Courtesy of Jackson State University
Jackson State University will partner with six Alabama community colleges to help associate degree graduates transition into its bachelor degree programs. The articulation agreements aim to provide a seamless transfer for students who enroll at JSU after completing their two-year degree at Bishop State Community College in Mobile; J.F. Drake Community & Technical College in Huntsville; Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden; Lawson State Community College in Birmingham; Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa; and Trenholm Community College in Montgomery.
“I am excited that Jackson State University will have an opportunity to serve the students of these exceptional Alabama community colleges,” said President Thomas K. Hudson, J.D. “Community colleges are an excellent training ground for students to prepare for the rigor of campus life at the university level, and we look forward to accepting the best and brightest scholars into the Tiger family to further their education.”
President Hudson and representatives from the community colleges signed the agreements on March 9 at the SWAC headquarters in Birmingham. The agreement will allow the graduates of the partnering colleges to transfer their credits with ease.
“The purpose of this partnership is to give students more opportunity as they finish their associate program and they can matriculate seamlessly into JSU and take advantage of the many programs and resources that we offer,” said JSU Vice President for Enrollment Management, Josiah Sampson, III, Ph.D. “We want these students to elevate their future success by attending Jackson State University.”
Trenholm State Community College Dean of Instructional Services, Nakia Robinson, Ph.D., added, “The most important thing about this is the seamless transition, meaning that our general education courses will transfer over and students won’t lose any credit hours and will be able to continue their matriculation to their bachelor’s degrees.”
With open-access missions, low tuition and fees, and greater flexibility, community colleges often serve a large number of underserved students, including significant shares of first-generation college students, ethnic minority students, and those from low-income families.
Jackson State University, located in Jackson, Mississippi, is a comprehensive urban research university offering degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels.