3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		April 20, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University  to Become Primary Provider of  “College in the
High School” for Yakima School District

Toppenish, Wash. –  Yakima School District (YSD) and Heritage University (HU) administrators will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will make Heritage the primary provider of free college credits for College in the High School (CHS) classes for YSD’s A.C. Davis and Eisenhower students. YSD Superintendent Dr. Jack Irion and Heritage University President Dr. Andrew Sund are expected to sign the agreement on Monday, April 23, 2018, 2:30 p.m. at the Yakima School District administration offices located at 104 N. 4^th Avenue, in Yakima, Wash.

CHS, offered by some institutions of high learning, affords students the opportunity to earn high school and college credit for college-level courses taught at high schools like Davis and Eisenhower. For the next two years, the students at those schools will be able to take Heritage University courses in English, history/humanities, math and science. Credits earned by students in those courses can be transferred to any college or university. There will be no charge to YSD students for taking the courses or for college credits earned, and for one transcript sent to the college of the students’ choice.

Heritage University Interim Provost Dr. Kazuhiro Sonoda says the CHS program offered by Heritage will stay true to the university’s mission to empower a multi-cultural and inclusive student body to overcome the social, cultural, economic, and geographic barriers that limit access to higher education. “Our program intends to provide access for advanced study for qualifying high school students in a manner that minimizes enrollment barriers,” says Dr. Sonoda. “The primary goal of the program is for students to increase preparedness for college through exposure to college-level work as given through HU. The secondary goal is for students to earn college credit when their performance demonstrates the required competencies for HU courses.”

Heritage University administrators believe Heritage’s reward for providing the CHS goes beyond recruiting. “As the only all-inclusive four-year university located in the Yakima Valley, we will be honored to have a hand in the educational growth of high school students at Yakima schools,” said HU President Sund. “The CHS program at Heritage will ultimately increase the number of students ready for college.”

Dr. Irion is thankful for the opportunity to work with Heritage leadership on an initiative he believes will truly benefit students of the Yakima School District. “Our systems for preparing our students for college are strengthened because of partnerships with institutions of higher learning like Heritage University,” Irion said.

Dr. Irion and Dr. Sund will be available for interviews following the signing of the MOU. For more information, contact Dr. Kazuhiro Sonoda at (509) 865-2354 or Sonoda_K@Heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu