Germanna Community College students who transfer to the University of Mary Washington will have a better chance of succeeding thanks to a new agreement between the two schools. UMW President Troy D. Paino and GCC President Janet Gullickson made the Guaranteed Transfer Partnership Agreement official today, Friday, Feb. 22, at a signing ceremony at Germanna’s Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania.
The partnership goes beyond UMW’s long-held Guaranteed Admissions Agreement that assures admission to graduates of the Virginia Community College System’s 23 schools. The agreement creates curricular pathways that will smooth the transition from two- to four-year programs, making it easier for transfer students to graduate on time.
President Paino and President Gullickson said the agreement also will enable students transferring from Germanna to UMW to earn bachelor’s degrees sooner with less student debt. The collaboration will bring the degrees into reach for a broader group of students.
“It’s imperative that we bring together students from varied backgrounds and diverse perspectives, who not only learn together, but work together to solve problems and serve our communities,” said Paino, who noted that the partnership closely aligns with the University’s larger mission of diversity and inclusion.
“This agreement,” Gullickson said, “codifies the already excellent partnership between the University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College. It is meant to clarify student pathways between us to reduce expense and frustration for our many shared students. The results of this agreement will be lower costs to families and taxpayers and higher student completion and satisfaction.”
The enhanced transfer pathway is similar to an agreement forged between Northern Virginia Community College and Mary Washington last June. UMW also participates in multiple partnerships with GCC, including co-enrollment and direct transfer collaborations in nursing education and business for eligible students. In addition, the University has a guaranteed-admission agreement with Virginia’s two-year colleges, including 23 branches of the Virginia Community College System and Richard Bland College. Students who graduate with an associate’s degree in arts, sciences or arts and sciences and meet a minimum GPA requirement may obtain guaranteed admission to the University.
