CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state’s Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education agreed to assist students in transferring more easily between institutions.
The joint resolution, approved Friday by the HEPC, intends to help credit hours transfer more readily between two- and four-year colleges.
“The collective agreement reached today by community and technical colleges and four-year institutions is the first step toward making the credit transfer process easier for students across West Virginia,” Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said. “Our ultimate goal is to help students earn their degrees without delay—and start building the bright future they’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
Latest numbers show undergraduate transfer rates between the two- and four-year colleges has increased by 39.5 percent during the last five years.
The governor’s office detailed the resolution in a Friday news release:
“In the joint resolution, the Commission and Council affirm that public institutions of higher education must make every effort possible to accept credit hours earned at any other public higher education in West Virginia, while sustaining the integrity of academic programs. To accomplish this, the four- and two-year systems will collaborate to develop and implement a statewide agreement for alignment of associate programs to be accepted and fully credited to a related baccalaureate degree program.
In addition, the Commission and Council will develop a reverse transfer policy that facilitates associate degree completion by allowing students who earn their final credits at a four-year institution to have those credits sent back to and credited by the community college where they started. The entities also will create a joint commission to hear and resolve issues related to transfer disagreements between students and institutions.”