WSCC signs transfer agreement with 25 colleges, universities. 

WSCC signs transfer agreement with 25 colleges, universities. 

LANSING – Transferring to a four-year college or university from West Shore Community College will now be even simpler thanks to new transfer agreements signed with 25 Michigan colleges and universities.

“The goal of these agreements is to make the overall transfer experience more efficient, simpler to understand, and easier to navigate while optimizing the number of credits that transfer to four-year institutions for community college students across Michigan,” said WSCC President Scott Ward, who serves on the statewide steering committee for this initiative which includes all 28 Michigan public community colleges and 25 public and private four-year colleges and universities.

 Transfer agreements will allow students to transfer more credits to four-year schools in the areas of biology, business, criminal justice and psychology. The new agreements specify major-specific courses that students should complete while enrolled at WSCC that are common across all institutions in Michigan.  The identification of these courses makes it easier for students to complete essential courses before deciding where to transfer.

 College advisors and counselors now have details available for students about which courses they should complete and how those courses apply to degree programs at the participating universities. 

 “Transferring from community college to a four-year college or university is more common than ever,” said Erica Lee Orians, executive director of the Michigan Center for Student Success at the Michigan Community College Association. “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.”

 The initiative was funded through the Fiscal Year 2018 state budget which included a one-time appropriation to support this initiative, the redesigned Michigan Transfer Network at www.mitransfer.org, work to build stronger math pathways, and efforts to award credit for military experience. 

 A study conducted by the National Student Clearinghouse found that 52 percent of bachelor’s degree earners in Michigan previously enrolled at a community college, which is higher than the national average of 49 percent.

 The Michigan Center for Student Success is leading the statewide initiative for the MCCA in partnership with the Michigan Association of State Universities and the Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities. The project continues through fall 2020 and WSCC is working on completing additional agreements in other academic program areas.