To help more working adults complete their college degrees, Westminster College will offer courses for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Leadership in Jefferson City, beginning this fall.
Westminster's new "finishUP" program will help people who want to complete their degrees the opportunity to do so. Classes will be offered at the First Presbyterian Church of Jefferson City through a unique partnership focused on raising up leaders for the Jefferson City community.
More education partners for the "finishUP" program in the Jefferson City area will be announced in the future.
"As a longtime resident of Jefferson City, I could not be more pleased by our new 'finishUP' program. Jefferson City is the heart of leadership in Missouri, and Westminster's liberal arts education has been producing leaders for the past 166 years," said Carolyn Perry, senior vice president of the college and dean of faculty. "The degree provides the flexibility and affordability that adult learners need to take their careers to the next level while balancing their personal and professional lives."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 27.8 percent of Missouri adults have at least a bachelor's degree. The national the average is 30.6 percent.
In direct correlation, states with fewer adults holding college degrees on average also have lower household incomes. The typical household income in Missouri is $50,238 a year, while the national median household income of $55,775, according to the Census Bureau.
"As it is now, only about 50 percent of students nationwide who start college actually complete their degree," Perry said. "'finishUP' will help people who would like to complete their degrees to do so with a program designed to fit into their busy lifestyle."
Classes will be offered on Thursday evenings at the First Presbyterian Church, 324 Madison St., in Jefferson City.
Adults who have already completed 90 hours of undergraduate work will complete five courses a year for two years, and many of the classes will be a hybrid of classroom and online work to give the greatest flexibility.
Students in the program can also gain credits for work experience, assessed and approved through the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, as well as transfer credit from their prior college experience.
For adults who need additional credit hours to complete their undergraduate degree, online courses will be available through Westminster College and can be taken in conjunction with the leadership degree.
"The value of this liberal arts degree is that students will develop leadership skills allowing them to think more broadly and critically, communicate more clearly, be better problem-solvers and learn to negotiate more effectively," Perry said.
She added community service also plays a major role in Westminster's leadership mission, and the degree will culminate with an experiential project that allows students to directly serve the community and hone their professional skills through a practical application of what they have learned.
Those interested in learning more about Westminster's new leadership degree can attend one of six information sessions at the First Presbyterian Church. They are scheduled for the following times, days and dates:
- Today at 6 p.m.
- Friday at 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m.
- Monday at 5:30 p.m.
- July 26 at 7 p.m.
Pre-registration is not required, but those interested can RSVP online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/XWZWPSL. They can also call Kelle Silvey at 573-592-6010 or [email protected].