With the academic year having drawn to a close, we celebrate our students’ achievements and the exciting paths that lie before them.
For many, this means charting a course toward career aspirations and navigating the often-complex landscape of higher education. This journey can sometimes feel confusing for students transitioning from technical and community colleges to universities.
This challenge has not gone unnoticed in the Chippewa Valley Technical College district. CVTC and three regional universities — UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, and UW-Stout — are actively addressing this issue, recognizing their shared responsibility to streamline pathways and maximize students’ time and resources.
“We nurtured nearly 220 students this academic year alone that started here and transferred to one of the UWs in our district. This number grows to over 700 when you include students in our occupational programs and other four-year partners,” said CVTC President Sunem Beaton-Garcia. “The partnership with our UW institutions is of great importance, and I am grateful for their continued collaboration to provide seamless transfer for students.”
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The Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science University Transfer programs allow students to start in a smaller environment, gain confidence, and continue onto a university for additional credentials as required for their chosen career path. The partnerships with the three regional UWs have provided much-needed options to meet the needs of students’ career journeys throughout northwest Wisconsin and beyond.
Given the increasingly personalized pathways of students, UW-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank recognizes the responsibility and opportunity to meet students where they are and remove barriers that accelerate their entry into their chosen careers.
“The dedicated work of our faculty and staff has enhanced our innovative transfer options at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University. Across UW-Stout’s array of programs, we have 20 articulation agreements with CVTC. Now, students pursuing workforce-ready areas can seamlessly transfer at least 50 credits into UW-Stout’s polytechnic degree programs. For a program like Automation Leadership, students can start their degree in high school, and if they attend a technical college before coming to UW-Stout, can transfer up to 88 credits towards degree completion,” Frank said.
One innovative commitment driving this collaborative effort is the establishment of a shared academic adviser based at CVTC and supported by the three UW partners. This dedicated professional helps students navigate the intricacies of transfer requirements and course equivalencies. Students begin transfer planning in their first semester at CVTC.
Annual gatherings between CVTC and each of the universities have resulted in a substantial number of new pathways to help students select the best classes for their career goals.
UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Jim Schmidt said the shared goal is always to provide educational options across our institutions to help students meet their goals.
“We put students first as we focus on the public good and ways UW-Eau Claire can enhance the communities we serve. By removing barriers and simplifying the transfer process, we create new opportunities for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree, join the workforce and move our community forward,” Schmidt said.
Each symposium also includes student panels to hear firsthand how the partnering institutions can continuously improve the process.
Maria Gallo, UW-River Falls Chancellor, set a vision for her team to partner with CVTC to offer students additional educational opportunities and they have not looked back.
“With students at the heart of our efforts, we have established 23 articulation agreements and 11 pathways with CVTC in the last two years,” she said. “It is vitally important to provide our students with as many opportunities as possible to help them find their academic paths and give them the resources they need to have successful outcomes.”
The results of these collective efforts speak volumes. Students report feeling supported and confident in their educational journey, knowing their transition is seamless and their credits are transferable. We also believe closer ties contribute to student success, with all three partner universities indicating that CVTC transfer students have higher-than-average GPAs.
By facilitating smoother transitions, CVTC, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout empower students to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Together, we are building a future in which pathways are both seamless and transformative. This is our commitment to our students and communities.
Sunem Beaton-Garcia is president of Chippewa Valley Technical College, Jim Schmidt is chancellor of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Katherine Frank is Chancellor of University of Wisconsin-Stout and Maria Gallo is Chancellor of University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Are you a local expert about a particular subject in the news? The Herald encourages and promotes Community Voices to speak up about important local matters. Send a Community Voices Guest Column of 400-600 words with a headshot and brief biography to [email protected] for consideration.
