HAYS, Kan. -- Prospective elementary and early childhood education students at Cloud County Community College will be able to transfer to Fort Hays State University to complete their education and prepare to seek licensure in Kansas after representatives from the two schools signed what is known as a 2-plus-2 agreement today in Concordia.

"Fort Hays State University and Cloud County Community College have forged a partnership that will enable degree-seeking students in the areas of elementary and early childhood education to transfer from the community college to the university in a seamless manner," said Dr. Germaine Taggart, chair of the Department of Teacher Education at FHSU.

For several years, said Taggart, community college representatives have met with FHSU education faculty and staff to discuss programs and procedures that would assist students as they make the transition from community college to a four-year school. The discussions have yielded 2-plus-2 agreements with Kansas' community colleges.

"The elementary education degree and the early childhood unified degree prepare students to seek licensure in Kansas so that they may become teachers," she said.

"A 2-plus-2 agreement lays out exactly what courses a student would need to graduate with a bachelor's degree," said Dennis King, director of FHSU's Virtual College. A community college student working toward an associate degree knows in advance what classes are needed both at the community college and from FHSU to end up with a bachelor's degree. The agreement also lays out points of contact between students and faculty advisors at both FHSU and Cloud County CC.

In this case, the degree programs are elementary education and early childhood unified teaching degrees. Both are offered online, face-to-face or in combination. FHSU enables prospective teachers to take coursework in a manner that suits their busy lives and provides a way for them to engage in field experience in schools that are close to their residences. The use of technology by the students and faculty has opened new avenues for obtaining a teaching degree.

FHSU already has teacher education 2-plus-2 agreements in place with Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Seward County Community College, Colby Community College and Pratt Community College.