The partnership is intended to strengthen Kentucky’s workforce pipeline and increase student success by removing barriers to attaining a bachelor degree.
Northern Kentucky University and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System have formed a transfer partnership that will help develop the region’s workforce and help students achieve success by removing barriers to attaining a bachelor degree. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is made up of 16 community and technical colleges and enrolls more than 100,000 students every year. The new partnership will ensure that students who begin at one of the KCTCS colleges will have a clear pathway to transfer into a Northern Kentucky University bachelor degree program.
According to an article on Northern Kentucky University's website, Ryan Quarles, who serves as the president of KCTCS, was quoted as saying of the college system and the students it serves, “At KCTCS, we have 120,000 students, many of which have different pathways on their educational journeys. It doesn’t matter if they are coming to us for a high-quality technical degree and want to go straight into the workforce, or for an associate’s degree, we meet students where they are at in their journey in life, and we are very proud of that. This is what access looks like. This is what opportunity feels like. And this is how we turn potential into degrees and degrees into futures.”
The transfer partnership will create pathways that students can follow to ensure they will thrive on their education journey. Northern Kentucky University and KCTCS will align around the students, providing students with a seamless transfer experience that will evolve and adapt each year. The agreement will become responsive to workforce needs and will help students move further into their chosen career pathways more quickly.
Dr. Cady Short-Thompson, the president of Northern Kentucky University, said, “This partnership is about meeting students where they are and helping them move forward with confidence. By creating clear, connected pathways from KCTCS to NKU, we are making it easier for students to build momentum, stay on track, and reach their goals.”
For more information about Northern Kentucky University, visit the school’s website.