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Wordsmiths Reading Series Features Two Award-Winning Authors
Bucks County Community College, which has a 60-year history of bringing world-renowned authors to Newtown, invites the public to hear authors Jennifer Tseng and Amy Small-McKinney read from their works on Friday, September 26 as part of its ongoing Wordsmiths Reading Series. The free event takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Tyler Hall on the Newtown Campus, and will be followed by a book-signing and reception.
Jennifer Tseng, a poet and fiction writer, was born in Indiana and raised in California by a first-generation Chinese immigrant engineer and a third-generation German-American microbiologist. Her flash fiction collection “The Passion of Woo & Isolde” (Rose Metal Press 2017) was a Firecracker Award Finalist and winner of an Eric Hoffer Book Award. Her novel “Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness” (Europa Editions 2015) was shortlisted for the PEN American Center's Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and the New England Book Award. She's also the author of four award-winning poetry books, including her most recent “Thanks for Letting Us Know You Are Alive” published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2024. Tseng is serving as the final judge for the 2025 Bucks County Poet Laureate competition, administered by the College.
Amy Small-McKinney is the author of six books of poetry. Her newest book “& You Think It Ends” was released in March by Glass Lyre Press. Her second full-length book of poems “Walking Toward Cranes” (Glass Lyre Press, 2016), won the Kithara Book Prize.
The Wordsmiths Reading Series is another way that Bucks County Community College connects the community with the region’s vibrant literary heritage. The College – which was founded in 1964 and opened its doors the following year – has a long history of hosting literary greats, including poet Allen Ginsberg and many award-winning authors.
The Wordsmiths Reading Series, which is free and open to the public, is funded by the College’s Cultural Affairs Committee. To learn more, visit the Wordsmiths page on the Bucks website or contact the School of Language & Literature at langandlit@bucks.edu or 215-968-8150.
Bucks County Community College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking. For a campus map and directions, visit the Newtown Campus page on the Bucks website.
Faculty Emeriti Celebrate Rare Exhibition at Hicks Art Center
Artists representing six decades of legacy converged on Bucks County Community College’s Hicks Art Center August 28 to celebrate “The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition.” Various works by 27 retired professors and administrators from 1965 to 2025 are shown and heard throughout the Hicks Art Center, including recent and historic works that have never been exhibited or played in public before. The opening reception on the Newtown Campus also gave the artistic community the opportunity to meet Carolina Blatt, Ph.D., the new dean of the School of Arts and Communication. The show, which is free and open to the public, runs through October 25.
Carolina Blatt, dean of Bucks County Community College’s School of Arts and Communication, addresses visitors to “The Faculty Emeriti Exhibition” August 28 on the Newtown Campus. “Bucks’ reputation as a creative wellspring in the community is due in large part to the exceptional artists who have populated our faculty and nurtured our students,” Blatt said. The Hicks Art Center show, reflecting six decades of works by retired faculty, is open through October 25. (Credit: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
Bruce Katsiff, who chaired Bucks County Community College’s arts department in the 1970s and 80s before becoming the founding director of the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, chats with Emmi Schatz, whose mother Charlotte Schatz (1929-2023) taught at Bucks for more than 30 years. Katsiff and Charlotte Schatz are among 27 artists whose works are featured in “The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition” through October 25 on the Newtown Campus. (Credit: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
Jon Burns (left), faculty member at Bucks County Community College, talks with gallery visitor Joe Seltzer before artwork by Bruce Katsiff entitled “Alan Goldstein (BP)” (2011, archival pigment print). Katsiff is among 27 artists whose works are featured in “The Faculty Emeriti Exhibition” through October 25 in the Hicks Art Center on the Newtown Campus. (Credit: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
Gallery visitor Frank Pronesti reflects on Charlotte Schatz’s “Study for War in the Gulf” (1991, acrylic on paper) at “The Faculty Emeriti Exhibition” at Bucks County Community College’s Hicks Art Center. Schatz (1929 – 2023) taught at BCCC for more than 30 years. The exhibition, featuring the works of 27 artists, is open through October 25 on the Newtown Campus. (Credit: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
BCCC Launches International Transfer Partnership with Wrexham University
Bucks County Community College officials are proud to announce a groundbreaking international partnership — the College’s first — with Wrexham University in Wales, UK, offering Bucks students a seamless and affordable path to earning a globally recognized bachelor’s degree in as little as one year abroad. This unique program allows students to explore the world, immerse themselves in a different culture, and graduate with an international degree in only three years with an option to earn their MBA in the fourth year.
