New general education requirements will help students complete a first degree or certificate at WCC before transferring to a four-year college or university.
Washtenaw Community College changed the general education requirements of its associate degree programs to better align the college with the requirements of the Michigan Transfer Agreement.
“This will ensure that general education courses taken at WCC will transfer seamlessly to four-year programs across the state,” said Vice President of Instruction Dr. Kimberly Hurns.
“We’re going to be helping more of our students complete their first degree or certificate here at WCC before they transfer to a four-year institution.”
A policy update, effective the Fall 2018 semester, was approved by the WCC Board of Trustees at its September 2017 meeting.
The Michigan Transfer Agreement, created at the request of the state legislature, improves the transferability of core college courses between Michigan community colleges and four-year institutions. The agreement focuses on core courses and adds an additional science requirement to promote critical thinking.
More than 70 percent of students entering WCC intend to transfer to a four-year institution.
“The changes also allow many programs more flexibility in creating the additional 30-credit requirements for their specific programs,” Hurns said.
A WCC committee studied potential changes to the college’s general education requirements for more than a year, including surveys and town hall meetings with the college’s faculty.