St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson and Officer Tiffany Thompson speak with Mary Clifford, of the Criminal Justice Department and Lindsey Vigessa, far left, and graduate assistant Laura Miller.
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St. Cloud State University is teaming with Alexandria Technical & Community College (ATCC) to make transferring to the criminal justice bachelor’s program easier and more cost effective.
The new 2+2 agreement will help ATCC criminal justice students transferring to St. Cloud State for their bachelor’s degree save time and money between admissions and graduation.
“This agreement will open doors for students and removes many past obstacles, which too often plague transfer students in general,” said Mary Clifford, professor and chairperson of the criminal justice department.
ATCC students can earn their associate of science in law enforcement or their associate of applied science in law enforcement in Alexandria, then transfer those 60 earned credits to St. Cloud State toward their bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
The agreement has the potential to increase retention and completion rates for students seeking both associate and baccalaureate degrees.
Minnesota has one of the highest standards for education and training for law enforcement office in the United States To attain the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) licensure, students are required to achieve a two year degree, at minimum, as well as successfully complete the skills training and the POST exam.
“These new agreements represent a significant shift toward a true 2+2 process, and one which makes St. Cloud State a much more attractive option to these students,” said Mitch Weinzetl, director of the Public Safety Executive Leadership Program.
