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Auburn, Tuskegee partner to open access among communications programs

In an effort that further increases access to Auburn University among students from underrepresented areas of Alabama, Auburn and Tuskegee University signed an agreement Wednesday that adjoins the two institutions' communications programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The memorandum of understanding, signed by Auburn President Jay Gogue and Tuskegee President Charlotte Morris, sets in place a program through which students can earn a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Tuskegee and then a master’s degree in Communication from Auburn.

“Auburn enjoys a strong collaborative relationship with Tuskegee University,” Gogue said. “This partnership is yet another way in which we can strengthen that bond while living out our land-grant mission of bettering our community and providing greater access to educational and professional opportunities.”

The agreement allows Tuskegee students pursuing a Communication degree, who maintain a 3.0 GPA, to complete their senior year at Auburn being able to enroll in a wide variety of courses in Auburn’s four undergraduate majors within the School of Communication and Journalism: communication, journalism, media studies and public relations. Tuskegee students could arrive to Auburn’s campus as early as spring 2022, but the first cohort of about five students is expected to arrive in fall 2022.

Tuskegee students will benefit from increased access to industry-standard equipment and software. They also will have networking opportunities with Auburn faculty and professional adjunct instructors along with access to Auburn libraries and career services.

“This partnership will open an array of programming opportunities for our students, thus increasing their career prospects,” Morris said. “Auburn University has excellent infrastructure and faculty expertise in these frontier areas, and we are delighted that the opportunity for expanded studies has been extended to our Tuskegee University students. We look forward to this partnership and other ways of collaboration in opening new doors of access for our students.”

Early in the fall semester of their senior year at Auburn, Tuskegee students would then be eligible to apply for admission to Auburn’s Graduate School and would need to meet normal entrance requirements. After admission to the Graduate school, Tuskegee students would work with a graduate program officer who serves as the advisor for all graduate students in Auburn’s School of Communication and Journalism. Upon completion of all graduate degree requirements, the student would then receive a master’s degree in Communication from Auburn.

Wednesday’s agreement is not the first partnership between the neighboring schools. In 2018, Auburn and Tuskegee’s veterinary colleges signed an agreement furthering the relationship between the two schools and increasing the number of under-represented, board-certified specialists and diversity in the veterinary profession. In August of this year, the two schools partnered again to provide Tuskegee students opportunities to explore new educational and career paths through STEM research mentorships with Auburn graduate students and faculty

Tags: Communication and Journalism Students