Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon has noticed in her higher education experience that community college students don’t always have a seamless transition to a four-year institution.
As president of Virginia Peninsula Community College, she’s taking steps to change that. Her most recent effort came Dec. 12 when she and Dr. Janette Muir, vice provost at George Mason University, signed an agreement to make the move between the two colleges smoother for students. VPCC became the sixth community college in the state to join GMU’s ADVANCE program, which is a dual-admission transfer partnership.
“I’m really thankful that George Mason has expanded the ADVANCE program to include other community colleges, and especially our community college,” Dr. Brannon said.
Among the benefits of the program:
Cost savings: Students can save on tuition by completing their associate degree at VPCC before transferring.
Seamless transfer: The program ensures that credits earned at VPCC will transfer directly toward a bachelor’s degree.
Dedicated support: ADVANCE students receive personalized coaching and academic advising, providing continuous support from enrollment at VPCC to graduation at George Mason.
Career advancement opportunities: Through the university’s network of internships and co-curricular experiences, students are better prepared for post-graduation career success.
“One of the great things about the ADVANCE program is that it makes it truly simple and seamless to transfer your credits from Virginia Peninsula Community College into one of many amazing programs at George Mason University,” Dr. Brannon said.
Jason Dodge, ADVANCE executive director at GMU, said the two institutions have been working on the agreement for more than a year.
“It marks the beginning of an exciting partnership between our institutions, one that is designed to empower our students and allow for them to transfer more seamlessly between our institutions,” he said. “This is, of course, more than just a partnership.”
Dr. Brannon said it was “the first step in what I’m sure is going to be an incredible relationship.”
The program is open to all in-state VPCC students with a high school diploma or GED and who maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA for students with college credit. Those who are enrolled in an associate degree program at VPCC or another participating Virginia community college and have earned no more than 30 college credits when submitting the ADVANCE Declaration are also qualified. Officials advise that this does not include credits earned through AP, IB, CLEP or other exam-based credits.
For more information about ADVANCE go to www.vpcc.edu/programs/pathways/transfer/george-mason-university.html.
For more information on VPCC, visit www.vpcc.edu.