Texas Border Business
McAllen, TEXAS – South Texas College and the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to celebrate the long-standing partnership between the two institutions.
The institutions have joined together to provide students with a smooth transition between the college and the university. STC and UTRGV signed 22 articulation agreements designed to create pathways for enrolled students to transfer, and further their educational opportunities at UTRGV.
“We have had a long-standing partnership with UTRGV and its legacy institutions including UT-Pan American and UTB,” said STC President Dr. Shirley A. Reed. “These agreements have to be constantly refreshed and updated and I realize the colossal effort it takes from faculty, program chairs, and deans.
“The saddest words I hear is ‘well, my credits didn’t transfer or at the very least they didn’t apply towards my major’,” Dr. Reed said. “We have to make this as seamless and as transparent as possible, and these 22 agreements will go a very long way…I applaud the work of everybody to make this a reality.”
UTRGV is STC’s largest transfer partner. Of incoming students attending the university in the fall, more than 65 percent will have attended STC.
An MOU is an agreement that creates a framework so that students and their advisors know how courses will transfer between the two institutions.
“This is absolutely crucial for us and South Texas College,” said UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey. “South Texas College is one of our largest feeders, and we had about 2,000 students transfer in January, so making sure those students are in the right courses when they are here, and ensuring that not only everything transfers but count towards their degrees, is the key to moving and graduating in a timely manner.”
STC currently has over 120 articulation agreements with various universities and colleges across Texas, and about 30 of those are solely with UTRGV. The college touts partnerships with at least 36 institutions including Texas A&M-Kingsville, Baylor University, Western Governors University, and many more. Talks are ongoing for future articulation agreements with Texas Tech University in Lubbock. A list of partnership schools and their corresponding MOU agreements can be found here https://academicaffairs.southtexascollege.edu/transfer-center/transfer-opportunities.html.
“We don’t want students to leave STC and then go over to UTRGV only to find out that a course doesn’t apply there,” said Dr. Kelli Davis, Director of University Relations and Articulation Center at STC. “We want to make sure that students are taking the right courses here, and that UTRGV knows that the courses are equivalent to what they offer.
“A student should not need to retake a course just because it has a different number over there or slightly different name,” Dr. Davis said. “With these agreements, we have come to the point where both institutions know which courses are identical so students don’t need to potentially retake a course they have already taken.”
Students interested in transfer opportunities from STC are urged to visit the Transfer Center website at https://academicaffairs.southtexascollege.edu/transfer-center/index.html for more information. The page includes valuable strategies, contact information, and a how-to section for those students moving on to the next phase of their education journey.
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