Northwest Missouri State University and Metropolitan Community College are teaming up for a new program, hoping to put students on the fast track to graduation.
"We're able to really map it out so that a student actually tests out both the community college and a four-year institution from the very first instance,” MCC Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Carlos Peñaloza said.
The two higher education institutions announced their collaboration Tuesday afternoon on the pilot program, ‘FastTracks.’
“They will not lose really any credits because we intrusively advise them, and they're able to save money because as long as they're an MCC student, they can take Northwest courses at our tuition rate,” Peñaloza said. “So it's a real opportunity to take two-year and four-year courses at the same time.”
The program was approved by the Missouri Department of Higher Education.
"We've studied concurrent enrollment, that's the term for it, for quite awhile,” Northwest President John Jasinski said. “When the Missouri Department of Higher Education launched a pilot application process, we knew it was right for us because of like-minded partners, and so we value partnerships at Northwest Missouri State University, we value our relationship with Metropolitan Community College, so it was a perfect opportunity to serve students and employers.”
Administrators said this will offer a smooth transition from a community college to a four-year institution, where credits will be easily transferred.
Through the FastTracks program, there are degrees available in four program areas: Communication, Education, Applied Health Science and Business Management.
Commissioner for Higher Education Zora Mulligan said this program will give a clear pathway for students.
“One of the ways this program is most exciting is it really is going to increase the number of students who are able to complete,” Mulligan said. “Having completers in all of our communities provides younger kids with examples of how they can succeed in higher education and how their life can be transformed.”
It’s a program MCC student Britny Hudson said would’ve been beneficial during the start of her college career.
“I ended up having to take a geology class, which was five credit hours that didn't transfer here because they wanted me to have physical science with the lab. So that was five credit hours that went straight to elective here,” Hudson said.
Hudson is finishing up her Associate’s in teaching at MCC and later this summer, she’ll head to Northwest Missouri State, double majoring in elementary education and K-12 special education.
She said FastTracks could help those who follow behind her.
"People that go to a two-year university first, I think that's most beneficial for them because I don't think they have time or money to waste, so if we had something like this, I think I would've jumped on it if I heard about it and many of my friends would,” she said.
The FastTracks program will officially start this fall. For more information about enrollment of this program, click here.
