US-based Shorelight Education has announced two new pathway partnerships with American University in Washington, DC, and Adelphi University in New York.
The two agreements bring the total number of institutional partnerships to eight for Shorelight, which was established in 2013 and specialises in preparing students for degree programmes.
“We wanted to diversify for our students the types of offerings that they could have”
Adelphi University is the company’s first private partner as the company aims not only to expand but also to vary its offering, Tom Dretler, Shorelight’s CEO, told The PIE News.
“We wanted to diversify for our students the types of offerings that they could have,” Dretler said. “Some of them want to be in bigger schools, some of them want to be in smaller schools; some want expertise in certain kinds of programme offerings, some want it in others.”
Shorelight will establish International Accelerator Programmes at both institutions that will prepare students for study at their respective university, as well as helping them to acclimatise to the academic and social culture of the US.
They will build on existing infrastructure to provide academic, social, and professional development opportunities alongside English language instruction.
Both will welcome their first students in autumn 2016.
“People still refer to Shorelight as a new entrant… [But] our pacing on signings is four times faster than anyone else in the market, so we’re averaging one deal a quarter and that pacing is accelerating,” Dretler said.
“With the addition of New York and Washington, DC, I think you could argue that we have potentially the most geographically desirable portfolio,” he added.
Christine Riordan, president of Adelphi University, said that its partnership with Shorelight will “prepare our students to live and work in a global society”.
And Scott Bass, provost at American University, added that the new programme will support the institution’s aim to ensure that students graduate as “outstanding global citizens”.
“Our collaboration with Shorelight supports the aspirations of our students and provides new and innovative ways to ensure American University’s impact is being felt in every corner of the world,” he said.
