'Little Slice of Heaven': Agreement Offers Pathway to 4-Year Degree

Students from outside New York City may get the chance to experience a "little slice of heaven here in Brooklyn" under a new agreement between two New York State university systems.

Onondaga Community College (OCC) and Medgar Evers College (MEC) today signed a transfer agreement which will give OCC students who meet specific requirements a guaranteed pathway to a bachelor’s degree program and financial support at MEC.

OCC is a two-year school in Syracuse which is part of the State University of New York system. MEC is a four-year school in Brooklyn which is part of the City University of New York system.

OCC students who express an interest in eventually transferring to MEC will receive guidance while enrolled at OCC through periodic reviews with advisors, the schools said in a news release. 

"Strategic relationships with institutions such as Onondaga Community College are critical to the long-term health and vitality of Medgar Evers College," said Dr. Patricia Ramsey, Medgar Evers College president. 

"Working with Onondaga will allow us to not only welcome students back home to complete their bachelor's degree, but also expose those from elsewhere in the state of New York to our little slice of heaven here in Brooklyn."

To be eligible for the Direct Admission Program, OCC students must:

• Maintain a 2.25 grade point average (equivalent of a C+/B-).
• Remain in good standing.
• Complete their associate degree.

Successful OCC graduates who are New York residents will be eligible for the Medgar Evers CHAMPSS Program which includes financial support of up to $3,500 per semester, book vouchers, and metro cards.

The CHAMPSS Program is available to MEC full-time students for up to two years. CHAMPSS is an acronym for Cultivating Holistic Academic Mindsets to Promote Student Success.

“This Direct Admission Program provides our students with a guaranteed, predictable pathway to a bachelor’s degree at an outstanding institution," said OCC president Dr. Warren M. Hilton. 

"As we welcome students to our campus from the New York City area, this provides them with the option to pursue their bachelor’s degree closer to home. And, it provides Upstate N.Y. residents with an affordable option to obtain their bachelor’s degree in New York City."

Hilton thanked the leadership at Medgar Evers College for their work on the agreement, which he said will produce for New York State future nurses, accountants, computer programmers, teachers, social workers, and more.