Houston Community College (HCC) is answering the call to educate and train more qualified nurses, teachers and business professionals in the Greater Houston area by partnering with the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) to create a unique transfer agreement between both institutions.
During a special ceremony at the UHD campus, HCC Chancellor Dr. Cesar Maldonado and UHD Interim President Dr. Michael A. Olivas signed a series of agreements aimed at creating seamless pathways for students transferring from HCC to UHD and vice versa.
“We are collaborating together as partners for student success,” Dr. Maldonado said. “This is about saving students money and time. They can get to their endgame quicker and have that successful job in the end.”
“This is big news for students as we are devoting considerable resources to help them succeed academically and ultimately professionally – and for the good of our city,” Dr. Olivas said. “We want students to discover that our partnership with HCC can help their academic journeys.”
Sitting alongside Drs. Olivas and Maldonado were Dr. Adriana Tamez, HCC Board of Trustees Chair and University of Houston graduate; and Welcome W. Wilson, Jr., UH System Board of Regents Vice Chairman. Both described the new pact as a proud, historic moment.
HCC and UHD administrators and faculty worked together to develop degree maps to provide students with smooth transitions towards baccalaureate degree completion. They include:
- A 22 (two-squared) transfer model that will allow students to earn an Associate of Arts (AA) in Business at HCC and complete their Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in various disciplines at the UHD College of Business;
- A 22 transfer model that will allow students to earn both their Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees at HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences;
- A transfer model that will allow students to earn an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) at HCC and complete their Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) with varying concentrations at the UHD College of Public Service-Department of Urban Education.
As part of this initiative, there is already a UHD advisor at the HCC Business Center of Excellence to help students at both institutions with the transfer process and ensure completion and success in that program. There will also be a UHD advisor embedded at HCC Coleman.
This partnership resonates with Mustapha Nyally, a political science major at UHD and HCC graduate, who came to Houston from Sierra Leone.
“I am proud to say that I am a product of both institutions,” the Student Government Association President said. “I thank both the University of Houston-Downtown and Houston Community College for the unimaginable impact they’ve had on me and my growth.”
On average, more than 700 students transfer from HCC to UHD annually making HCC one of the largest feeder schools to UHD.
“This is a super bowl where both sides win. UHD wins and HCC wins because for us, victory is student success,” Maldonado said.
To learn more about these programs at HCC, visit hccs.edu/programs. To learn more about the programs mentioned at UHD, visit uhd.edu.
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