The University of Michigan-Flint and Mott Community College (MCC) have created an Early Childhood Articulation Agreement between the two schools. It was recently signed at an October 1 ceremony. The agreement aims to ease the transfer from MCC’s early childhood program to UM-Flint for students seeking an elementary teacher certification and a specialization endorsement in early childhood.

The articulation agreement will provide a transfer guide for students and create a system for automatic transfer of specific course credit from MCC to UM-Flint. The agreement clarifies transfer equivalents, enters the equivalents automatically into students’ records, and aims to eliminate past problems of students unnecessarily repeating courses.
“This agreement will greatly benefit our students,” added MCC Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator Becky Garske. “It enables students to build on their success in Mott College’s accredited Early Childhood Education program.”

UM-Flint faculty see the agreement leading to a stronger Early Childhood Education program at both institutions.
“We’re very excited about the completion of this agreement,” said UM-Flint Associate Professor Aviva Dorfman. “It is the culmination of a collaborative process and the result of cooperation between our two programs. Even more importantly, the agreement contributes to a stronger and more unified field of early childhood programs in our region.”

The partnership between UM-Flint and MCC showcases how the two schools are working together to improve the experiences of early childhood education students by putting their needs first and looking for viable solutions to issues affecting both schools.