoons, hurricanes and forecasting models.

The two institutions currently have transfer articulation agreements for the following: Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Human Services and Liberal Arts.

BCC currently has transfer articulation agreements with 44 universities and colleges throughout the country. Examples include: Clarkson University, Colorado State University, Union College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Russell Sage College, Southern Vermont College, Trinity College of Vermont and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

BCC also has MassTransfer agreements with all Massachusetts state colleges and universities including the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

For more information about BCC’s atmospheric science program, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/atmosphericscience or contact Dr. Joseph Kravitz, program advisor. For BCC’s Weather Station which features data as well as forecasts by Kravitz and his students, visit www.rainwise.net/weather/bcc. For details about UAlbany’s atmospheric science bachelor’s degree program, visit https://www.albany.edu/atmos/index.php or contact Dr. Vincent Idone, associate chair and undergraduate programs director.

About Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College (BCC) is a public, fully accredited, community college offering associate degree and certificate programs, as well as various other educational opportunities, primarily to the residents of Berkshire County and surrounding areas. Visit BCC online at www.berkshirecc.edu.

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