Admissions program aims to make credit transfer and student transitions easier, more practical
Students admitted to Kirkwood Community College who plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa can now sign up for the Admissions Partnership Program to streamline the transfer process.
UNI President Ben Allen and Kirkwood Community College President Mick Starcevich signed the Admissions Partnership Program agreement Monday, Nov. 17 in a ceremony at Kirkwood. The program will be coordinated by UNI’s Office of Academic Advising and Kirkwood’s Enrollment Services office.
“UNI has a long history of working with Iowa’s community colleges, which play an important role in providing higher education to Iowans,” Allen said. “This new connection to Kirkwood gives students a direct link to UNI from the day they sign up for the Admissions Partnership Program, and we believe it will make earning a bachelor’s degree a reality for more and more Iowans.”
Students accepted into the Admissions Partnership Program while enrolled at Kirkwood benefit from:
– Guaranteed admission to UNI, provided all requirements are met.
– Timely progress toward graduation. With the exception of some UNI programs, participation enables students who stay on track to begin at Kirkwood and graduate from UNI in a total of eight semesters.
– Option to lock-in bachelor’s degree requirements with the same status as a student who enrolls directly at UNI as an entering freshman.
– Academic advising at both Kirkwood and UNI from the point of acceptance in to the APP.
– Early orientation and scheduling for the first semester at UNI.
– Guaranteed placement in UNI housing, provided the student complies with established residence policies and application procedures and deadlines.
– Access to UNI campus and student resources.
– Receipt of updated UNI materials and information about campus events and opportunities.
– Updated Kirkwood transcripts automatically sent to UNI at the end of each semester.
“This is a great step forward for Kirkwood and UNI, of course. But the key benefactors are our students,” Starcevich said. “This agreement recognizes the high value many hundreds of students put on their associate degree transfers to the University of Northern Iowa each year. The benefits of early advising, sound academic information and clear goal-setting will be a boon to student success and a plus for parents who will enjoy seeing their children make steady progress toward degrees and careers. Finally, this is good news for our entire state, as we demonstrate that our two institutions are committed to common goals of academic efficiency and success.”
Students who want to be a part of the Kirkwood-UNI Admissions Partnership Program must enroll at Kirkwood Community College as a degree-seeking student in a program appropriate for the transfer and then apply to the program. Once accepted into the Admissions Partnership Program, the student will meet with a Kirkwood adviser/counselor each semester to select course work that meets UNI’s transfer requirements and consult with a UNI adviser each semester prior to transfer.
In addition to one-on-one work with Admissions Partnership Program students, UNI will collaborate with Kirkwood to provide career exploration programs to undecided students, provide a transfer plan to allow for maximum applicability of coursework to the student’s designated degree program, and provide opportunities for participating students to take part in a number of activities and services at no charge.
For more information about the Admissions Partnership Program, contact a Kirkwood counselor or contact UNI Admissions Partnership Program transfer relations advisor Tony Smothers at (319) 273-3406 or [email protected] .