Guilford, American Hebrew Academy Collaborate
American Hebrew Academy students will enroll in courses at Guilford College beginning this fall, and Guilford student-athletes will train and hold swim meets at the Jewish boarding school based on an agreement between the neighboring institutions.
“This collaboration makes great sense for both of us,” said President Kent Chabotar. “We are neighboring institutions with strong religious heritages that seek to share resources to benefit our students. Because both AHA and Guilford enroll students from across the United States and the world, it will be a wonderful opportunity for added cross-cultural dialogue and understanding.”
Academy Executive Director Glenn Drew noted, “American Hebrew Academy and Guilford College have enjoyed an informal working relationship since the Academy was founded 11 years ago. This new agreement formalizes our growing partnership. Alliances of this nature reduce costs, utilize valuable resources creatively, and are best for students at both institutions and the greater Greensboro community at large.”
This collaboration was facilitated by David Delman ’74, a member of Guilford’s Board of Visitors and a local Jewish community leader.
Students at the Academy who qualify for this dual enrollment program will take evening courses at Guilford for college credit under a plan developed by Academy Dean Tammy K. Williams and Guilford Academic Dean Adrienne Israel. Tammy has identified courses such as introduction to business, micro and macroeconomics, advanced Spanish and introduction to computer programming, along with courses on computer hardware construction, as especially attractive to Academy students. The Academy offers a rigorous curriculum for grades nine through 12.
The College already enrolls Guilford County public high school students through The Early College at Guilford, established in 2002. Other high school students are occasionally enrolled on an individual basis following a request from a high school and a review of the student’s high school record. Guilford expects all interested Academy students to be accommodated and anticipates up to 12 students to enroll during the 2012-13 academic year.
Guilford’s intercollegiate swimmers and track athletes will train at the Academy’s state-of-the-art athletic facilities during the upcoming academic year. Tom Palombo, Guilford’s athletic director, and Phil Papier, dean of athletics at the Academy, finalized the agreement several months ago following years of collaboration during which the schools have shared equipment and facilities. The Academy’s cross country team has trained at the College for several seasons.
Furthermore, given the Academy’s growing international enrollment, the two institutions have discussed Guilford’s interest in recruiting more international students, possibly using established Academy contacts in other countries.
