New Business Administration transfer agreement evidence of special relationship between Germanna, University of Mary Washington

The presidents of the University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College signed a direct transfer agreement for Business Administration students Tuesday in a ceremony at UMW.

Dr. Lynne Richardson, dean of the College of Business at UMW, said: "This agreement says ... students who go to Germanna and want to study business will be able to transfer a little bit easier."

Germanna President David A. Sam took the opportunity to praise UMW President Rick Hurley, who will retire in June of 2016, for working to establish what he called “a model for relationships between universities and community colleges” that he believes will continue after both men are gone.

GCC's Dr. David Sam (right) praises UWM's Rick Hurley today.

“It's a pleasure to work with him,” Dr. Sam said. “We've had lunches pretty regularly in which we talked about the problems and opportunities ... How can we help students at Germanna not have what's called a ‘transfer bump?' How can we smooth things and make transfers more seamless? How can we work together to enable more students to graduate? How can we reach more first generation college students? And what can we do to support economic development and community development, some things together and some things separately? The bonus is we became friends and there's a trust that extends to the provost at UMW and our chief academic officer. We hope the people who follow Rick and myself carry on this model relationship.”

Hurley said: “I've enjoyed the partnership and the friendship. It's all about serving the community and the needs of our students.”

Students who graduate from Germanna with the AA&S degree in Business Administration, General Studies or Liberal Arts with at least a 3.0 grade point average on all college work, including courses taken at colleges other than GCC, and have completed the specific business course prerequisites with a 2.5 GPA in those five courses are guaranteed admission to the BS in Business Administration Program at UMW

GCC students who enroll in UMW’s bachelor of science in Business Administration program will be considered on the same basis as its own junior year students for admission to competitive programs, as well as for registration, financial aid, scholarships and student housing.

Germanna students who don’t meet all of the terms of the agreement may nonetheless be competitive applicants and are encouraged to apply through the regular transfer admissions process. 

UMW will guarantee the acceptance of 63 transferable credits (courses for transfer must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher. Completion of the approved associate degree through dual enrollment will not preclude the student from eligibility. In addition, credit for courses completed through International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Cambridge, CLEP, and armed services experience will be accepted

GCC, UMW agreements make degrees more affordable, accessible

Review  co-enrollment agreement and the direct transfer agreement.

By PAMELA GOULD
The Free Lance-Star
Germanna Community College students who meet eligibility requirements can soon begin taking courses at the University of Mary Washington.
 UMW President Rick Hurley and Germanna President David Sam will  formalize the agreement next Wednesday in George Washington Hall on the UMW campus in Fredericksburg.
 The presidents are also expected to sign an agreement that will make it easier for Germanna students to transfer into UMW’s Bachelor of Liberal Studies program.
 The agreements resulted from ongoing dialogue between Hurley and Sam, who said that more Germanna students transfer to UMW than to any other four-year institution.
 “We are delighted to partner with Germanna to make these programs available to qualified community college students,” Hurley said in a prepared statement.
 Sam said the agreements strengthen the partnership between the two colleges and benefit students academically and financially.
 Germanna students who have completed at least 15 credit hours of coursework and have earned a minimum 3.25 grade-point average will be eligible to take up to five classes at UMW under the “co-enrollment” agreement.
 Students will pay Germanna tuition rates for the UMW courses, and those credits will count toward the associate degree if the students earn a C or higher, Sam said.

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