Jennifer Jackson
Assistant Editor
Students pursuing a career in the health professions can gain early admission for graduate programs offered at Western University in Pomona through an agreement signed by University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman and Western President Philip Pumerantz in early April.
“This felt like a very easy, geographically close way for our students, who are interested in health professions and want to stay in the region, to matriculate into Western in a way that they can see their dream of a health profession becoming a reality,” Lieberman said. “It started many years ago, but we were able to make it a reality now.”
Provost Jonathan Reed said that the agreement creates the opportunity for students to stay and serve in the region within the medical field.
The agreement guarantees space for La Verne students in a variety of Western’s health programs including dental medicine, pharmacy and nursing.
“Our students can apply to the program in their sophomore year,” Reed said. “If accepted, they will receive mentoring in their junior year and if they meet the qualifications in terms of taking the right classes and GPA, then they can go straight into one of the medical programs at Western.”
Reed said the agreement will go into effect next academic year.
“I like the agreement because it isn’t just an agreement on paper,” Lieberman said. “There will be brochures so students applying to ULV will know if you come here and are interested in health professions, this is an option.”
Faculty in the science department expressed excitement over the agreement.
“We have sent a lot of students to Western,” Jerome Garcia, associate professor of biology, said.
“Students say it feels like La Verne because they have access to the professors. It is that La Verne feeling that attracts them to their campus.”
Garcia said he is looking forward to collaboration with faculty members.
“I think with this linkage agreement it gives more access and visibility to these other programs that students don’t know about that have respected and viable career paths,” Garcia said.
Opportunities for ULV students will include working in Western’s labs with advisers to get familiar with the various programs as well as mentoring as they look toward their future.
“Our advisers are going to be working with students and they will know when they come in as freshmen about the opportunities. And the Western advisers will be working with our students, so it’s seamless between the University of La Verne and Western U,” Lieberman said.
Jennifer Jackson can be reached at jennifer.jackson2@laverne.edu.
