A. Each year a maximum of 35 students will be admitted. Students begin their IUP coursework in the fall semester.

A. After a student is admitted into the program and starts taking the IUP courses, it will take a minimum of three years (six semesters).

A. There are a total of 120 credits. IUP delivers 54 credits. There are 66 specific credits required from CCAC.

A. You may take CCAC courses offered in the summer; no IUP courses will be offered in the summer.

A. If accepted into the program, you will continue with CCAC for financial aid the first year of your collaborative program. Thereafter, if you continue on track, you will be considered a full-time IUP student and may claim IUP as the primary institution.

A. You will register for both CCAC and IUP courses through CCAC. Only students accepted into the program are allowed to register for IUP courses. You will register yourself at IUP, as well.

A. Although your CCAC schedule will show your IUP courses, they are not part of the CCAC bill. You will always receive a separate bill from the IUP campus for your IUP courses.

A. Faculty members from IUP teach the IUP courses in the collaborative program.

A. Yes. During the first semester in the collaborative program, students will receive the IUP identification I-Card.

A. Your diploma will reflect your degree, a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

A. Yes. The program ensures that students will meet the requirements for their Associate Degree in Teacher Education, coded CCAC/IUP.

A. No. This is not a teacher certification program.

A. No. The program is designed for a B.S. in Elementary Education only.

A. IUP has a coordinator for the program who is located at the Allegheny Campus of CCAC. That person is the advisor to all students admitted to the program and is happy to talk with prospective students. For CCAC classes, continue to seek the advice of your CCAC counselors, but make sure the CCAC courses are those required for the collaborative program.

A. No. Courses in this program are limited only to CCAC students who are admitted to this program.

A. You will graduate with your Associate Degree in Teacher Education in the CCAC ceremony in Pittsburgh. You will graduate with your Bachelor of Science degree from IUP in the ceremony in Indiana.

A. Yes. When you are in the collaborative program, you are eligible for IUP honors and honor societies, including Kappa Delta Phi and Phi Kappa Phi.

A. You should apply during your freshman year at CCAC. Applications will be accepted until 35 students are selected.

A. Please stop by your CCAC campus admissions or advising centers to pick up an application packet.

A. You must have completed at least 29 applicable credit hours at CCAC before beginning your sophomore year in the program. (Developmental level courses do not count toward the 29 credits.) You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. You must be a U.S. citizen or possess a resident green card. You must submit a one-page statement outlining your goals in education and the teaching profession and include the most recent transcript available from CCAC and other colleges you have attended, and a confidential reference completed by a CCAC faculty member.

A. Your typed goals statement should reflect your desire to become a teacher. Your experience with teaching children, goals in education, and strengths in teaching may be included. You should indicate your experience and/or goals foreducation in urban, suburban, and/or rural schools.

A. A minimum of 3.0 is required. Continue taking CCAC courses to get your GPA up to the minimum (or above) before applying.

A. No. Developmental courses (those numbered lower than 100) do not count toward the 29 CCAC credits required before beginning the sophomore year in the program.

A. Yes. However, your acceptance will be contingent upon completion of 29 credits with a 3.0 GPA.

A. Yes. You will need to provide a CCAC faculty member with a confidential recommendation form from this booklet. The faculty member will complete it and seal it in an envelope so you may include it with your application.

A. There is no cost to apply.

A. No. This program is not intended for present or recent past IUP students.

A. Not necessarily. Unless you started taking CCAC credits with this program in mind and took only those accepted by the program, not all of your credits will apply. However, those additional credits will have prepared you to be a better teacher. The coordinator will discuss with you which credits apply, if you are accepted into the program.

A. There is a detailed Suggested Sequence of Course Work (included in this booklet) that clearly shows what CCAC courses and IUP courses to take.

A. You must first have them transferred and evaluated by CCAC. The IUP coordinator then will see which of these apply to the program. There is a statute of limitations on the age of past credits. There is a maximum of 30 transfer credits from an institution other than CCAC.

