The Rend Lake Board of Trustees announced on Tuesday night that they approved an articulation agreement with SIU Carbondale to link the college’s Criminal Justice Program to SIU. Rend Lake students who complete the Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice will be able to transfer seamlessly as juniors into SIU Carbondale’s Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Under this agreement, Rend Lake students are required to complete specific courses and maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher to qualify. Once the student is at SIU, they will be required to complete approximately 42 credit hours to complete the bachelor’s degree. The Dean for Applied Science and Technology at Rend Lake stated that she believes this is a great opportunity for students looking at staying in the area. The Dean Gabriele Farner stated, “The addition of Southern Illinois University to our list of opportunities for Criminal Justice graduates is fantastic in so many ways. Not only is it a local partnership that brings in new ideas and technologies to our students, but it also gives the students another, local option to continue their education.” The agreement joins two other options for Rend Lake Criminal Justice students, who can also opt for similar arrangements at Central Methodist University and Missouri Baptist University. Each of these articulation agreements will be reevaluated annually by Rend Lake College and the partnering university. The agreement will be effective immediately for those who meet program requirements at both institutions. Students who are wishing to learn more about this program should contact their RLC Academic Adviser at 618-437-53-21, extension 12-66.