GCCC BOT Hears Monitoring Reports and Discusses Transfer Data
[Garden City, KS] June 21, 2023 -- The Garden City Community College Board of Trustees heard monitoring reports and discussed institutional transfer data during the regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
The Board of Trustees held three consecutive executive sessions where no action was taken. Then the consent agenda was approved, followed by a discussion of the confirmation of monitoring reports and ends. The first report discussed the Academic Advancement policy: "Students desiring academic advancement will be prepared for successful transfer to other colleges and universities. 1. Students will have appropriate knowledge of transfer requirements. 2. Students will have the academic prerequisites sufficient for successful transfer. 3. Students will have opportunities for advanced degrees."
Dr. Ryan Ruda, GCCC President, and Dr. Marc Malone, GCCC Vice President for Instructional Services/CAO, shared Garden City Community College institutional transfer data relating to the policy. During the 2019-2020 academic year, approximately 60% of GCCC degrees and certificates were awarded in transfer-oriented subjects, meaning students intended to transfer to a four-year university and pursue, at minimum, a bachelor's degree. One measure of the success of course and program articulation is the number of credit hours students transfer from GCCC to four-year institutions in the state. Generally, the closer a college's number is to 60 credits, the stronger the transfer program. On average, GCCC students transferred 56.3 credits to these schools (52.62 in previous year), placing GCCC above the median transfer credit hour of 46.8 and first in the state (fourth in previous year) among the 19 Kansas community colleges.
Also discussed was the statewide general education framework and systemwide program-to-program transfer through the Kansas Board of Regents. This will guarantee all general education credits transfer from Kansas community colleges to all Kansas public institutions. "This will have significant benefits for GCCC students," Dr. Malone shared. "Garden City Community College will become the smartest financial decision any degree-seeking student in our region can make," he said. The statewide general education framework is expected to launch in Fall 2024.
Additionally, Dr. Malone shared that GCCC has created an Articulation Database on the GCCC website. This list better organizes the current program-to-program articulation agreements GCCC holds with other institutions. The database is searchable by keyword and listed by transfer university. It includes a summary of the requirements, a link to the formal agreement, and, when possible, a link to GCCC-specific information on the university's website. Dr. Malone said, "Now that this articulation information is more user-friendly, it will be integrated into advisor training, and the college's chat bot will be updated to include this information when students ask about transfer opportunities, which will enhance the student experience."
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the Logan Aviation Endowment Room inside the Beth Tedrow Student Center at GCCC.
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Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.