A. Yes. You should include with your application your recent transcripts from CCAC and all other colleges and universities you have attended.

A. Students admitted to the program receive speech and hearing screenings which are administered free of charge by the IUP Speech and Hearing Clinic. The screenings are required before students are admitted to the Teacher Certification Program, and are administered on the CCAC Allegheny Campus.

A. The program accepts a maximum of thirty-five students per year. The program is competitive, and not all minimally qualified applicants will be accepted due to the maximum class size of 35.

A. Students admitted to the program will receive a letter from the IUP Admissions office and from the Program Coordinator. To formally accept the admission, students will pay a $75.00 fee, which applies to their IUP tuition for the fall semester.

A. IUP courses are weekday, daytime courses. All will be offered at the CCAC Allegheny Campus. The CCAC courses required for the program may be daytime, evening, or weekend according to the schedule of classes for each campus.

A. It depends on how many of those credits apply toward this program. If you are admitted into the program, it will take a minimum of three years.

A. Field placements will be in a culturally-diverse, urban setting in the greater Pittsburgh area.

A. Student teaching placements will be in the greater Pittsburgh area. CCAC/IUP students may also student teach at international sites.

A. Special electives are required by IUP. These courses will be offered by IUP faculty.

A. You may take your CCAC credits at any of the campuses.

A. If necessary, you may be expected to take CCAC summer classes to keep pace with the sequence.

A. The program has coordinated book orders. You may purchase your books for IUP courses at the CCAC Allegheny Campus bookstore.

A. You need to keep pace with the IUP courses, or you will not graduate as expected. Additionally, you must take the CCAC courses in a timely manner.

A. IUP offers 17 courses for a total of 54 credits. This includes student teaching.

A. No. The sequence does not allow that to happen.

The Community College of Allegheny County is committed to providing an accessible and affordable college education, greater educational opportunities, comprehensive college programming, and high-quality programs that maintain an open-door institution. It provides pre-professional, university-parallel education for students who plan to achieve a baccalaureate degree, to serve the career needs of the community, and to assist students who are not yet ready for higher education. CCAC provides support services that will help students succeed in the academic, economic, and social community. It also enables students to become self-directed learners and capable problem solvers.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is committed to the development of teachers who will function effectively in public school settings. An increasing number of children with varied ethnic backgrounds in urban schools necessitates the training of teachers in multiculturalism. There is also a significant need for teachers who will demonstrate high expectations and enthusiasm for all children in urban public school settings. IUP demonstrates its commitment to the educational mission through consistent and active recruitment of high-quality students in the College of Education. It supports an urban teacher training program that seeks to develop the highest standards of professional behavior and advocacy for all children. A commitment to public school equity is the foundation of the Professional Studies departmental philosophy.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is widely recognized for its excellent programs in teacher education. The Elementary Education program is designed to provide learning experiences which will assist students in developing into highly competent and effective teachers in grades K-6. Students are able to expand their knowledge through coursework and field experiences that embody content, knowledge of liberal studies, pedagogy, curriculum, human development and learning, and a historical and philosophical basis to undergird one’s professional behavior. The College of Education is well known for its opportunities to practice "hands-on" learning.

The CCAC and IUP partnership addresses the growing responsibilities that institutions of higher education face today. It has become increasingly difficult for colleges and universities to provide public schools with teachers who are familiar with and committed to improving the quality of urban education. In adhering to the community college’s goals to provide students with an affordable and accessible education that will contribute to the betterment of the community, the partnership attempts to make teacher education more accessible. It hopes to attract a population that, in terms of monetary and time constraints, could not pursue a teaching degree outside its immediate community. With the implementation of this collaborative program, faculty members of both CCAC and IUP, as well as public school educators, are viewed as equal partners who share a vested interest in students who are preparing to become teachers in an urban environment.