SCC Announces Partnership with the Lincoln Police Department
Southeast Community College announced a partnership with the Lincoln Police Department to provide college credits for commissioned officers who complete LPD’s Training Academy. LPD is the first law enforcement agency in Nebraska to partner with SCC on this type of program.
“One of the College’s key strategic goals is to strengthen community partnerships to promote access to higher education, and economic and workforce development,” said Dr. Paul Illich, SCC president. “We believe this is just the beginning of many collaborative partnerships with other organizations and agencies. I am very appreciative of the willingness of LPD to be the first to partner with SCC to establish a pathway for future partnerships.”
Through the Training Academy Partnership, LPD Training Academy graduates can apply for up to 30 credit hours toward an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice. This program is available to LPD Training Academy graduates from the past 10 years and nearly 250 graduates are eligible. Graduates from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center can also apply for the program.
“We are thrilled that TAP will be the first-of-its-kind at SCC as the college works to model this program with other law enforcement agencies,” said Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow. “We believe higher education expands our officers’ knowledge and enhances their leadership abilities, paving the way for future promotional opportunities.”
Credit for Prior Learning is the evaluation of life and work experiences gained outside of an academic environment for college credit. CPL is used to grant college credit, certification or advanced standing toward further education or training. LPD Training Academy graduates will be eligible to apply CPL to satisfy curriculum requirements toward an associate degree at SCC.
“The TAP partnership gives our officers a meaningful opportunity to invest in their career success and earn credit toward a criminal justice degree,” said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. “This is another tool in our toolbox to recruit and retain officers and support public safety in Lincoln.”
LPD incentivizes higher education for its officers by providing $300 in additional pay annually for those with an associate degree and $750 for those with a bachelor’s degree. In addition, the program requires no funding from the City of Lincoln or LPD and officers are eligible for full tuition reimbursement through the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act.
“To be truly open-access to the life changing benefits of higher education requires innovation, collaboration and an openness to discovery,” Illich explained. “I believe the SCC/LPD Training Academy Partnership is an excellent example of what it means to be an open-access institution of higher education. I look forward to continuing to expand this partnership and to launch similar collaborative opportunities throughout southeast Nebraska.”
Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu