BELLEVILLE – Loyalist College and Trent University are partnering again. 

At Thursday's Board of Governor's meeting, Loyalist College’s President Maureen Piercy announced that the college is collaborating with Trent to allow students in the Social Service Worker program the opportunity to turn their diplomas into degrees at Trent.

“It’s a great partnership and we continue to build these opportunities for students who graduate and want to go on and do another credential,” said Piercy.

She also said that the school’s ongoing partnership with Trent is ideal because they are relatively close in distance and are both heavily student-centered.   

Both Loyalist and Trent already share a journalism program that allows its students to receive both a diploma and a degree in their field.

Piercy said that Loyalist collaborates not just with Trent, but also with universities from all over Canada and even places in Ireland.  

“We have more than 70 opportunities for students (to turn their diplomas into degrees),” said Piercy. “Students are really getting recognized for the work that they’re doing at the college.”

Thursday’s board meeting also received a positive update on student enrollment.

Piercy told the Board of Governors that 240 students started at the school in January, including 45 international students.

“We had an increase in January,” said Piercy. “We’ve never had that many new international students for a January intake.”