Saint Rose, SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College, Partner to Address New York State Teacher Shortage

Johnstown, New York – The College of Saint Rose has signed an articulation agreement with SUNY Fulton- Montgomery County College (SUNY FMCC) to combat the teacher shortage in New York State while recruiting and retaining high-quality educators in rural areas. The agreement, known as the Build the Teacher Pipeline Pathway, will allow students to seamlessly transfer into the education program at Saint Rose to complete their bachelor’s degree. Under the new agreement, students complete 60 credit hours during a two-year tenure at SUNY FMCC and earn an associate degree. Those credits then transfer to Saint Rose, where students complete the remaining credits to earn a bachelor’s degree.

SUNY FMCC President Greg Truckenmiller, Ph.D., and Saint Rose President Marcia White announced the partnership alongside government officials, school leaders, and faculty in a news conference on June 16. 

“Our shortage of qualified teachers is growing, and the Teacher Pipeline Pathway will focus on building our region’s teachers in the 17 rural school districts we service. This initiative will combine public and private collaboration to meet the needs of our local community and ensure we have enough educators to meet the demand in various specializations and grade levels, ensuring our residents are educated locally and then teach locally,” Truckenmiller says.

The articulation agreement sets up a clear pathway from SUNY FMCC’s two-year degree to Saint Rose’s four-year degree. It ensures that all equivalent courses carry over from SUNY FMCC to Saint Rose and satisfy the respective requirements. The articulation agreement also formally recognizes that SUNY FMCC will adequately prepare graduates for the education program at Saint Rose.

“The College of Saint Rose awards more degrees and certificates in education than any other college or university in New York State, making Saint Rose and SUNY FMCC natural partners in this articulation agreement,” says White. “With decades of experience in preparing top-notch educators and an innovative approach to fill the need for teachers in a growing industry, Saint Rose looks forward to building upon the foundation in education that SUNY FMCC has established for its students.”

The four-prong initiative includes: 

• Dual 2+2 enrollment. Students will be enrolled at both institutions simultaneously and receive additional scholarships for participating.
• Saint Rose Admissions and Advisement Office. Located on the SUNY FMCC campus, this office will ensure both SUNY FMCC and Saint Rose admissions counselors can provide in-person assistance to students in the education program. 
• Saint Rose Education Classroom and Lab. Saint Rose faculty will lead bachelor-level courses on the SUNY FMCC campus and lessen the time a student would need to spend at Saint Rose. Hybrid and online course offerings will also be available.  
• Local school district support. All 17 Fulton-Montgomery County districts will accept Teacher Pipeline Pathway students as student teachers, ensuring local placement. 

Saint Rose launched the larger Build the Teacher Pipeline Initiative in October 2022 to address the statewide and national teacher shortage. State officials forecast that the number of unfilled teaching positions in New York State will grow to approximately 180,000 by 2032. The College’s Build the Teacher Pipeline Initiative has already made an impact, with a 19% increase in students enrolling in the education program for fall 2023. 

Students interested in participating in the Build the Teacher Pipeline Pathway should contact the admissions office at either institution for more information or visit  https://www.strose.edu/teach.

 

About The College of Saint Rose: Founded in 1920, The College of Saint Rose is a private independent college in the state capital of Albany, New York. The College is home to nearly 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students across many programs, as well as 28,000 alumni from the School of Education. It is a top granter of degrees and certificates in education in the state, has one of the leading forensic psychology programs in the country, and offers the only Cold Case Analysis Center in New York, where students in the fields of criminal justice, forensic psychology, and forensic science work alongside law enforcement on real cold cases. Students experience a Theory in Action approach to learning in their undergraduate and graduate studies, and the College still lives its founding mission of serving the dear neighbor and meeting the needs of the times.

About SUNY Fulton-Montgomery County College:  SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College is located at the crossroads of the Mohawk Valley and Capital regions in Johnstown, NY.  FM is dedicated to providing students with a quality education in an environment that nurtures success. With over 35 degree and certificate programs, we offer small classes, individualized attention and many diverse programs.  Our campus is multifaceted, from our accredited health degrees, to our strong Technology programs.  Our Individual Studies programs produce a continual workforce pipeline to our various industries and businesses within our region.