HANCEVILLE, Ala. – A new partnership between Athens State University and Wallace State Community College will make it easier for individuals to pursue high-demand, high-paying jobs in Advanced Manufacturing Management and Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
“We are very proud of and have valued our relationship with Athens State University for so many years,” said Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics. “This is a real boon to our region.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, growth in this field is expected to reach 30 percent this decade, making it among the fastest growing career areas. The pandemic has highlighted importance of manufacturing and the management of supply chains in the global economy as goods have struggled to move from production and ports to markets and consumers.
Median incomes for logisticians across the country are more than $76,000. According to the job site Indeed.com, the average salary for supply chain managers in Alabama is $99,329 per year, nine percent higher than the national average.
The Wallace State-Athens State partnership formalizes the transfer pathway for coursework leading to a Bachelor of Science in Advanced Manufacturing Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management with a master’s degree option. It also opens the door to apprenticeships and other opportunities.
Wallace State students pursuing this pathway will first earn an Associate in Science Degree in General Studies with a concentration in Logistics and Supply Chain Management or an Associate in Science Degree in General Studies with a concentration in Manufacturing Management before transfer into the College of Business at ASU.
“I think it goes without saying that Athens State is one of our top transfer institutions, and I’m excited to continue to find other ways to develop partnerships and pathways for our students,” said Karolewics.
Karolewics and Athens State President Dr. Philip Way recently signed the transfer agreement on the campus of Wallace State, where Athens State has maintained a University Center for many years offering courses in Elementary Education, Collaborative Education, Elementary/Collaborative Education and Early Childhood programs.
“We are delighted to be here to celebrate the new pathways we are creating, and we are really hopeful that these will blossom,” Way said. “I think our programs become even more attractive when we can develop something together.”
Kathy Sides, Wallace State Business Program Chair, who helped to spearhead the partnership, said: “This is a great opportunity for students to attain the A.S. Degree in General Studies concentrating in Logistics Management or Manufacturing Management and seamlessly transfer to Athens to complete the 4-year degree program.”
This new partnership builds on a special relationship between Alabama’s community colleges and Athens State, which provides the junior and senior years of a bachelor’s degree as well as master’s degrees. All public colleges and universities in Alabama are participants in the STARS statewide articulation system, a national model established by an act of the Alabama legislature in 1994, which guarantees seamless transfer of credit from community colleges to baccalaureate institutions.
Present at the reception from Athens State were Provost Dr. Catherine Wehlburg; Gary Valcana, Interim Dean of the College of Business; Helen Marks Crider, Hanceville Off-Campus Center Manager and Communications Plan Manager; Steve Wang, Associate Professor Advanced Manufacturing Management; Jeff Johnson; Assistant Professor Management; Dr. Lionel Wright, Interim Associate Dean of the College of Business; Sarah McAbee, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services; and Dr. Jim Kerner, Professor of Management.
Attending from Wallace State were Dr. Ryan Smith, Vice President for Students; Lisa German, Vice President for Learning and Dean of Health Sciences; Mary Helen Ingram, Chief Financial Officer; Dr. Beth Bownes Johnson, Dean of Academic Affairs; Kathy Sides, Business Program Chair; and Instructors Amanda Tillman and Rita Nicholas of the Business Education Department.
