Pictured, left to right: Cameron Brunet-Koch, president of North Central Michigan
College; Thomas Quinn, president of Kirtland Community College; Tony McLain, president
of Lake Superior State University; David Eisler, president of Ferris State University;
and Olin Joynton, president of Alpena Community College.
Ferris State University, Alpena Community College, Kirtland Community College, Lake Superior State University and North Central Michigan College have entered into a regional partnership designed to increase the number of students who complete degrees at Michigan colleges and universities.
An agreement formalizing the new reverse transfer agreement was signed on Monday, June 4, by David Eisler, president of Ferris; Cameron Brunet-Koch, president of NCMC; Olin Joynton, president of Alpena Community College; Thomas Quinn, president of Kirtland; and Tony McLain, president of Lake Superior State.
The new partnership will create a process whereby students who transfer from the community colleges to either of the universities can be awarded a community college associate degree with the help of credits earned at the university. Qualifying students must have already earned 45 credits at the community college prior to transfer.
Community colleges offer a number of associate degree programs that encompass the basic courses for a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. The reverse transfer agreement provides an opportunity for transfer students to receive an associate degree when the necessary requirements are met so as to more fully represent their academic success.
The participating universities will notify eligible transfer students and ask their permission to audit their transcripts to determine eligibility for an associate degree. If the additional credits earned at the university are sufficient to meet the community college’s degree criteria, the community college will be notified and the process of awarding a degree will be initiated.
Other Michigan community colleges and universities have recently signed similar agreements to provide a seamless transfer experience and increase student retention and degree completion at both levels.