University of Alabama, Stillman College sign graduate school pathways agreement

Students at Stillman College will now have a new path to attend graduate school at the University of Alabama.

Administrators and faculty with UA and Stillman gathered Thursday morning at the Wynn Center building on the Stillman College campus in Tuscaloosa to celebrate the graduate school pathway partnership, which they said strengthens the 50-year relationship between the schools.

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During the ceremony, UA President Stuart R. Bell and Stillman President Cynthia Warrick signed a memorandum of understanding that will allow some Stillman students to take graduate-level courses at UA during their senior year. The agreement will also allow those Stillman students to participate in UA's early advising and immersion programs, and with the goal of eventually matriculating to UA's graduate school.

"Having these relationships where Stillman undergrads can start their first year in the graduate program, and while they're still at Stillman completing their bachelor's degree, that saves them money, that saves them time, and certainly ... reduces that student loan debt that people are always talking about," Warrick said.

Warrick also expressed gratitude to Bell for continuing the relationship between UA and Stillman.

Bell said the partnership between UA and Stillman has been advantageous for both institutions.

“It benefits students at both institutions when faculty members from UA and Stillman work in partnership, not only on joint student exchange, but also potential research collaborations within their disciplines,” he said.

“These alliances are yet another benefit of our proximity to each other as neighbors and our longstanding relationship,” Bell said.

The graduate school pathways program is an expansion of the two institutions' long-running concurrent enrollment agreement, officials with both schools said. The program will include fully funded graduate assistantships, research-focused summer programs and accelerated master’s programs.

Each department will determine its own curriculum and program pathway for Stillman students, said Emmett Lodree, director of strategic graduate partnerships at UA, in a news release.

Lodree said the program with Stillman is still in its early stages, but he's eager to develop graduate school pathways within UA's business, social work and biology departments.

 “I remember being an undergraduate, not knowing what I wanted to do after graduation, and later thinking, ‘I wish someone would have told me about that grad program,’ ” Lodree said. “There are so many unique and rewarding opportunities at UA, and we’re excited to begin connecting Stillman students to those opportunities.”

Stillman College officials said the new agreement will help address the national trend of low representation of minority and first-generation students in graduate education. 

According to the Council on Graduate Schools, Blacks account for 9.4% of first-time enrollees in graduate education, while enrollment of Black students in STEM graduate programs is 6%. 

While UA's Black enrollment in graduate programs is 14%, school officials said they would like to increase diversity even further. 

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.