October 24, 2006

BCC President Dr. Spraggs Announces
Articulation Agreement Signed With Leon, Mexico

-Partnership Will Expand International Educational Opportunities For Students-

(TOWN OF DICKINSON, NY) Broome Community College President Dr. Laurence Spraggs today announced that an articulation agreement was signed in October between the College and two universities in Leon, Mexico. Leon is located in Central Mexico.  

An articulation agreement is a document indicating that both parties will work together to achieve a common educational goal. The BCC/Leon agreement is designed to cultivate and expand international educational opportunities for students in both countries.

The articulation agreement is with the Universidad Tecnologica de Leon (UTL) and the Direccion General de Educacion Tecnologica Industrial (DGETI) in Guanajuato. An additional articulation agreement is currently being crafted with the Universidad de Guanajuato.

The agreements will serve to develop dual programs, facilitate faculty and student exchange programs, online training opportunities, and allow BCC to assist in integrating technology into the curriculum in Leon’s higher educational institutions.

“Each semester international student enrollment continues to increase,” said Dr. Spraggs. “BCC continues to be an attractive choice for students from around the world, which is indicative of the high quality of education offered at an affordable level. At the conclusion of their studies at BCC international students either return to their home country, or stay and transfer to a four year school.” 

In 2003 Dr. Spraggs led the College in the creation of a set of Strategic Directions for BCC, which is essentially a plan that articulates the vision for the College and outlines steps in place to accomplish identified goals. A component of the Strategic Directions calls for expanding International Education Activities and Programs. One step the College has taken to facilitate that goal has been the creation of a new Office of International Education. In addition the College has begun integrating international content into all curricula. The goal is to increase enrollment among International Students as well as provide opportunities for native students to study abroad.

“We are now seeing the results of our efforts come to fruition with the annual increase in international students enrolled at BCC,” continued Dr. Spraggs. “One of the key benefits of having international students is that their very presence broadens the global and cultural perspectives of American students. They provide a learning opportunity for American students and may increase their sensitivity to diversity. They contribute diverse perspectives in the classroom, create cultural awareness through community events and provide host family with a unique learning experience.”

The DGETI is a technical secondary school system with presence all over Guanajuato.  The DGETI of Guanajuato has 24 technical schools distributed along the state and serving 25,000 students. These schools prepare students for immediate employment in the fields of computers, electricity, electro mechanics, industrial mechanics, electronic communications, and quality assurance, among others.

There are currently 105 international students from 35 countries enrolled in the fall 2006 semester, which include 20 new international students. At the conclusion of the 2005 fall semester, a total of 103 international students were enrolled at BCC from 31 different countries, while 100 international students were enrolled during the spring 2005 semester. Nine of 105 international students enrolled in fall 2006 are from various cities in Mexico.