Oakland University signs articulation agreement with Macomb Community College

Signing the articulation agreement between Oakland University and Macomb Community College are Leslie A. Kellogg, provost and vice president of the learning unit at MCC and Britt Rios-Ellis, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at OU. The agreement will make it easier for MCC students who have completed their associate’s degree in general studies to transfer to OU and pursue a bachelor’s degree from the School of Education and Human Services. Photo courtesy of OU

By GINA JOSEPH

Oakland University (OU) and Macomb Community College (MCC) are working together to address Michigan’s teacher shortage.

This past week faculty members gathered to sign a new transfer articulation agreement that will make it easier for students to transfer to OU in order to earn a bachelor of science degree in elementary education.

“The event was evidence of a strong, collaborative relationship with Macomb Community College,” Darlene Groomes, associate dean in the school of education and human services at OU said, in a statement following the event. “Oakland University’s School of Education and Human Services is pleased to continue supporting students on their pathway to becoming a teacher.”

Groomes said teachers are necessary for promoting our future society.

And right now there’s not enough of them.

According to the Michigan Education Association, it is estimated that up to 10,000 teachers are leaving their jobs in Michigan each year and only 5,000 are entering the field in their place.

As a result, generating an interest in teaching has become a focus for school districts, educator preparation programs, state legislators, and the Department of Education.

The agreement between OU and MCC ensures the efficient and seamless transfer of MCC students, who have completed an associate of general studies degree, to OU. It provides course equivalencies for all students at MCC who intend to pursue a degree from the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland, and establishes academic and administrative coordination between the two institutions.

“This agreement helps students see — right from the start — the wraparound services our education faculty and staff offer,” said Danielle Ligocki, associate professor and chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning at OU. “We take great care in getting to know our students as humans and working to support them in order to meet their needs.”

Shown signing the articulation agreement are Marie Pritchett, left, dean of arts and sciences at MCC, Leslie A. Kellogg, provost and vice president of the learning unit at MCC, Britt Rios-Ellis, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at OU, and Darlene Groomes, associate dean in the School of Education and Human Services at OU. Photo courtesy of OU

The agreement is effective through April 30, 2026, and for possible continuation after a review in three years.

Britt Rios-Ellis said this is a great opportunity for students wanting to finish their baccalaureate in elementary education.

“I still remember my first and second grade teachers; they were such an important part of my life,” said the executive vice-president of academic affairs and provost at OU. “I lived right across the street from the school and I absolutely loved going to school every day. I want our upcoming teachers to know that the amount of work they’re doing every day is having such an impact on the leaders of future generations.”

Groomes concurred.

“All students who will transfer smoothly from Macomb Community College into the OU’s Elementary Education program have bright futures,” she said. “We are proud of this relationship.”

The articulation agreement is one of many partnerships between OU and MCC. In addition to the Transfer Admission Guarantee, OU also offers scholarships for community college transfer students.

For more information visit oakland.edu/ or macomb.edu/.