Under a new agreement, it will be easier for Dutchess Community College students to transfer to SUNY New Paltz.
DCC students will now be able to avail themselves of a streamlined "credit transfer experience" when they make the move toward obtaining a four-year degree. DCC President Peter Grant Jordan and outgoing SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian signed a formal articulation agreement last week. Jordan says he is excited about strengthening the school's partnership with New Paltz.
“This agreement requires that students who go through this program and are admitted to a new post from DCC through this program, must have earned an associate degree, and they must also have at least a 2.5 grade point average," said Jordan. "Now, that doesn't mean that other students can't apply directly to New Paltz. But those students go through a different process and admission is not is not guaranteed as such.”
Christian says about half of New Paltz's graduates every year entered the school as transfer students, and SUNY New Paltz is the biggest destination for Dutchess Community College students seeking a four-year degree.
“We're thinking about two groups of students, one are students enrolled at Dutchess Community College in fall 2022 or later than that, and who are pursuing and will earn a two-year degree, an associate's degree," Christian said. "We're also interested in supporting students who go to Dutchess Community College after applying for admission to SUNY New Paltz and not being accepted here as a first time freshman.”
Jordan notes that the pact ensures, to some extent, that more of young talent will be remaining within the Hudson Valley region.
“When students leave their hometown to go to college, they oftentimes are not returning to those places right away," Jordan said. "And so the ability for us to work with New Paltz ensure that more of for Hudson Valley and Dutchess and Putnam County students are staying in the Hudson Valley, to some extent, ensures that more of those students will remain here and work here, contributing to the economy of Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley, as well as you know, to the quality of life in our community.”
Christian says the transfer process is seamless. “One of the advantages for students who join this program is that they don't have to do things like request transcripts to be sent to New Paltz," said Christian. "They don't have to pay an application fee. And we'll provide some programming during the first two years for students even before they set foot on the New Paltz campus.”
Christian is retiring this month. Taking the reins July 18th as president is Dr. Darrell Wheeler, who comes to the Hudson Valley from Iona College in New Rochelle, where he served as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.