Seminole State College and East Central University have announced a partnership to share the employment of a full-time English instructor.

According to the Presidents of both institutions, the shared employee is an example of a partnership created to better utilize resources allocated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma Legislature.

“Over the past few months, we have been discussing ways to make joint purchases and share costs of services, as well as looking at possible positions that could be shared.  This English position was a great fit – filling a need for both institutions,” said Seminole State College President Lana Reynolds.

She added, “SSC and ECU have a long history of working together to provide academic and cultural programs for the students and communities in our area.  I appreciate Dr. Pierson’s leadership in making this shared employment possible.  We look forward to working with our friends and colleagues in Ada on additional joint efforts in the future.”

Dr. Katricia G. Pierson, President of East Central University, said, “Efficiency and excellence have been a part of the Seminole State College and East Central University partnership for years and we are happy that it’s being enhanced. Seminole State has much to offer and ECU has always been an extension of students desiring to further their education. Working with President Reynolds and her staff is always a positive process. Our ongoing collaboration to create a smooth transition for students seeking an education degree has solidified our partnerships and we knew we could even do more. We are now sharing a faculty member for our English programs. Sharing resources is good for both institutions and, more importantly, is good for the students we serve.”

Beginning in August, Jamie Worthley will start working as a full-time English instructor for both SSC and ECU. Recognizing that the needs of one institution may be greater than the other at any given time, Worthley will devote approximately 40 percent of her services to ECU and 60 percent to SSC. As part of the collaboration, Worthley will teach 15 hours of language arts courses each year for SSC and hold office hours on campus.

Worthley, who has taught part-time in the English Departments of both institutions, is a graduate of Paden High School. Previously, she worked as an English tutor for SSC for five years. She also worked as an Upward Bound Composition Instructor for two years at ECU. She has been an adjunct professor at SSC for six years and ECU for five years. She holds an Associate’s degree from Seminole State College and a Bachelor’s in English from East Central University.  She received a Master of Arts in Composition Rhetoric from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond in 2012.

Worthley’s full-time employment will begin on August 12. Services will be evaluated each spring before March 1 to determine each institution’s needs for the next academic year.