DelVal and Cumberland County College sign transfer agreement
Delaware Valley University and Cumberland County College officially signed a transfer articulation agreement today that will streamline the pathway for associate degree earners to complete a bachelor’s degree.
“This agreement between two very special institutions represents DelVal’s continued commitment to being the 'most-transfer-friendly' university in the Philadelphia area,” said Art Goon, DelVal's vice president for enrollment management. “When we met with the folks at Cumberland County College, we wanted to make sure we developed an agreement that maximized the coursework completed there, removed barriers to transferring, and addressed the financial concerns of their students.”
Under the guaranteed admission component of the agreement, DelVal will guarantee admission to all Cumberland County College associate degree earners including the Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Applied Science (AAS), and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA).
DelVal will provide generous scholarships for all associate degree earners studying full-time ranging from $15,000 to $21,000 a year, and part-time student scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $1,500 a semester. DelVal will also award Phi Theta Kappa members an additional $1,000 for full-time and $250 for part-time students.
DelVal will accept the core courses embedded in Cumberland County College’s Associate of Arts and Associate of Science programs as meeting all the general education requirements of the DelVal bachelor’s degree as part of the core-to-core component of the agreement.
The agreement also includes academic program-to-program pathways for specific majors so that students can maximize the credits earned at Cumberland County College knowing they would all apply towards their intended bachelor’s degree.
Another unique component to the partnership is the “reverse transfer” policy that will allow a Cumberland County College student with nine credits or less short of completing their associate degree to begin coursework at DelVal. Credits earned at the University would transfer back to Cumberland County College and fulfill requirements to complete their associate degree.
“We have developed a partnership that goes beyond the mere transfer of credits” said DelVal President Dr. Maria Gallo. “This is really the first step in our relationship as we will continue to explore new ways our institutions can collaborate on a more holistic level.”
Of particular interest to both institutions was the opportunity to provide Cumberland County College graduates in their agriculture, agribusiness, horticulture, and environmental science associate degree programs a pathway to earning bachelor's degree in those specific areas.
“This agreement with Delaware Valley University provides some very exciting opportunities for Cumberland County College, our students and the agricultural community,” said Cumberland County College Special Assistant to the President for Academic Projects Dr. Robert Clark. “Many of the leaders in South Jersey agriculture--including growers, those in support businesses, and in Cooperative Extension—are graduates of Delaware Valley. To be able to complete a Delaware Valley University baccalaureate after earning a Cumberland associate degree, for such a reasonable price, is an unbeatable combination."
Discussions have already begun about the potential for DelVal to deliver some of those bachelor's degree programs on Cumberland County College’s campus to serve residents in Cumberland and surrounding counties who wish to continue their education in these unique majors.