Luzerne County Community College President Thomas Leary, right, signs a dual enrollment agreement with Commonwealth University at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees from left are Commonwealth senior advisor to the president Thomas Fletcher, Commonwealth provost and senior vice president for academic affairs Diana Rogers-Adkinson, and LCCC vice president of enrollment management and student services Rosana Reyes.
                                 Mark Guydish | Times Leader

Luzerne County Community College President Thomas Leary, right, signs a dual enrollment agreement with Commonwealth University at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees from left are Commonwealth senior advisor to the president Thomas Fletcher, Commonwealth provost and senior vice president for academic affairs Diana Rogers-Adkinson, and LCCC vice president of enrollment management and student services Rosana Reyes.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

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NANTICOKE — The Luzerne County Community College Board of Trustees extended President Thomas Leary’s contract another 18 months and approved a 3% pay increase for 2022-23, retroactive from July 1 of this year.

Leary’s current contract expires Dec. 11. With the extension it now goes through June 2024. His current pay is $196,712, and it will increase to $202,613. The college issued a media release after the meeting touting improvements under Leary, including new academic programs, expanded partnerships for internships and workforce training, space for an early intervention program, new science labs at three satellite campus centers and ongoing campus-wide renovations.

LCCC has also been expanding dual enrollment partnerships with other colleges and universities allowing student who graduate with an associate degree to more easily transfer credits to continue toward a bachelor’s degree. One such agreement was signed during Tuesday’s meeting, with the newly formed Commonwealth University, which combined Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities

LCCC graduates with an associate’s degree are guaranteed admission to Commonwealth University with at least full junior standing in eligible parallel majors, with a guaranteed renewable transfer scholarship for up to four semesters. There are four tiers of scholarships based on Grade Point Average at LCCC: $5,000 annually for a GPA at or above 3.5, $4,000 for a GPA from 3.0 to 3.49, $3,000 for a GPA from 2.5 to 2.99, and $2,000 for a GPA of 2.0 to 2.49.

Commonwealth University also guarantees on-campus housing at the three campuses for the first year of full-time attendance if the transfer application is submitted in a timely fashion.

Leary noted LCCC has long had a good relationship with Bloomsburg University, now the nearest of the three Commonwealth University campuses, and that the new agreement expands on that with more opportunities for LCCC students.

Commonwealth University Provost Diana Rogers Adkinson noted the school is in the process of revamping every major being offered, and welcomed the opportunity to help LCCC students more easily pursue their educational goals.

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish