Ogeechee Technical College signed a memorandum of understanding with Armstrong State University in Savannah on Tuesday, bridging the institutions' programs in criminal justice and information technology through a rigorous collection of major field courses.

Armstrong President Linda M. Bleicken and Ogeechee Tech acting President Lori Durden signed the memorandum in the lobby of Burnett Hall on the Armstrong campus. Armstrong Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert T. Smith and OTC Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Charlene Lamar also attended the signing ceremony.

"This is how higher education should work," Durden said. "By breaking down this barrier, we're creating a seamless transition for our students so that they don't have to waste time or money."

The signed memorandum means Armstrong will honor all courses students take at Ogeechee Tech. Now, students who enter a bachelor's degree program at Armstrong will do so with nearly half their course of study completed when they have earned their associate's degree in criminal justice or computer information systems related programs at Ogeechee Tech.

"This partnership with Ogeechee Technical College is important to Armstrong," Bleicken said. "This allows us to create seamless pathways for our students and to encourage a back-and-forth exchange of ideas between our communities."

Bleicken said the agreement is one of many ways that Armstrong is committed to extending opportunities to students throughout the region. Armstrong also has memorandums in place with a number of other regional institutions including South University, Savannah Technical College, Georgia Military College and the U.S. Army Center for Cyber Excellence.