NORFOLK, NE – Northeast Community College and Wayne State College (WSC) have strengthened their working relationship with the signing of a new memorandum of agreement (MOA).
The two colleges have had a long-standing working and transfer relationship to serve students since 1986. Over the years, various institutional and programmatic agreements have been signed to create a seamless transfer of pathways for students between Northeast and Wayne State College.
On Wednesday, Dr. Marysz Rames, president of Wayne State, Dr. Paul Turman, chancellor of the Nebraska State College System, and Mary Honke, co-interim president of Northeast, signed an MOA that is intended to cultivate student transfer and advising efforts that are designed to create clear pathways to success from Northeast to Wayne State College degree completion.
“This replaces all other Memorandums of Understanding by creating a single institutional transfer agreement that also has 28 programmatic articulated pathways for students to be able to plan their four years of college between Northeast and Wayne State,” Honke said. “Programmatic transfer articulation agreements are included in the areas of business, accounting, information technology, education, human services and criminal justice.”
“Wayne State College stands proudly behind this updated agreement, which will strengthen our relationship and provide students with a seamless experience in earning their associate and bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Marysz Rames, president of Wayne State College. “These types of agreements enhance our ability to effectively serve students by helping them reach their goal of earning degrees in Northeast Nebraska.”
Much of the MOA centers around Northeast students who will complete a Northeast associate degree and transfer to Wayne State College. This includes development of program articulations, collaboration on recruitment, advising and retention efforts that will be mutually beneficial to both institutions. Wayne State College will host on-campus visit days at Northeast’s extended campus at the College Center in South Sioux City and on Northeast’s main campus in Norfolk for all interested Northeast students and faculty once per year.
In addition, Northeast students who transfer to Wayne State are eligible for the Nebraska Access Program, which is designed to increase admittance to out-of-state students.
Northeast non-resident eligible transfer students also have the opportunity for a tuition discount at Wayne State where they would be charged the same rate as other WSC students for tuition, on-campus housing and food services. They also have the opportunity to apply for WSC transfer student scholarships.
The agreement also provides opportunities for Northeast students to be recognized for honors after 12 credit hours earned at Wayne State College.
“The state colleges have been long-standing partners with the state’s community colleges and look for opportunities to create seamless pathways for students to achieve their goals in the most efficient and effective ways possible,” said Dr. Paul Turman, chancellor of the Nebraska State College System (NSCS). “The NSCS is excited to partner with Northeast on this collaborative effort and looks forward to future initiatives to provide the best opportunities for students.”
The MOA is designed to build on the collaboration between Northeast Community College and Wayne State College and the ten-year joint partnership through the College Center in South Sioux City. Both institutions offer classes in the 39,600 square foot building at 1001 College Way. Through the partnership, students from Northeast may take their freshman and sophomore level courses in business, elementary education and human services, followed by junior and senior level or graduate courses through Wayne State College, all in the same location at the College Center in South Sioux City.
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PHOTO CUTLINE
Mary Honke (left), co interim president of Northeast Community College, and Dr. Marysz Rames, president of Wayne State College, exchange documents during a signing ceremony at Northeast Wednesday. The Memorandum of Agreement signed by the presidents is intended to cultivate student transfer and advising efforts that are designed to create clear pathways to success from Northeast to Wayne State College degree completion.