July 19, 2012
Teamwork for success: K-State, Garden City Community College sign agreement allowing students easier access to both institutions
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
Kansas State University and Garden City Community College are making it easier for students to transfer credit hours earned at the university toward completion of their community college degree.
K-State President Kirk Schulz and Garden City Community College President Herbert Swender are signing a reverse transfer agreement today between the two schools. The agreement will allow credits earned at K-State to transfer toward an unfinished associate degree at Garden City Community College.
"Increasing access to higher education for all Kansans is a vital part of K-State's 2025 plan, and this reverse transfer partnership with Garden City Community College advances our visionary plan by providing a new opportunity for students to achieve even more with their educational goals," Schulz said.
Under the agreement, students enrolled at K-State who previously attended Garden City Community College, or who are currently enrolled at the community college, meet its resident credit requirement and are able to transfer a minimum of 45 credit hours to K-State, will be eligible for reverse transfer credit to facilitate their degree completion from the community college. The agreement will benefit students enrolling for the fall 2012 semester and future semesters.
The agreement gives qualified students added flexibility and convenience in their degree options, said Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students at K-State.
"This agreement is one more way to give students from all corners of the state seamless access to higher education," Bosco said. "Garden City provides an excellent community college experience to many students who will go on to be K-Staters, and we wanted to reward them for their hard work with the option of obtaining their associate degree."
K-State already makes it easy for students attending Garden City Community College to turn their associate degrees in social science, family studies and human services, and business administration into bachelor's degrees in interdisciplinary social science, family studies and human services, general business and fire science and technology management through 2+2 agreements between the two schools. Students are able to take courses for two years at the community college and then finish the remaining two years of course work through online courses offered through K-State's distance education programs.
K-State also has similar 2+2 agreements with the state's 18 other community colleges. More information is available at http://www.dce.k-state.edu/affiliations/2+2/.