WMCC Campus News: President's Columns

It's Easy to Take Courses at WMCC and Transfer Those Credits to Four-Year Institutions

Katharine Eneguess, President of White Mountains Community College

Stay home the first two years of your academic goals!

It's been a few years since officials of the Community College System of New Hampshire and officials in the University System of New Hampshire inked an agreement for credit reciprocity.

The agreement allows students at any of our community colleges to earn credits that are fully transferable to the state's four-year institutions, so long as the grade earned in the class is C or above. While in hindsight it looks like a no-brainer, it took awhile for college and university administrators to get everything lined up.

This was coupled with the expanding mission of our now comprehensive community colleges and has been reflected in the name changes of our colleges that make up the system. While we haven't forgotten our roots we still offer many programs that would be considered more vocational and technical in nature - the name we adopted a couple of years ago, White Mountains Community College, more accurately depicts the type of high learning institution we have become. (I still keep a mug in my cupboard that has on it "New Hampshire Community Technical College Berlin Campus", one of our names we had along the way to becoming a full-fledged community college.)

We have been successful in getting our new name into the public domain but we still get questions about whether a grade will transfer. All grades transfer if they are C or better to USNH system and many other institutions nationwide. Every year our North Country enrollment increases, as more and more North Country residents see not only the economic but academic value we have to offer, particularly in these economically challenging times.

Though there's a list on our website of which institutions we have agreements with, there are many more throughout the country that accept our credits. Just because we don't have an agreement in place with a particular college doesn't mean that our courses aren't valued by them. With over 2,000 four-year public and private colleges and universities in the country, it would be hard to come to an understanding with each one.

Among the colleges and universities we have articulation (this means all credits transfer but may not be the credits needed for a major at the colleges) agreements with are Keene State College, Plymouth State University, the University of New Hampshire, Granite State College, Rivier College, Southern New Hampshire University, Hesser College, Husson College, Lyndon State College, Paul Smith's College, Springfield College, SUNY-Cobleskill, and Franklin University. Furthermore, we are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, as a comprehensive community college. That's like having the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, or a AAA rating. The accreditation process is quite lengthy, involving all aspects of the college and all institutions throughout the country are required to be accredited if they offer financial aid. The process used is a peer review process that allows for continuous improvement of all aspects of a college or university.

Again, we would like to remind those looking at their college options for next year how easy it is to line up classes and programs. Students can get a good start on a four-year degree here, and then go on to earn that degree at a larger college, and go on to experience the 'traditional' college life that residential colleges and universities offer. And families will save a ton of money by electing this option.

For a fuller listing on what classes and programs at White Mountains Community College line up with programs at the a state's four-year institutions, go to www.nhtransfer.org.

We are pleased that so many northern New Hampshire residents continue to invest their higher education dollars with us. A good education is never a waste of money. Make sure you fill out the FAFSA ( Federal Financial Aid forms) also. For more information give us a call at 752-1113. Hope to see you on campus!

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