🎥 NCK Tech signs agreement with FHSU to create clear paths to bachelor’s degrees

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Fort Hays State University and NCK Tech signed an agreement Tuesday to create clear paths from degrees and certificates at NCK Tech to bachelor’s degrees at FHSU.

The agreement aligns curriculum of six NCK Tech programs with six FHSU bachelor’s programs. These include:

• Associate in Applied Science in General Business to Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership

Tisa Mason, Fort Hays State University president, and Eric Burks, NCK Tech president, aligning six programs at NCK Tech to align bachelor degrees at FHSU.

• Associate in Applied Science (career and technical education concentration) to Bachelor of Science in Technology Leadership

• Associate in Applied Science (business and industry concentration) to Bachelor of Science in Technology Leadership

• Associate in Applied Science (nursing) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN)

• Culinary Arts Certificate to Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management

• Certificate in Carpentry/Cabinetmaking to Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies

Transfer guides are available through NCK Tech.

Tisa Mason, FHSU president, said the memorandum of understanding will save students time and money by laying out clearly and efficiently, which courses students need, so they can avoid enrolling in unnecessary classes.

“Indeed FHSU and NCK have had a long-standing successful partnership based on our shared focus on student success,” Mason said. “The partnership has been passed down over the years from president to president — a legacy of mutual benefit for which both President Burks and I are honored to both continue and enhance.”

NCK Tech and FHSU staff as well as NCK Tech students wait for the signing of an agreement between the two institutions on transferring into bachelor’s programs.

FHSU has a vested interest in increasing opportunities for NCK students, Mason said. She said the agreement also serves workforce needs.

“At FHSU, we prove that every day through resource allocation and programs and services designed for transfer students,” Mason said.

Some of these programs include transfer designated scholarships, transfer student orientation programs and an honor society dedicated specifically for transfer students.

“This partnership did not start today — nor does it end today,” Mason said. “In fact, we already have many NCK students taking classes on our campus, attending FHSU events and even residing in our residence halls. I look forward to returning to the NCK campus many more times in the future to celebrate additional new and revised partnerships for our students.”

Eric Burks, NCK Tech president, said the agreement made Tuesday was a continuation of years of collaboration.

“We have had a long-standings relationship and a lot of great things we are already doing together to provide great opportunities for students, and today is just another step in the right direction in that partnership,” he said.

Burks said the agreement gives students options beyond a linear path to a degree.

“So many times now we know students start and stop. There are many exit and entry points through their educational process,” Burks said.

He said this is a great opportunity for both current students and returning students—students who maybe have graduated from NCK Tech in the past who might want to look at furthering their education because they want to move up the ladder.

Scott Smathers, vice president of workforce development for the Kansas Board of Regents, also attended the signing ceremony. He said by 2020 an estimated 70 percent of jobs will require a certification or some type or a degree. He said this programs sets students up for success in their careers. He congratulated the two institutions on their accomplishment.