Salem, Ohio – Eastern Gateway Community College and Kent State University at East Liverpool and Salem are jointly offering two academic programs and look to expand that number in the coming year.

Currently, partnership agreements provide programs in criminal justice and horticulture. The agreements bring a bachelor's completion program in criminal justice to Eastern Gateway's Jefferson County Campus and links classes from both institutions in order to provide an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Horticulture from KSU for Jefferson County area residents.

Initial discussions now center on alternative energy career programs.

"We welcome the opportunity to partner with Kent on yet again another program,” Dr. Laura Meeks, president of Eastern Gateway, said. “This avenue helps both institutions to develop or share programs, thus keeping development costs and involved time at reduced levels. More importantly students in Eastern Ohio will benefit from wider access to more affordable programs."

Building partnerships throughout higher education in the state of Ohio is a goal of the University System of Ohio and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut.

The justice studies program has been a staple degree at Kent State East Liverpool for more than 10 years. To help area students gain access to this field, Kent State University professors teach the bachelor’s degree courses at Eastern Gateway’s Jefferson County Campus. Eastern Gateway graduates in the law enforcement programs can transfer credits towards this bachelor’s degree program and complete the advanced degree on the campus where they started their higher education.

Core courses include criminal investigation, correctional institutions in America, criminology, intro to justice studies and the investigative process. Students earning this degree will have access to jobs in the court system and as police officers, correctional officers and investigators, among other professions. This degree also is helpful for those looking to continue their education.

The Kent State University horticulture degree positions students so they can successfully prepare for a management position or establish a business in the green industry. Students gain hands-on experience with on-site instruction, fieldwork and an internship. They will also gain technical skills and develop managerial-level expertise in landscape architecture, urban ecology, sports turf management, various areas in landscape design, plant propagation and nursery operation. On-campus facilities include greenhouses, an arboretum, nurseries, nature trails and plant research demonstration plots.

According to the USDA, nurseries and greenhouses are the fastest-growing segment within agriculture in the country. This is one of the top six horticulture providers in the United States with more than $4 billion in sales.

“The articulation agreements allow us to address the need for and the importance of providing degree completion options to a diverse student population, including time-constrained adults as they pursue their educational goals,” Kent State Dean Jeffery Nolte said. “In this spirit, we offer Kent State University justice studies courses taught by Kent State University professors on the EGCC Jefferson County Campus. Though logistically we’re not able to offer our horticulture classes in Steubenville, we have worked to try to minimize the number of trips students need to take. By working together with our partners in education, we can offer our students more options in growing fields along with the promise of a Kent State University degree.”