Guilford Technical Community College and North Carolina A&T State University have established a memorandum of understanding that will offer students who haven’t qualified for university admission a chance to strengthen their academic credentials.

The agreement is designed to help students gain four-year degrees at N.C. A&T.

Once a student in this program completes at least 30 hours of class credits at GTCC, he or she will be admitted to N.C. A&T. Students also will have opportunity to earn a two-year degree at GTCC before transferring to the university.

Dr. Donald W. Cameron, president of GTCC, and Dr. Stanley F. Battle, chancellor of N.C. A&T, made the announcement Tuesday (July 1) at a news conference at GTCC’s Jamestown campus.

The two schools also have an agreement, along with Guilford County Schools, for participating in the nationally acclaimed Cosby Kids project. That program is designed to help improve academic performances of African-American and Hispanic students in the fourth, sixth and eighth grades.

The latest agreement provides a program at GTCC that will be preliminary to admission to N.C. A&T if students meet the criteria agreed upon by the two schools.

"By forging this historic agreement, Guilford Technical Community College and North Carolina A&T State University have again demonstrated to the citizens of Guilford County their mutual commitment to offer new opportunities to students who would like to attain a two-year or four-year degree but need assistance," Cameron said. "The fact that this agreement provides instructional assistance to motivated students validates its significance," he said.

Battle said, "We are looking forward to strengthening our ties with Guilford Technical Community College. This Memorandum of Understanding will afford us greater access, options and educational opportunities and services for GTCC students transferring to our institution. N.C. A&T is strongly committed to the concepts of a seamless transfer that will ensure that the students are given credit for the competencies that they have achieved."

Dr. Alison Wiers, dean of enrollment services for GTCC, said, "This partnership will provide students with a fabulous opportunity for pursuing their educational goals.

Students who have not met minimum admission criteria to be admissable into A&T can take advantage of this venture by pursuing their associates degree at GTCC and upon completion will then be automatically admitted to A&T. It is a win-win for students!"

Wiers and Dr. Yvette Underdue Murph, associate vice-chancellor for academic affairs/enrollment management at N.C. A&T, will administer the program for their respective schools.

Murph termed the agreement "innovative and awesome. We are all thrilled about the opportunity to work closely with our colleagues at GTCC to ensure these bright and talented students have a seamless transfer process to pursue their higher education."

The agreement will "create an academic bridge that will provide A&T greater access to GTCC students who earn an associate degree or complete at least 30 semester credit hours…" said veteran educator Dr. Alton Thompson, interim provost and vice-chancellor for academic affairs at N.C. A&T.

Information about minimum course requirements for transfer students in the program is available at http://www.ncat.edu/~admit/transfer.html.