Missouri transfer students will benefit

Presidents of Missouri two- and four-year institutions signed an agreement on Feb. 10 committing to ensure the success of transfer students.

The agreement came during a meeting of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education Presidential Advisory Committee in conjunction with the Coordination Board for Higher Education in Jefferson City.

The board charged Missouri institutions to develop a framework to improve their transfer policies.

In fall 2004, almost 5,000 students enrolled in a Missouri public institution transferred to another public institution within the state.

The agreement outlined steps for Missouri institutions to follow, including:

• Work collaboratively to improve the total transfer process;
• Provide academic and financial support for transfer students;
• Develop an efficient transfer policy minimizing loss of course credits and duplication in learning;
• Share the cost and responsibility of development and implementation of the agreement;
• Create a consolidated, multi-institutional database providing access to course equivalencies; and
• Identify and share the best transfer practices.

The agreement took several months to develop. “All institutions have a joint responsibility regarding the issue of transfer because the students are all of our students collectively and, we want them to succeed,” said Stephen Lehmkuhle, senior vice president for academic affairs in the University of Missouri System. He helped develop the agreement.