The three newest alumni of Ferris State University's School of Criminal Justice earned their bachelor's of science degrees without ever setting foot on the university's main campus in Big Rapids thanks to a unique collaboration with Macomb Community College.

James Zwicker of Warren, Robert Alger of Casco and James Mietling of Macomb are the first to complete a 3 + 1 program introduced in 2005. The program allows for students to take their first three years of coursework at Macomb, at Macomb's tuition rate, before completing their last year in courses taught by Ferris faculty at Macomb's Public Service Institute on its East Campus in Clinton Township.

"I'm ecstatic to be here," said Frank Crowe, director of Ferris' School of Criminal Justice, who, with Albert Lorenzo, Macomb's president, awarded the degrees to the three students in a ceremony at Macomb's East Campus on Dec. 10. "Our criminal justice program was founded in 1972 and has more than 3,000 alumni, but we were missing an opportunity to serve students by being confined to Big Rapids. The opportunity for Ferris to take its program off campus is the beginning of a pipeline."

Two of Ferris' newest criminal justice alumni are already employed in the field. Zwicker is an officer with the Highland Park Police Department. Mietling, who had a 25-year-career with the Warren Police Department before retiring at the rank of sergeant, is manager of Advanced Police Training at Macomb's Criminal Justice Training Center.

"Macomb is proud of its collaboration with Ferris that brought this educational opportunity to southeastern Michigan," said Lorenzo. "It's an innovative program that benefits not only its graduates, but the communities they pledge to protect and serve as well."

Media Contact: Mary Smith

Phone: 586.445.7997

Email: smithm@macomb.edu