RANDOLPH — A newly launched Bridges-to-Baccalaureate program at County College of Morris (CCM) is providing underrepresented students with extensive support, guidance and research opportunities to assist them in transferring to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field.
The Northern New Jersey Bridges-to-Baccalaureate (NNJ-B2B) is a partnership of public, associate-degree granting institutions that provides community college students with the opportunity to conduct research at a four-year institution and support services and a mentor to guide them in the application and transfer process to earn their bachelor’s degree in a STEM field.
The program is open to both entering first-year and continuing CCM students interested in STEM careers. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2019 Spring Semester.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wages for all STEM occupations are nearly double the national average wage for non-STEM jobs. Between 2005 and 2015, STEM employment grew by 24.4 percent, five times more than non-STEM jobs, and the demand is expected to continue to grow in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
NNJ-B2B is operated in partnership with the Garden State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, a highly successful National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project headed by Rutgers University-Newark to streamline the transition from two- to four-year institutions.
Along with CCM, the community colleges participating in NNJ-B2B are Hudson County Community College, Passaic County Community College, as the lead institution, and Union County Community College.
CCM is receiving $317,556 over three years in NSF grant funding as a NNJ-B2B participant to support students in their quest for a STEM bachelor’s degree. Dr. Teresa Birrer, professor of biology, is serving as CCM’s site coordinator for the program. To learn more and to apply click here.
