Tue. November 24, 2015
IAM members kicked off the first cohort of students to pursue labor studies degrees through a partnership between the IAM and SUNY’s Empire State College. That partnership has now expanded to include a master’s degree track, as well as a bachelors and associates.
IAM members can now earn a master’s degree in labor studies through a partnership with Empire State College (ESC), a branch of the State University of New York (SUNY). The first master’s degree cohort will meet at the IAM’s Winpisinger Center the week of June 19, 2016.
“This partnership and the port of entry weeks associated with both the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs leverages the facilities and resources of the Winpisinger Center,” said Winpisinger Center Director Chris Wagoner. “It provides an opportunity for our members to have access to a high quality graduate education at an affordable price in surroundings familiar to our members.”
In addition to the master’s degree in labor studies, IAM members can combine classes taken at the Winpisinger Center with prior college learning, apprenticeship, military training, and life experience to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in labor studies.
WATCH: IAM’s SUNY Empire State College Port of Entry
“I am very excited about the unique opportunity this represents for the membership of the IAM,” said IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger. “We recognize that the world in which we organize and bargain is changing and equipping activists and leaders with the latest thinking and knowledge is one of the ways we strengthen the IAM for the future. I’m pleased that we’ve partnered with an educational institution like Empire State College – one that is noted for its academic quality and its long tradition of serving workers and the labor movement. If you’re a Machinist Union member, getting a labor studies degree has never been easier.”
As with other classes held at the Winpisinger Center, there is no cost to IAM members for room and board or transportation to and from any residency week associated with partnership programs.
“Education at the college-level can be very expensive. Fortunately, we’ve negotiated affordable tuition rates for our members,” said IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes. “Sometimes an undergraduate or graduate program looks affordable, but when you factor in travel and room and board, it isn’t. The IAM wants to help our members to have access to a high-quality education by ensuring the total costs are reasonable.”
If you are interested in enrolling in either the undergraduate or the graduate program, click here to complete and submit a short interest form.
For more information about the IAM/ESC Partnership Program, click here to download a brief PowerPoint presentation. If you have further questions, contact IAM Education Representative Rhonda Rogers at rrogers@iamaw.org.