An agreement between Cayuga County’s two institutions of higher learning will make it easier for Cayuga Community College students to earn Bachelor’s degrees.
On Monday, the presidents of CCC and Wells College were at CCC’s Auburn campus where they signed articulation agreements allowing CCC students studying biology, business, and psychology to transfer to Wells as juniors.
Students completing their respective programs at CCC with at least a 2.5 GPA will be guaranteed admission to Wells as juniors. Those with a minimum GPA of 3.0 will receive at least $16,000 in merit-based scholarships for each year attending the Aurora school. Students with either a 3.5 GPA or higher or Cayuga Presidential Scholars will also be eligible for Wells’ President’s Award.
Before signing, Wells President Dr Johnathan Gilbralter spoke on the importance of working together to help their students.
“In my own career, I’ve always viewed synergies and cooperative opportunities as being much more important and meaningful than competing against others for resources. The more that we collaborate and cooperate with one another, the better we are at serving the people who are most important, and that is our students,” Gibralter.
After the signing ceremony, CCC President Dr Brian Durant told Finger Lakes News Radio that the signing is symbolic of both institutions’ commitment to students.
“This agreement today, the partnership with Wells College, a tremendous institution right here in Cayuga County with us, is symbolic of our commitment to continuing to build pathways and programs to support students of the future,” said Durant.
Other faculty and administrators from both colleges were on hand to sign the agreements as well. These included Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Susan Henking; Associate Professor of Business and Department Chair for Business and Data Analytics Gehan Dhameeth; Director of the Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship Kevin Miles; Professor of Chemistry and Biological and Chemical Sciences Department Chair Chris Bailey, and Professor and Department Chair of Psychology Deborah Gagnon for Wells College and Division Chair for the School of Business and the School of Social Sciences and Education Eric Zizza; Division Chair for the School of STEM Jennifer Nichols, and Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Ron Cantor for CCC.
Thanks to a cross-registration program, full-time Wells students with a GPA of 2.0 or higher can register for courses at CCC after their first semester as long as they don’t duplicate a Wells course and the credits are transferrable.
Monday’s signing is the result of just over a year of planning and review from each college’s faculty.
