“This is an honor because it recognizes the good work of so many staff members at both Macomb Community College and Oakland University to make this partnership a reality for students,” said Steve Shablin, registrar and member of the M2O committee. “There was never any doubt that this partnership was going to work.”

OU and MCC created the State of Michigan’s first joint admission and concurrent enrollment program in fall 2006. Since launching, the program has grown from 36 students to 213.

The program is the centerpiece of a partnership between the two higher educational institutions to bring more meaningful degree-program options directly to the residents of Macomb County.

M2O was initiated in response to the Cherry Commission recommendations designed to increase the percentage of residents with college credentials while building a workforce with the talent and skills necessary for success in the 21st century. In 2005, OU and MCC announced the two institutions were stepping up their more-than-two-decade collaboration by introducing the joint admission and concurrent enrollment program.

Unique aspects of the M2O program include joint admission through one application available from Oakland University's Web site and concurrent enrollment at OU and Macomb, offering the flexibility to take courses at one or both institutions at the same time.