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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

MCC to Educate Dental Hygienists in Rural Areas


Monroe Community College’s Dental Hygiene program will begin to serve students in New York’s North Country and Southern Tier in 2006 thanks to a partnership with Jefferson and Jamestown community colleges. The partnership is designed to alleviate shortages of dental hygienists in rural counties by maximizing MCC faculty expertise and distance learning resources available through SUNY.

“This partnership shows how an established program can reach far beyond one college campus to provide a critical solution for another community,” said R. Thomas Flynn, president of Monroe Community College. “MCC’s dental hygiene program has successfully served Greater Rochester for four decades. Extending the reach of the program, by partnering with Jefferson and Jamestown, will inspire students in those communities to pursue careers in dental hygiene and, undoubtedly, fulfill an important need in their community.

“This will also lead to other important partnerships between our colleges,” he said.

To complement non-dental hygiene courses (i.e., general requirements for a degree) taught by Jefferson and Jamestown faculty, MCC faculty will conduct dental hygiene courses online via the SUNY Learning network. MCC faculty also will lead clinical instruction at local sites in Jefferson and Cattaraugus counties throughout the year. This solution enables students to pursue an associate in applied science degree in dental hygiene without leaving their home colleges.

“This is an exciting and ground-breaking partnership that allows us to leverage the resources of three superb campuses,” said Jefferson Academic Dean Katherine F. Fenlon. “As a result, we will be able to provide much-needed dental hygiene training in the Jefferson County region in a way that is both fiscally responsible to our sponsor and of the highest quality for our students.”

 

Jefferson hosted an information session in November to gauge interest in the program; over 80 prospective students attended the session and 60 additional students have also expressed interest in the dental hygiene program.

“This dental hygiene partnership is among several collaborative programs JCC is initiating with SUNY colleges and universities,” said Jamestown President Dr. Gregory T. DeCinque. “We’re pleased with MCC’s responsiveness and Jefferson’s partnership as we address critical needs in the region.”

Recruitment for the dental hygiene program at Jefferson and Jamestown Community Colleges has already begun. Students interested in the program are asked to participate in an online learning preparation program during the Spring 2006 semester prior to enrolling full-time in the dental hygiene program.

Students interested in studying dental hygiene at Jefferson or Jamestown community colleges are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions at Jefferson Community College at 315.786.2277; or Tammy Smith, director of collaborative learning, Jamestown Community College, at 716.665.5220, ext. 2230.

Rosanna Condello
College and Community Relations
12/06/2005