This new transfer opportunity comes at a time when U.S. students are increasingly looking beyond national borders for affordable, high-quality higher education. According to a recent article in The Independent, UK universities are seeing a surge in applications from American students, many of whom are drawn by lower tuition costs, shorter degree programs, and the chance to travel abroad.
Through the new Bucks-Wrexham agreement, students completing their associate degree in Business Administration at Bucks can transfer directly to Wrexham University to complete a bachelor’s degree in either Business and Management or Accounting and Finance Management in just one additional year. Participants may also opt to stay for an accelerated MBA, completing the graduate degree in just four years total from their Bucks start.
“This is more than a transfer agreement — it’s a transformational experience,” said Bucks County Community College President & CEO Patrick M. Jones. “Our students gain access to a high-quality international education at a fraction of the cost of many U.S. institutions, while immersing themselves in Welsh culture and gaining a global perspective.”
The partnership also builds on the growing connection between Wrexham and the greater Philadelphia region, thanks in part to actor and producer Rob McElhenney. A South Philadelphia native and co-owner of Wrexham A.F.C., McElhenney has helped put the Welsh town on the map for many Americans through the acclaimed documentary “Welcome to Wrexham.” His pride in his Philly roots and genuine investment in Wrexham’s resurgence as a community highlight the deep cultural resonance this opportunity offers to Bucks students.
Moss Garde, Pro Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement and Partnerships at Wrexham University, said: “This international partnership with Bucks County Community College is incredibly exciting as it reflects our commitment to creating global pathways in education. By opening up new opportunities for collaboration and student mobility, we are delivering on our newly launched 2030 vision and strategy to be a connected, inclusive, and globally engaged university.”
Students enrolled in the program will benefit from:
A $2,500 scholarship toward tuition
Access to state-of-the-art facilities and award-winning teaching
The chance to live in Wrexham, a vibrant town situated on the Wales-England border and just a short train ride from London, Liverpool, and Manchester
Founded in 1887 and granted university status in 2008, Wrexham University is home to more than 9,000 students — including more than 1,500 international students — and is ranked #1 in Wales for teaching excellence and social inclusion.
The Bucks-Wrexham partnership is part of the College’s larger commitment to global citizenship. A proud member of the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia (BABCPHL), Bucks County Community College is committed to providing students innovative, affordable educational pathways that prepare them for success in today’s global economy.
For more information or to apply, students should contact the School of Business, Innovation, and Legal Studies at Bucks via email to business@bucks.edu or visit Wrexham Bound on the website.
Bucks County Community College Turns Passion for Pets Into Careers
Bucks County Community College students took part in a flurry of pet-themed fun at the Upper Bucks Campus Wednesday, August 20, to celebrate the start of the new veterinary technician major. Activities included tossing cotton balls into a protective cone (worn by a human instead of a pet), a dog-collar ring toss, and partaking in a “kitty litter” edible treat on the first day of the fall semester. The Associate of Applied Science degree is the first credit program offered exclusively at the Upper Bucks Campus in Perkasie. In the final two terms of the five-semester program, students will gain practical experience working at a veterinary clinic or with a vet who makes farm calls for larger animals. Graduates will be able to work in veterinary practices, labs, or pharmaceutical and veterinary sales. Twenty-five students are enrolled in the initial class this fall. To learn more, email VetTech@bucks.edu.
