The University of Mount Olive (UMO) and Wayne Community College (WCC) have signed an agreement that provides for the community college’s students who have earned an associate in applied science degree to transfer seamlessly into an array of programs at the university.
The partnership enhances and expands the University of Mount Olive’s participation as a signatory institution in the Universal General Education Transfer Component Agreement between the NC Community College System and NC Independent Colleges and Universities. That agreement provides for the transfer of associate of arts and associate of science course credits and the one signed Friday (Aug. 28) between UMO and WCC recognizes associate in applied science (AAS) program credits.
UMO will provide current WCC students and recent graduates guaranteed admission and acceptance of appropriate transfer hours, up to 64 credits from specified AAS programs, with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. WCC graduates will be eligible for consideration of the full range of academic programs at University of Mount Olive locations.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 15 percent of community college students who transfer lose nearly all of their credits in the process, costing them precious time and money. Another third lose a significant proportion of their credits. In all, students who transfer from any kind of college or university to another lose an average of 13 credits when they do, and nearly 40 percent get no credit for the work they’ve already completed.
The arrangement also allows WCC students to be eligible to apply for all state and federal financial aid.
To make it even easier, the UMO will have an admission representative on site at WCC with regular hours for advising students interested in transferring to UMO.
The partnership between UMO and WCC is what Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter, president of the University of Mount Olive, says will create an excellent opportunity for community college students to continue their education beyond the associate degree as they prepare for the future.
He noted that Wayne County is extremely fortunate to have both a community college and a university within its borders that allow residents to pursue educational programs from pre-school to the graduate level without having to leave the county.
“The two institutions have common denominator programs. It makes sense to help students flow smoothly from WCC to UMO so they can build on their associate degrees and earn bachelor’s degrees,” said WCC President Kay H. Albertson.
“This agreement gives more transfer options to WCC graduates from all of our associate degree areas, not just the associate in science and associate in arts degrees, but also the programs that result in associate in applied science degrees,” Dr. Albertson said. “It opens options that some of our students may not have considered in the past and the UMO admissions counselor on the WCC campus will walk students through them.”
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, and in Smithfield at Johnston Community College. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, it serves 14,500 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 90 college credit programs. Learn more about WCC at www.waynecc.edu.
Wayne Community College’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
