EMU, MCCC Sign Reverse Transfer Agreemnent
MONROE -- A reverse transfer agreement was signed today between Eastern Michigan University and Monroe County Community College to help students obtain their associate degree through credits accumulated at the university.
For a variety of reasons, many community college students transfer into a four-year university before completing an associate degree. And, while most of these students go on to complete a bachelor's degree, they are missing the opportunity to include another significant academic achievement on their resumes.
"If a student is not able to complete their bachelor's degree for some reason – obtaining the associate degree credential becomes even more critical," said Patricia Cygnar, director of community college relations at EMU.
EMU and MCCC share a long history of working together to improve programs and services to the many students who transfer between the institutions. Building on a dozen program articulation agreements already in place -- as well as EMU's Extended Programs and Educational Outreach offered on the MCCC campus -- the two colleges began to collaborate on a reverse transfer agreement over the course of the last year.
"This is another giant step forward in the partnership between Eastern Michigan University and Monroe County Community College," said MCCC President David Nixon. "EMU and MCCC already have a number of academic partnerships that have been highly valued by our students over the years, such as numerous articulation agreements in a variety of programs that allow students to transition or transfer smoothly, as well as EMU programs right on our campus, including one that allows our registered nursing graduates to complete a bachelor's degree in nursing. And now, with this partnership, students who transfer to EMU early will be able to use the credits they are using toward a bachelor's
degree at EMU to complete an MCCC associate degree."
A new statewide mandate has since gone into effect that requires all public universities to have at least three reverse transfer agreements in place by January.
"This adds value to MCCC associate degree programs and may inspire other colleges to join the movement of entering reverse transfer agreements," Nixon said.
The new agreement will apply to former MCCC students who have transferred a minimum of 45 credits to EMU, have not earned a degree from MCCC and are in good academic standing.
Students meeting the criteria will be sent an e-mail asking if they want their EMU transcript sent back to MCCC (free of charge) to use EMU credits toward completing their associate degree.