Students take part in pet-themed games, like tossing cotton balls into a protective cone, to mark the start of the veterinary technician major at Bucks County Community College’s Upper Bucks Campus. (CREDIT: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)
Connie Corrigan, Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Kinesiology and Sport Studies, serves up a “kitty litter” edible treat to celebrate the first day of classes for students in the veterinary technician major, the first credit program offered exclusively at Bucks County Community College’s Upper Bucks Campus in Perkasie. (CREDIT: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)
More than two dozen students majoring in the new veterinary technician program attend the first class at Bucks County Community College’s Upper Bucks Campus on August 20. In the final two terms of the five-semester program, students will gain practical experience working at a veterinary clinic or with a vet who makes farm calls for larger animals. (CREDIT: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)
Poet Laureate Contest Entry Deadline Nears
For those who save their best writing for last, the time is near for local scribes to enter the 49th annual Bucks County Poet Laureate contest, according to Bucks County Community College (BCCC) officials.
Professor Ethel Rackin, director of the longest-running poet laureate program in Pennsylvania, is encouraging writers to get their creative juices flowing and enter by September 19. Entrants must be Bucks County residents over age 18 who have never previously served as poet laureate, explained Rackin, a language and literature professor at BCCC, which administers the program.
Each entrant must submit an entry form with 10 original poems of any style, form, or length to the College’s School of Language and Literature. Entries must be submitted online by Friday, September 19.
The winner receives a $500 honorarium, a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners, and a reading and reception at Bucks County Community College with 2024 Poet Laureate Lake Angela, contest judges, and contest runners-up.
Two judges will blindly select the winner. The preliminary judge will narrow the entries down to a few dozen for the final judge, who will choose the winner and three runners-up from the pool of finalists.
There is no charge for entry. All work must be original and can be published or unpublished. All entries must be submitted online by September 19. For more information, contact Ethel Rackin at Ethel.Rackin@bucks.edu.
Bucks County Community College and Stockton University Sign Transfer Agreement
Stockton University has signed a dual admission and transfer partnership agreement with Bucks County Community College that will help students make a smooth transition from the two-year college to Stockton’s bachelor’s degree programs.
This agreement strengthens the relationship between Bucks and Stockton, located in Galloway, NJ., by offering multiple opportunities for students to seamlessly pursue associate and bachelor’s degrees at the two institutions of higher education.
The ability to transfer academic credits between the two institutions will help students save both time and money by eliminating unnecessary or duplication of courses. The agreement recognizes all Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees from Bucks as fully transferable to Stockton, up to 64 credits.
“The agreement offers students an affordable path to a four-year college degree by giving students access to Stockton services and advising while they attend Bucks County Community College and provides a smooth pathway to Stockton as juniors after they earn their associate degree,” Stockton President Joe Bertolino said.
The two institutions also signed program-to-program transfer agreements in Business Administration, including Marketing and Management concentrations.
Bucks County Community College President & CEO Patrick M. Jones added, “We are excited to partner with Stockton to minimize student debt by allowing students to save time and money and the opportunity to graduate from a top-ranked university with their bachelor’s degree. Stockton’s high-quality programs, tradition of student success, and unique location in South Jersey amid a variety of industries and recreational opportunities will make this an attractive opportunity for our students.”
The terms of the agreement include:
Students who successfully complete their associate degree at Bucks County Community College can automatically transfer to Stockton with junior standing to complete their bachelor’s degree. Application fees to Stockton will be waived for eligible students.
Students who complete at least 30 credits at Bucks County Community College, and a total of 60 credits between the community college and the four-year institution, are eligible to receive a retroactive associate degree from Bucks. Stockton and Bucks will co-host “reverse transfer” information sessions for students.
Stockton and Bucks County Community College will develop specific program-to-program articulation agreements for high-demand majors to facilitate the quality and ease of transfer.
Students will receive joint advising from Stockton and Bucks County Community College.
Students will be eligible for financial aid from whichever institution they are attending. Stockton will provide five one-year scholarships of $2,000 per year to Bucks County Community College graduates whose admission to Stockton is covered by the agreement.
Stockton and Bucks will work together to provide opportunities for Bucks County Community College students who have completed two semesters at Bucks to participate in Stockton’s Live-Work-Learn summer experience program.
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, residents who are not admitted directly to Stockton as a first-year applicant can receive conditional dual admission in partnership with Bucks County Community College. Students will attend classes at Bucks County Community College but have access to campus housing, activities and student groups at Stockton and receive a special Stockton identification card through Stockton’s Transfer Pathways program.
