Elizabeth City State University Partners With Lenoir-Rhyne University for Teacher Education

Historically Black Elizabeth City State University and Lenoir-Rhyne University have launched a new partnership with the goal to expand the number of teachers in the state of North Carolina.

Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, enrolls just under 2,700 students. African Americans make up 11 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Under the agreement, students and alumni from ECSU will have priority admission to the Masters in Art of Teaching (MAT) degree program at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Students can complete the degree online, at their own pace.

Lenoir-Rhyne University will waive the admissions fee for ECSU graduates and they will also receive a 10 to 20 percent tuition discount depending on the number of people enrolled in the program. Students can complete the master’s degree program of 34 credits in as little as 12 months.

“African American teachers are underrepresented in schools across our nation, and it’s important that we have a diversified educator workforce that is representative of our student populations,” says Farrah Ward, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Elizabeth City State University. “This partnership will help create the next generation of leaders in education while supporting ECSU students and alumni with a rewarding teaching career.”