Stephen F. Austin State University has partnered with Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Academic Alliance to offer a face-to-face completer program for the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies’ early childhood through grade 6 concentration in Bryan-College Station. The partnership will begin in fall 2021. On hand to make the announcement at SFA were Dr. Jim Nelson, director of the RELLIS Academic Alliance and associate vice chancellor of the Texas A&M University System; Dr. Nancy Jordan, provost of the RELLIS Academic Alliance and associate vice chancellor of the Texas A&M University System; John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System; Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president; and Dr. Steve Bullard, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at SFA.
This partnership, beginning in fall 2021, will help students from Blinn College District and other institutions seamlessly transition into the SFA program.
“The SFA campus and the RELLIS Academic Alliance share a very important goal: We want to reshape education to meet the needs of our Texas students,” said Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president. “The RELLIS Campus is a tremendous model where multiple institutions are offering programs in one location. That’s innovation, and innovation is the key to success.”
With its focus on early childhood and reading education preparation as well as extensive field experiences, the BSIS with the EC-6 concentration has a strong reputation for developing future teachers’ knowledge and skills in education with courses that provide real-world experience working with children.
“As a regional university, SFA has a historically strong reputation for helping to fill the employment needs of the area by providing access to high-quality educational opportunities,” said Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education. “Bringing our showcase degree, the BSIS, to the RELLIS Academic Alliance provides access for Bryan-College Station area students to a well-established and respected educator preparation program.”
SFA is the first institution outside the Texas A&M University System to be invited to offer a bachelor’s degree within the RELLIS Academic Alliance.
“We are proud to partner with SFA to offer an established, quality education program to our students at RELLIS,” said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. “I have no doubt this program will be an asset to the Academic Alliance and future students. We think it’s going to become one of the fastest growing offerings that we have.”
Abbott hopes this partnership will help address the shortage of certified teachers for the state’s public schools.
“The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies is the most frequently awarded degree at SFA, so this opportunity to bring the BSIS to the RELLIS Academic Alliance is remarkable,” Abbott said. “We are excited to become a partner in the RELLIS Academic Alliance and to increase the development of teacher education students eligible to become certified and step into the classrooms of Texas schools.”
Students seeking to enroll in the BSIS completer program may apply for SFA’s community college transfer scholarship. This funding opportunity offers students transferring from a community college $1,000 per year if the student’s GPA is 3.0 to 3.49, or $2,000 per year if the student’s GPA is above 3.50. To be eligible, students must have at least 45 transferable hours.
About the RELLIS Academic Alliance
With the addition of the education program, the RELLIS Academic Alliance offers 26 unique academic options from 10 Texas A&M System regional universities and Stephen F. Austin State University. Program options include degrees in a variety of fields, including technology and engineering, business and industry, natural and human sciences and public service. For more information about the RELLIS Academic Alliance, visit rellis.tamus.edu/academicalliance.
About the RELLIS Campus
Founded in 2016 by the Texas A&M University System, the RELLIS Campus in Bryan fosters cutting-edge research, technology development, workforce training and two- and four-year college degrees by tapping the system’s state agencies and multiple universities, along with academic, corporate and government partners outside the system.
For more information, visit sfasu.edu/rellis.
By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
