Schools

UMW and Germanna to Sign Co-Enrollment and Transfer Agreements

One agreement will make it easier for the community college's students to take courses at UMW that will transfer back to their associate degree program.

Those who attend Germanna Community College (GCC) will be able to coenroll at the after the two schools sign an agreement on July 25. GCC students will also be able to transfer easier to UMW's liberal studies program with a separate agreement that will be finalized next week.

Morrison said the coenrollment agreement will allow eligible GCC students to take a limited number of courses at UMW while remaining enrolled at the community college.

"Under the agreement, an eligible student may take up to five courses at UMW that will transfer back to the student’s associate degree program at Germanna," she said. "Co-enrolled students will be admitted to UMW after successfully earning associate degrees and meeting a minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement."

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She said the direct transfer agreement will allow eligible GCC students to transfer to UMW’s bachelor of liberal studies degree program. Morrison said UMW already has a guaranteed admission agreement with GCC and other Virginia community colleges that guarantees admission to students who receive a transfer-oriented associate degree and maintain a 3.25 grade point average. Read the agreement here.

Both of the new agreements are attached to this article in PDF format.

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UMW President Richard V. Hurley and GCC President David A. Sam will represent their respective schools at the ceremony at 10 a.m. July 25 at Dodd Auditorium.

“This historic and innovative agreement marks a new level in the ongoing partnership between The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College," Sam said. "Since President Hurley began his tenure, he and I have had regular and productive meetings on how, together, we can better serve our students, communities, and the Commonwealth. This agreement is one fruit of the trusting relationship he and I have developed."

Sam said students who are coenrolled in these courses may save time, will save money, and will experience the university before transferring, making themselves more ready for the transition and more likely to be happy and successful after they transfer.

"It can also enrich the course opportunities they have while still enrolled at Germanna," he said.

Michael Zitz, Germanna Community College's spokesman, said the two new agreements support the community college's mission of making quality higher education affordable and accessible by reinforcing its longstanding partnership with UMW.

"It’s an enhancement of that partnership that will be good for the people of our area, leading to more degrees, paving the way to good jobs and to a better standard of living," he said. "It will help build a stronger local economy because an educated workforce makes local businesses more competitive and attracts new ones to the area. In addition to fostering prosperity, we believe these agreements will strengthen our area by preparing good citizens to become engaged in the community and to assume leadership roles."


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