Huntington Bank is celebrating the first graduating class of Huntington Exact Track students from Columbus State Community College, three years after the launch of the unique employer-funded degree program partnership with Columbus State and Franklin University. Eighteen students who have committed to dedicated community college instruction Wednesdays over the past eight semesters will mark the completion of Associate of Applied Science in Business Management degrees at Columbus State’s Friday Spring Commencement ceremony.
While Huntington Exact Track eliminates barriers to college education for its workforce participants by funding all costs up front and providing a consistent, cohort-specific Wednesday evening schedule for instruction, the program is far from easy, as students must maintain full-time work commitments and complete an aggressive five-year class schedule without enrollment breaks. But for participants celebrating the milestone toward a bachelor's in business administration from Franklin, the hard work is already paying off.
Chance Dummitt, a Business Analyst Senior who has been promoted twice while in the Exact Track program shares, “I’d tried college before, and this time is so much different because I’m learning something on Wednesday and already using it on Thursday! I don’t learn and then hope I remember it all when I graduate – I apply it in real time. It’s like a real-life case study when I’m able to solve Huntington business needs with the Exact Track coursework I’m taking.”
Since Huntington Exact Track works by delivering coursework through Columbus State over eight semesters followed by Franklin for the remaining six semesters, student participants are more than halfway done with their journey. Extra classes through Columbus State that count beyond the associate degree fully transfer to Franklin, increasing convenience for participating students.
Although Huntington Exact Track launched as an in-person program at the corporation’s Huntington Gateway Center, it migrated to real-time, live online remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has permanently transitioned to online delivery to even further increase convenience and access for participating students.
“Colleagues involved in Exact Track continue to grow and promote throughout the business, and feedback from their leaders continues to be that the rigor and dedication in the classroom translates directly over to their day-to-day work,” said Nichole Kneedler, Chief Talent Officer. “We couldn’t be prouder of our first graduating class from Columbus State, and look forward to continued deployment to future Huntington colleague participants.”
To date, Huntington Exact Track has enrolled more than 60 employee students, with its newest cohort planned to launch in Columbus State’s Spring 2023 semester.
“This innovative partnership with Huntington and Franklin represents a best-in-class model today’s employers should lean into to develop and retain top talent,” said David Harrison, Columbus State President. “It is a benchmark example of how deep partnerships between colleges and employers through earn-and-learn programs can advance careers and eliminate student debt.”
“This is a true moment of celebration demonstrating that this program is working,” said David Decker, Franklin University President. “We can’t wait to see these students cross the finish line with Franklin as they continue what we hope will be a lifelong education journey.”
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