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Board of Trustees Bachelor of Arts Degree

WIU BOT/BA Participated in Parkland Program

In support of the recent partnership between Western Illinois University and Parkland College (Champaign, IL), Parkland College hosted a program on Jan. 20 at the Parkland College Center to provide information on Western's Board of Trustees Bachelor of Arts (BOT/BA) Degree program.

Parkland College and Western signed an agreement in September 2008 that allows Parkland students maximum transferability from all associate degrees to WIU's online BOT/BA degree program. According to Richard Carter, director of nontraditional programs at WIU, students can transfer up to 80 semester hours of credit from Parkland to the BOT/BA degree program and can complete BOT/BA degree requirements through online and independent study courses. The partnership provides placebound Parkland students an opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree from a quality public institution, Carter added.

A BOT/BA academic adviser was available at the session to answer questions regarding the degree program and how the program benefits individuals interested in pursuing their educational goals. Parkland College students enrolled in the BOT/BA program will have access to Parkland resources, including computer labs, so they can complete assignments and connect to their online courses.
 
"The BOT/BA program is individualized and flexible. Our partnership with Parkland allows students to finish their associate degree at their community college and have a seamless transfer to Western to obtain their bachelor's degree while remaining in the Champaign area," Carter said. "Parkland College students will also have the benefits of Western’s innovative Cost Guarantee program, which means that a student who earns his or her associate degree in Spring 2009 and transfers to Western for the Fall 2009 semester will lock in Western's 2008-2009 tuition and fees rate."

The Board of Trustees program (originally called Board of Governors program) was created in 1972 to serve adult students who are unable to attend a traditional college program due to family, work or community obligations. Rather than requiring a specific major, the program allows the student to design her or his program to meet individual educational goals. Students may also be eligible for academic credit for college-level learning that was done in a non-collegiate setting, such as the military or on-the-job training.

For more information about BOT/BA degree program, contact Billie Mitchell at Parkland at (217) 353-2666 or Larry Tingley, BOT/BA academic adviser at Western at (309) 298-1929 or visit www.wiu.edu/BOTdegree.

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