NCMC+UCM Direct Connect Transfer Agreement Provides Seamless Pathway from Two-Year to Four-Year Degree, Initially for Seven Programs

University of Central Missouri President Roger Best, left, and North Central Missouri College President Lenny Klaver sign documents making possible the new NCMC+UCM Direct Connect Transfer Agreement.

WARRENSBURG, MO -- An agreement that makes it possible for students at North Central Missouri College (NCMC) to pursue an associate degree while concurrently taking courses leading to a bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) was signed Feb. 26 at NCMC in Trenton. The NCMC+UCM Direct Connect Transfer Agreement builds upon a relationship between both institutions that not only helps facilitate credit transfer between NCMC and UCM, but also includes benefits for students such as lowering the cost of a four-year degree, providing student use of services at each institution, and student record sharing between NCMC and UCM.

UCM President Roger Best and NCMC President Lenny Klaver signed collaboration documents while surrounded by faculty, staff and administrators from both institutions who have played vital roles in launching this initiative. The agreement spells out each institution’s obligations to help facilitate the smooth, seamless transfer of students who complete two-year Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) programs at NCMC to one of seven four-year degree programs at UCM. These  initial dual admission pathways giving NCMC students access to upper-level courses at UCM are:

 · AA/Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice and Criminology
 · AAT/BS in Physical Education (K-12 Certification)
 · AAT /Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) Elementary Education Birth- 3rd Grade
 · AAT/BSE in Elementary Education Grades 1-6
 · AA/BS Construction Management
 · AA/Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing
 · AA/BS in Educational Studies and Training

According to Dr. Mitchell Holder, a UCM alumnus who serves as Dean of Instruction at NCMC, the agreement provides an efficient route to graduation for students who want to pursue any of these degree pathways. While students take advantage of the affordability of the community college experience and diverse levels of academic preparation it makes possible, they also have access to joint academic advising and student services that will help them navigate toward a successful collegiate experience. Contributing to this goal is a $1,500 renewable additional scholarship that will be awarded to a student who graduates from NCMC with a two-year degree and is on the four-year degree path with UCM. This award is stackable with other student financial awards to help lower the cost of their higher education.

“We look forward to providing our students with continued opportunities for seamless transfer to the University of Central Missouri. These academic program articulation agreements will help our students on their educational path as they progress toward graduation and the professional or graduate school opportunities thereafter,” said Klaver. “The expansion of our partnership is a great benefit for our students transferring to UCM.”

Best emphasized the significance of the opportunities provided in the NCMC+UCM Direct Connect Transfer Agreement and the impactful role they will play in ensuring student success.

“We have a lot in common between our institutions…We’re firm believers in providing high-quality education that leads to a meaningful outcome, and doing so for an affordable price,” he said. “We appreciate the longstanding relationship we have with NCMC and are very grateful that we are able to formalize it into very clear pathways for students. At the end of the day, it’s to ensure students can be successful. We want to celebrate that through our agreement signing.”

Dr. Tim Crowley, vice provost for academic programs at UCM, noted that the recently signed articulation documents are just the beginning of many more opportunities for collaboration between both institutions. This will likely lead to additional degree pathways in the future. He and other individuals who spoke at the signing ceremony commended the efforts of their colleagues who are helping to make these opportunities possible.