A new agreement between Bay College and Michigan Tech focuses on easing the transfer process, particularly for first-generation students, through coordinated academic advising and established degree pathways.
Bay College announced a new transfer partnership with Michigan Tech University. The transfer agreement will begin with programs in the Department of Applied Computing and will eventually expand to other fields of study, according to a recent news release. Officials from both colleges said that the agreement will be particularly helpful for first-generation college students by providing academic advising from both colleges, ensuring that students are on track and taking the correct courses for transfer into the Electrical Engineering Technology or Mechatronics bachelor's degree programs offered at Michigan Tech.
The agreement outlines how students will transition from their associate degree programs into their bachelor degree programs, with advisors from both institutions providing guidance to students on selecting the right classes as well as the application and transfer process. This type of assistance can be especially helpful for students who are the first in their families to attend college. As Michigan Tech's Associate Provost for Curriculum and Instruction, Jean Kampe, said in the news release, "First-generation students often question whether they’re ‘good enough’ and it’s a big question for them. This agreement helps with that. Positioning academic advisors for collaboration is a fabulous arrangement for community college students."
According to Matt Barron, Bay College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, the clarity provided to students is something that sets this agreement apart, "Integration is something that educational institutions often struggle with. This agreement presents students with a clear educational pathway from a two-year to a four-year degree."
Driving home the case for transfer agreements such as this to help more first-generation students achieve four-year degrees, Academic Advisor Kay Oliver of MTU said, "Four-year college completion rates for first-generation students are 15% lower than for students who have parents with college experience. Bay College and Michigan Tech are working to narrow that gap and build an easy-to-navigate pathway that begins at Bay College and accompanies the student through their completion of a bachelor’s degree."