Albany, New York—Excelsior College, based in Albany, New York, has launched its first bilingual degree pathway in Spanish, called ¡Adelante!, to help Spanish-speaking students achieve their educational aspirations in the United States. Online courses begin on March 7 and the enrollment period is now open to students: https://www.excelsior.edu/adelante/.
Students will be able to increase their English language proficiency over time while starting their program with college courses in Spanish. The goal of ¡Adelante! is to help Spanish-speaking students be successful in earning their degree with initial courses in Spanish. At the same time, students will build their English language confidence. While initial courses are in their native language, students then transition to complete their degree requirements in English.
Students who have some college-level credits from educational institutions outside of the United States, or those who attained their college degree in their countries of origin but haven’t been able to transfer their degree to the U.S., could transfer in their previous learning for college credit. Like all Excelsior programs, ¡Adelante! is flexible and online.
“By helping Spanish-speaking students move forward with their academic programs in the U.S., we help them find better-paying jobs that are more well-suited to their educational level, which in turn helps create more wealth within the Latinx community in this country,” said Lisa Braverman, vice provost for academic and faculty support.
Excelsior College knows that sometimes language can be a barrier preventing people from completing their academic courses even when they do have some functional knowledge of English. For that reason, initial courses are in Spanish with students receiving ESL (English as a Second Language) classes before transitioning to courses in English.
“Many Spanish-speaking immigrants in this country don’t know they can access education in their native language,” said Pamela Jimenez, senior director of the ¡Adelante! program. “Many of them are left out of the higher education system due to the language barrier or not having finished their degrees. Excelsior support staff help students to navigate challenges such as credit for previous courses, workplace training, and military experience, or financial hardship.”
Like all Excelsior students, students who enroll through the ¡Adelante! program are eligible for financial aid as well as flexible financing options.
¡Adelante! offers six bilingual degree programs:
To obtain more information about ¡Adelante! and the academic programs, visit https://www.excelsior.edu/en/adelante/.
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Media Contact Excelsior College:
Erin Coufal, ecoufal@excelsior.edu, 518-608-8498