Kellogg Community College is participating in a new statewide initiative that promises to make it easier for community college students to transfer their credits into a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year college or university in Michigan.
The Michigan Community College Association’s MiTransfer Pathways initiative is among several projects spearheaded by the group to increase the rate of degree attainment among community college transfer students. The goal of the MiTransfer Pathways project is to provide students with common statewide associate to bachelor’s degree transfer agreements across a variety of academic disciplines, simplifying the transfer process and empowering students with the information they need to be successful at the next level of their education.
The initiative began in 2018 and is on track to be completed in three phases covering 12 academic transfer programs by the end of this year. Phase I of the project was completed earlier this month and included new transfer agreements signed with 25 Michigan colleges and universities for majors including biology, business, criminal justice and psychology.
KCC President Dr. Adrien Bennings said the new agreements will make the transfer process much easier for KCC students interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in one of these majors after earning an associate at KCC.
“Kellogg Community College is thrilled to be a part of this initiative and to collaborate with the MCCA and partner institutions on a plan so intentionally designed to promote student success,” Bennings said. “These new agreements will make the transfer process simpler, more straightforward and seamless for our students, eliminating duplicate coursework and saving our students precious time and money as they continue their education at the university level.”
The new agreements are similar to the statewide Michigan Transfer Agreement implemented in 2014, which was designed to facilitate the transfer of general education credits between colleges and universities in Michigan. The MiTransfer Pathways agreements go beyond general education credits to specify major-specific courses that students should complete while enrolled at KCC that are common across all institutions in Michigan.
Erica Lee Orians, executive director of the Michigan Center for Student Success at the Michigan Community College Association, said the identification of these courses makes it easier for students to complete essential courses before deciding where to transfer.
“Transferring from community college to a four-year college or university is more common than ever,” Orians said. “Our community colleges want to ensure that students receive credit for the courses they have completed when they take the next step in their education.”
More information about the MiTransfer Pathways initiative can be found online at www.mitransfer.net. Students interested in finding out what courses they should complete for their chosen major and and how those courses apply to degree programs at participating universities can contact KCC’s Academic Advising office at 269-965-4124 or advising@kellogg.edu.
The MiTransfer Pathways initiative was funded through the Fiscal Year 2018 state budget which included a one-time appropriation that also supported the redesigned Michigan Transfer Network website at www.mitransfer.org; work to build stronger math pathways at Michigan community colleges; and efforts to award credit for military experience.
About the Michigan Center for Student Success
The Michigan Center for Student Success, founded in 2011, serves as a hub connecting leadership, administrators, faculty and staff in their emerging and ongoing efforts to improve student outcomes, emphasizing linkages between practice, research and policy. The center has led statewide initiatives focused on reengaging adults, developmental education, transfer, veterans and advising. The center is part of the 16-state Student Success Center Network working with more than half of the community colleges in the nation.
About the Michigan Community College Association
The Michigan Community College Association fosters collaboration, connection and partnerships among the 28 public community colleges in Michigan and their stakeholders. The MCCA provides strong legislative and public advocacy in Lansing and throughout Michigan, works to improve the image and credibility of community colleges, and advances numerous shared initiatives through the Michigan Center for Student Success, Michigan Colleges Online and the Michigan New Jobs Training Program.
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