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MTSU adds Vol State to transfer student program




Presidents Jerry Faulkner, left, of Volunteer State Community College and Sidney A. McPhee of Middle Tennessee State University sign an agreement marking the “MTSU Promise” to Vol State, the sixth such pathway established for students with associate degrees to move seamlessly to the four-year university. The signing occurred Oct. 22 at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville during MTSU’s True Blue Tour visit to recruit students and court counselor and community college staff in Nashville. (MTSU photo by David Foster)David Foster

Presidents Jerry Faulkner, left, of Volunteer State Community College and Sidney A. McPhee of Middle Tennessee State University sign an agreement marking the “MTSU Promise” to Vol State, the sixth such pathway established for students with associate degrees to move seamlessly to the four-year university. The signing occurred Oct. 22 at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville during MTSU’s True Blue Tour visit to recruit students and court counselor and community college staff in Nashville. (MTSU photo by David Foster)David Foster

Middle Tennessee State University has signed an agreement to extend the “MTSU Promise” to Volunteer State Community College, the sixth such pathway established for students with associate degrees to move seamlessly to the four-year university.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Vol State President Jerry Faulkner signed the documents at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, where MTSU was holding a True Blue Tour event to recruit prospective students.

MTSU is the top university in the state in transfer students and is the top institution using the reverse transfer process. Vol State is one of MTSU’s top transfer feeder schools.

Vol State has its main campus is in Gallatin, plus three satellite campuses and an online e-Campus. In the MTSU Promise program, the university pledges support to help students at partner schools complete their associate degree, then move forward in seeking a four-year degree.

McPhee signed an agreement earlier this year with Columbia State. He signed agreements last year with Motlow State, Cleveland State, Southwest Tennessee (Memphis) and Dyersburg State. 

“This is an opportunity to further develop and fortify our relationship with a great community college and partner,” McPhee said. “This agreement will assist Vol State students and ours, too. They can transfer and concentrate on their education by having all the hurdles out of the way.”

Vol State will share with MTSU directory information of the college’s students so they are included in tailored communications of emails to support the transfer process.

Also, the agreement says Vol State students who participate in MTSU Promise will sign a “reverse transfer” agreement, meaning if they fail to complete their associate degree requirements prior to transfer, they would automatically receive their associate degree from Vol State once sufficient credits have been completed at MTSU.

Through its existing Guaranteed Transfer Scholarship Program, MTSU will provide aid for Vol State students who transfer to MTSU in the amount of $3,000 per year for two years, or a maximum of four semesters, based on achievement of a 3.0 GPA.

Faulkner said that in higher education “we currently talk a lot about pathways. But it must be more than talk. We must intentionally design and implement pathways that lead students to the achievement of their goals. This agreement with MTSU provides another, novel pathway for students to fulfil their dreams.”

 “We are excited to partner with MTSU and are eagerly anticipating the possibility of helping students begin and complete this new pathway,” Faulkner added.

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