Western New England University (WNE) and Holyoke Community College (HCC) signed a joint admissions agreement. This agreement is intended to strengthen the academic and student support partnerships, facilitate student access to baccalaureate and graduate education, and provide barrier-free movement from the associate degree to the baccalaureate and graduate degrees for students enrolled at HCC.
Representatives from the two colleges gathered at the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development at HCC, where HCC President Christina Royal and WNE Provost and Sr. Vice President of Academic Affairs Maria Toyoda put pen to paper.
"We are so proud to be collaborators and partners with an institution that believes as strongly as we do in preparing our students for the future of work." said Toyoda. "Building upon your education at HCC, your education at WNE will not only equip you for your next job, but it will also prepare you to navigate a career path spanning jobs both known and those that do not yet exist. We are excited to partner with HCC in this way to provide true value and substance to your degrees."
The Joint Admissions Program will serve as a guideline to simplify the transfer of eligible participating students from HCC to WNE upon completion of their associate degree program and satisfaction of other applicable conditions required under this Joint Admissions Program.
"We're really grateful to be able to expand our partnership with Western New England University and to be able to continue to strengthen the opportunities for students who want to start at HCC and transfer to Western New England," said HCC President Christina Royal. "Students experience such a nurturing atmosphere here at HCC, and we are so grateful that Western New England recognizes that and helps to create a supportive environment for transfer students as they embark on their next level of education."
According to the agreement, students will be informed about the opportunity to participate in the joint admissions program when they apply to HCC. To qualify, students must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 and at least a C- or better in their major coursework, and complete their associate's degree. Students who satisfy the requirements are then eligible for several benefits, including guaranteed acceptance and junior status at WNE upon matriculation with an associate's degree, 60 transfer credits, and waiver of the WNE general university requirements for students completing their associate's degree and what's called the Mass Transfer General Education Foundation Block.
Students seeking joint admissions into specialized programs including but not limited to Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, or Biology must satisfy all program requirements and earn the minimum cumulative grade point average established for those programs.
