CU enters Academic Agreement with Luzerne County Community College and Hazleton Area School District to Combat the Teacher Shortage

University-wide

Posted May. 1, 2025

Agreement Signing with LCCC and Hazleton Area School District — From left: CU President Bashar Hanna, John Yudichak, President of Luzerne County Community College, and Dr. Brian Uplinger, Hazleton Area School District Superintendent.

Commonwealth University (CU) announced an educational partnership with Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) and Hazleton Area School District (HASD) at a ceremony at LCCC’s Hazleton Center on Thursday, May 1.

The partnership, dubbed the “Teach in NEPA Project,” will begin in the fall 2025 semester. It will create a seamless transfer pipeline for students to attain an associate degree in early childhood education at LCCC that will guarantee junior status in CU’s PK-4 early childhood education major. CU will deliver the last two years of the academic program in a combination of face-to-face courses at LCCC’s Hazleton Center or through online learning. The partnership will create a local education hub in the HASD for students to complete their practicum observations and student teaching experiences.

CU team at LCCC and Hazleton Area School District agreement signing. — From left: Tom Fletcher, Special Assistant to the President - Enrollment; Ann Larson, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences; Stephen Lee, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs; Maramonne Houseknecht, Director of Admissions CU - Bloomsburg; Michelle Kiec, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs; CU President Bashar Hanna.

The educational partnership among LCCC, CU, and HASD will create the most efficient, cost-effective pathway to a debt-free bachelor’s degree in education, while addressing the critical teacher shortage in Pennsylvania. The partnership will also produce new teachers and provide those teachers with student teaching opportunities at HASD.

“We are excited to collaborate with our colleagues at Luzerne County Community College and the Hazleton Area School District to provide students a clear and seamless matriculation path to Commonwealth University as part of an affordable pathway to a degree in education,” said Bashar W. Hanna, CU president. “This partnership will help our communities address the teacher shortage in Pennsylvania.”

Students will participate in classroom observations, hands-on training, and student teaching experiences at HASD. Access to local student teaching experiences will eliminate any barriers students traditionally face by often being required to travel outside their local area. The Hazleton Area School District will work with the LCCC and CU leadership teams to create opportunities to retain graduates of the partnership for employment at HASD following graduation. Hazleton Area School District contains 16 schools and has 13,700 students.

Luzerne County Community College is the number one institution for students transferring to Commonwealth University to complete a four-year degree. Over the last five academic years, LCCC has transferred 352 students to CU. LCCC also has the highest four-year graduation rate of transferring students at CU at 70.5%.

More information about the partnership and the Teach in NEPA Project.