EUGENE, Ore.—Lane Community College and Pacific University are poised to launch a unique partnership that will offer students in the southern Willamette Valley expanded access to higher education and career preparation.
The partnership opens the way for Pacific’s Eugene Campus to move to the Center for Meeting and Learning on LCC’s main campus. The move will take place in July 2020.
By sharing resources, the two institutions will be able to provide students a more comprehensive campus experience, as well as direct pathways from community college to bachelor’s, and even master’s, degrees and career licensure.
LCC President Margaret Hamilton and Pacific University President Lesley Hallick signed a memorandum of understanding today in a brief ceremony.
“Pacific University and Lane Community College have very similar missions and a shared focus on promoting student success in a diverse, sustainable, and supportive environment,” Hallick said. “This partnership will mean that more people in the Lane County area will be able to access Pacific’s personal, nurturing learning environment and find pathways to success and meaningful careers.”
“Hosting Pacific University on LCC’s main campus will bring a baccalaureate education to our students and make it easier for them to pursue advanced education and training,” said LCC President Hamilton. “Having a university presence on our campus strengthens our mutual goal of making higher education more accessible for all students, while making the education continuum more transparent.”
Through the collaboration, Lane students will have a seamless pathway to move from associate degree programs into bachelor’s programs like Pacific’s undergraduate-level elementary teacher licensure and ESOL endorsement program.
Meanwhile, Pacific students will enjoy access to LCC campus services like dining and fitness facilities, the library, athletics events, and more.
The announcement of the partnership is particularly timely for Pacific, which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Eugene Campus, where it offers undergraduate- and graduate-level teacher preparation programs, as well as a master of social work program. Over the past quarter-century, about 2,000 people have earned degrees at Pacific’s Eugene Campus, many of whom continue to serve in local schools and community organizations.
Pacific hosts its annual Student Teacher Alumni Reception (STAR) for its College of Education alumni, current students, and community partners at its downtown campus at 6 p.m. tonight. The event will be a celebration of the past 25 years, as well as a launch of the future of programming in Eugene. Following the event, the university joins Wildcraft Cider Works in a joint celebration of teaching featuring music by The Sugar Beets. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m.
Pacific University is a not-for-profit comprehensive university with four campuses in Oregon, including Forest Grove, Eugene, Hillsboro, and Woodburn. It serves more than 3,900 students with undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, health professions, and optometry. Pacific students gain an extraordinary educational experience through a personal and nurturing environment centered on discovery, research, and civic engagement.
Lane Community College provides comprehensive, accessible, quality, learning-centered educational opportunities including transfer courses and more than 40 career and technical programs to 25,000 students a year. Classes are offered at six locations across Lane County in a 5,000-square-mile area stretching from the Pacific to the Cascades, plus hundreds of online courses. Lane is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
For more information about Lane Community College:
Lane is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabilities Employer
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Lane Community College educates over 25,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $850 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 13,000 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.