By Eliza Rohda ‘26 

On February 10, President Westbrook met with President Mitch Henry of Faulkner University to sign a memorandum of understanding outlining a new partnership between the two schools. 

 

As a result of this new partnership, York University students will benefit from preferred enrollment opportunities in select Faulkner graduate programs. YU students qualified for admission to Faulkner’s Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Master of Speech-Language Pathology programs will be given automatic admittance. Up to five YU students per year may be given automatic admittance into each of these three programs, with a total of 15 YU students across the three programs being able to benefit from this agreement. 

 

Additionally, students interested in pursuing an accelerated law degree will be able to complete three years of coursework at York University before transitioning to Faulkner’s Jones School of Law for their last three years. This program would allow students to complete both their bachelor’s and law degrees, preparing them to take the bar exam in just six years. Many Jones graduates have found success serving as District Attorneys, public defenders and circuit court judges.

 

“We are genuinely excited about the preferred admissions opportunity before us,” Provost Shannon Leinen said. “These partnerships open meaningful pathways for our students and reflect the momentum of our exponentially growing Division of Math and Sciences.”

 

“Our goal is not simply to see students advance to graduate school, but to see them do so in environments that align with York University’s mission and values,” Dr. Leinen said. “In our view, we are nailing that goal with the alignment with Faulkner University, and we thank them for this opportunity.”