WCET's 28th Annual Meeting
 
Two Within Four MetroConnect Partnership: Streamlining Degree Pathways

Speaker
Moderator: , Associate Professor, College of Individualized Studies, Metropolitan State University
Speaker: , Medical Administrative Assistant/Healthcare Documentation Specialist Program Leader, Rochester Community and Technical College
Speaker: , MCTC Political Science Instructor; Metropolitan State Community Faculty
Speaker: , Director of Student Partnerships and Collaboration


Description


Almost all (95%) students transfer to Metropolitan State University from other institutions, particularly MnSCU community and technical colleges. To better serve these students, Metro State has strengthened existing and developed new partnerships with these institutions through MetroConnect, sharing expertise, particularly in adult learning success, credit for prior learning and competency-based education.
Effective components of evolving partnerships and collaborations include cross-institutional advising helps students plan for their 4-year degree while completing their 2-year degree; this includes: attention to requirements and prerequisites for particular majors, formal articulation agreements identify institution-specific course equivalencies at 2 and 4-year levels, with focus on core courses for business and other majors, scheduling courses on partnership campus sites enable students to conveniently complete part or all of the work for their degrees nearer where they live or work, collaborative financial aid processes enable students to apply aid from their primary institution to pay tuition at partnership institutions, MetroConnect cobranded dual admission, as well as streamlined transfer policies and procedures improve progress and completion of degrees, improved marketing, including social media, informs students of possibilities for attaining their educational goals throughout partnership campuses, sharing resources (including computer labs and classrooms) saves money.

Presentation slides.