University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Chancellor Venkat Reddy will join Pueblo Community College (PCC) President Patty Erjavec at noon on Friday, Feb. 3 to celebrate two new partnerships between the two institutions.

Campus leaders will join members of the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce and Pueblo West Chamber of Commerce to cut the ribbon on the new Pueblo location of the UCCS Pre-Collegiate Support and Success Center on the PCC campus. The new center will work with middle and high school diverse, first-generation and military connected students from the Pueblo community with programming intended to prepare students academically, socially and emotionally for their postsecondary journeys.

They will also sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to create a pathway for students to earn an associate degree at PCC and then transition to UCCS where they can earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering. This associate degree serves as a direct track for engineering students from PCC to UCCS, streamlining the transfer process.

“I am so pleased that a pathway to Engineering has been developed to ensure that PCC students interested in this career field can begin their academic journey with us and ultimately receive a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering from UCCS,” said PCC President Patty Erjavec. “This will allow students to complete their degree in the most efficient, affordable manner possible with real-world experiences integrated into their experience.”

“We are excited to partner with Pueblo Community College in these two very unique programs which ultimately help our students succeed,” said UCCS Chancellor Venkat Reddy. “Our Pre-Collegiate Support and Success Center on the PCC campus will help students understand what our colleges and universities offer and what steps to take as they enter and complete a plan of study. The engineering MOU helps to create a pipeline for PCC students to start their engineering degree program at PCC and complete it at UCCS and, with help from industry, have internship opportunities in Pueblo and join the workforce of Pueblo.”