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Penn Highlands & CPI Establish Landmark Partnership Through Articulation Agreement

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has announced the signing of three articulation agreements with the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology (CPI) located in Pleasant Gap, PA. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in fostering academic partnerships and expanding educational opportunities for students in the region.

In mid-November, the College made official agreements that align with their future expansion plans. These agreements are aimed at opening a new location in Bellefonte, PA, and enhancing the educational experience for students in Centre County.

“Penn Highlands is a mission-focused institution where we connect and partner with like-minded and community-focused organizations like CPI,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, Penn Highlands President. “This partnership is not just good for Penn Highlands and CPI, but most importantly for the communities and students we both serve. I hope this is just the first of many fruitful agreements between our great institutions.”

The associate degrees covered by the articulation agreement include Early Childhood Education (A.A.), IT Network Administration (A.A.S.), and Entrepreneurship (A.A.S.).

CPI Students will be able to transfer up to six courses for a total of 16 credits in Early Childhood Education, three courses for nine credits in Network Administration, and up to 15 credits of technical electives for Entrepreneurship. Moreover, by successfully completing the CISCO Academy Certification exam, they can obtain additional credit in Network Administration.

All courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or above to transfer and be applied towards finishing an associate degree.

“We are very excited to work with the leadership of CPI to create these articulation agreements,” stated Dr. Cynthia Doherty, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Penn Highlands. “CPI does an excellent job of training high school students and adults to go into the workforce. These articulation agreements will allow their students to continue to Penn Highlands to earn college credit toward a certificate or degree program and continue to build their path to a new career.”

CPI is a vocational technical training school offering over 18 secondary programs, over 60 in-house adult and continuing education programs, and over 350 online courses to its students.

This represents Penn Highlands’ first-ever collaboration with a vocational school in Centre County, expanding their current affiliations with institutions in Blair and Cambria counties.

“Partnering with Penn Highlands is a wonderful opportunity for CPI, our students, and the community,” stated MaryAnn Volders, CPI President. “We strive to provide as many post-secondary options as we can for our career and technical high school students. I appreciate what Penn Highlands has to offer our community and our students. We look forward to working with Penn Highlands in any way that we can to provide new experiences for our students.”