Saint Martin’s University partners with Tacoma Community College to offer civil engineering degree in Tacoma

June 20, 2007

Lacey, WA – Saint Martin’s University has signed an innovative partnership with Tacoma Community College (TCC) to bring a Saint Martin’s degree in Civil Engineering to Tacoma. Through the new partnership, TCC will offer the first two years of the program and Saint Martin’s will offer the last two. This new, “two + two” program allows TCC students to earn a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Saint Martin’s by attending all of their classes on the TCC campus. The two college presidents signed the official agreement in a ceremony held May 31.

This program will begin in fall 2007. Students will benefit from its flexibility and its student-focused nature. According to Saint Martin’s President, Douglas M. Astolfi, Ph.D., “Saint Martin’s University now has five extension campus partnerships in Washington State. We are proud to offer our second community college engineering program through TCC. By partnering with TCC, we can jointly meet a community need and provide opportunities for engineering students in the Tacoma area.”

Saint Martin’s offers a similar program in mechanical engineering at Olympic College in Bremerton, a criminal justice degree program through Centralia College and six undergraduate and four graduate degrees, as well as elementary and secondary Teacher Certification, at its Fort Lewis and McChord campuses.

TCC President, Pamela Transue believes the partnership brings fresh opportunities to her students. “Now Tacoma area students have a great option to complete a civil engineering bachelor’s degree, while still working and supporting their families,” she says. This program gives local students another avenue to pursue their dreams,” Transue said.

Associate of science in engineering degrees are currently offered at TCC. Students can specialize in civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical and several others fields, according to Rebecca Sliger, TCC engineering instructor. The partnership with Saint Martin’s allows Tacoma-area students to receive bachelor’s degrees from Saint Martin’s by taking courses at TCC during the afternoon, evenings and weekends.

Under the agreement, Saint Martin’s instructors will provide the second two year’s engineering courses on TCC’s main campus. “A Saint Martin’s associate will be housed at TCC to facilitate the students’ transitions from one institution to the other,” said Cruz Arroyo, Saint Martin’s Director of Extension Campuses.

Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. A Catholic, Benedictine University, Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey, Washington main campus, and 650 more to its five extension campuses.

For additional information:

Anne Kirske
Interim communication director
Saint Martin’s University
360.486.8857
akirske@stmartin.edu