Courtesy of AWC Marketing & PR

Now that the University of Arizona and Arizona Western College have entered into a new transfer partnership to offer many new academic programs, time- and place-bound students in Arizona's Yuma and La Paz counties have additional options for pursuing degrees.

An event to mark an agreement solidifying the 16 new transfer admissions pathways programs was held Feb. 29 on the AWC campus.

"This historic agreement," said AWC President Glenn Mayle, "allows our students to transfer seamlessly into the University of Arizona as a junior here in Yuma County."

The collaboration is yet another example of UofA partnerships designed to increase access to higher education across the state. Depending on the program, students can complete their degrees at AWC or do so by transferring to UA or UA South in Sierra Vista.

"Our partnership with AWC and other community colleges is both strategic and critical," said UA President Eugene G. Sander. "We are excited about offering alternative pathways to degrees for more students across the state."

Sander emphasized that not all students are able to attend at the University's main campus for the full amount of time required to complete an academic program, so such partnerships are especially important to meet the increasing demand for degrees.

The new program is among other offerings the UofA and AWC have previously announced, including a Bachelor of Science degree in family studies and human development (FSHD) from the John & Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Also, the two institutions are partnering on a five-year, $6 million U.S. Department of Education grant to expand college-level engineering education, specifically for four-year engineering degrees.

Whichever path a student chooses, the 16 new transfer pathway programs will be a "seamless transfer pathway" to a UofA degree, Sander added.

The degree programs are:

• Bachelor of Science degrees in crop production, agribusiness economics and management; agricultural technology management and education; computer science; systems engineering; family studies and human development; mathematics for secondary education; nutritional sciences; public health; and retailing and consumer sciences.
• Bachelor of Arts degrees in communication and in political science.
• A Bachelor of Elective Studies (a self-planned program) in environmental science.
• Through UA South (offered online or on site in Sierra Vista), the offerings are a Bachelor of Science in elementary education, and a Bachelor in Applied Studies in supervision and in human services.

Sander said additional pathway degree programs are expected to be announced in the future.

"It is exciting to take our AWC partnership to a new level," Sander said. "The primary goal is making it easier for students to achieve a degree."

Photo courtesy of AWC Photo Services