Two articulation agreements for students in Rend Lake College’s Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic (EMTP) and Health Information Technology (HIT) programs were approved and ratified Tuesday night during the Board of Trustees meeting.
HIT program students have a new opportunity to continue their education online with a seamless transfer to Saint Joseph’s College’s Online BSHIM (Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management) program.
This completely online program will accept graduates with a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA) and who are in good standing with RLC. The online application fee will be waived for all RLC students and Saint Joseph’s College will accept a maximum of 95 credit hours. The transfer will welcome RLC graduates as juniors.
The addition of Saint Joseph’s College will give HIT students a fourth option to easily transfer to a four-year university, though it is the first online program. Other articulation agreements exist between RLC and Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.; Illinois State University in Normal; and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Career opportunities are expected to grow for health information technicians as the population ages. It’s estimated there will be an additional 30,000 jobs will be created by 2026 across the country.
On a similar note, RLC students enrolled in the EMTP program can now transfer into Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale’s Bachelor of Science degree in Public Safety Management in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Under this new agreement, RLC graduated who meet admission requirements, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and have completed 14 specific courses will be able to transfer into the SIU Carbondale program as a junior. Students will then complete a minimum of 42 credit hours. This agreement is the first of its kind for graduates of RLC’s EMTP program.
Like health information technicians, the job outlook for emergency medical technicians and paramedics is expected to grow much faster than average as the population grows and emergencies occur across the country. An additional 37,000 jobs will be added to the industry in the next eight years.
“We are very excited to be able to partner with Saint Joseph’s College and Southern Illinois University to provide more opportunities for our graduates,” said Kim Wilkerson, Dean of Allied Health. “Each one gives students an outline and a pathway into the future for more opportunities in their careers. We are constantly looking for ways to help our students and find that these agreements are a way to streamline those goals.”
All agreements are reevaluated annually by RLC and the partnering university. A list of specific courses that will transfer seamlessly to each institution was also provided during the Board of Trustees meeting. This list can be found on RLC’s websiteor when speaking with an RLC Academic Advisor.
Students wishing to learn more about program specifics should contact their RLC Academic Advisor at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1266.
