1. OpInform
2017
Access, Opportunity and Success: Best Practices for SUNY Pathways and Degree Completion

2. Access, Opportunity and Success
During this session, our focus will be to discuss options for your bachelor’s degree seeking students who have not been accepted to their first choice SUNY campus or to a SUNY campus that offers four- year degrees. Within the SUNY System, a number of options are available to best assist for post-secondary planning. Topics will include: joint admissions, SUNY Seamless Transfer, deferred enrollment, and best practices for successful transfer advisement.
OpInform 2017

3. Access, Opportunity and Success
Why are we here?
Provide guidance to our colleagues who need to encourage students to seek alternate starting points for the college experience.
AKA I didn't get into my first choice. Help!
Encourage open dialogue to promote the outstanding transfer opportunities available within The State University of New York.
Nearly 55% of SUNY’s enrolled undergraduate students are attending community colleges.* (Does not include Colleges of Technology two- year enrollment!)
* Retrieved from SUNY BI, August 2017
OpInform 2017

4. Access, Opportunity and Success
Points of Discussion
Associate Degree Breakdowns
SUNY Seamless Transfer and Pathways
Articulation Agreements vs. Transfer Agreements
Joint Admissions
2+2 (or more) Agreements
Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and EOP Transfer
Deferred Enrollments (i.e. Spring Entry)
Reverse Transfer
OpInform 2017

5. Access, Opportunity and Success
Associate Degree Breakdowns
A.S. – Associate in Science
A.A. – Associate in Arts
(Transfer-based Associate Degrees)
Benefits
Flexibility
Transfer friendly
Include general education courses
Potential limitations
Less focus on courses within major
Higher liberal arts core
A.A.S. – Associate in Applied Science
A.O.S. – Associate in Occupational Studies
(Profession-based Associate Degrees)
Benefits
Work-ready programs
Highly specialized
Potential limitations
Transferability – include limited general education courses
OpInform 2017

6. Access, Opportunity and Success
SUNY Seamless Transfer and Pathways
The goal of seamless transfer is to enable students to complete their intended program of study on time, without unnecessary cost and/or duplication of effort.
OpInform 2017

7. Access, Opportunity and Success
SUNY Seamless Transfer and Pathways
Transfer guarantees for SUNY students completing an A.A. or A.S. degree:
Seven free applications
Guaranteed acceptance to a SUNY four-year college
Guaranteed junior standing in a parallel program
Acceptance of core courses in a SUNY Transfer Path
Satisfaction of completed General Education requirements
OpInform 2017

8. Access, Opportunity and Success
SUNY Seamless Transfer and Pathways
Other provisions
Credit caps: students need to satisfy no more than 64 credits to obtain an associate degree and 126 credits to obtain a bachelor’s degree
Standardized appeal process
Potential limitations
Transfer paths have not been finalized for all majors
Placement a four-year college under SUNY’s transfer guarantee is based on student’s likelihood to succeed, and not student preference

9. Access, Opportunity and Success
Articulation Agreements
The intent of an articulation agreement is to facilitate transfer between a specific major at a community college and a specific major at a four-year college.
The agreement allows a community college student to complete an A.A. or A.S. degree and then transfer to the four-year institution with full junior status.
The process is seamless.

10. Access, Opportunity and Success
Transfer Agreements
The intent of a transfer agreement is to facilitate transfer between one community college and a specific 4-year college/university.
Examples are:
Binghamton Advantage Program between Binghamton University and SUNY Broome
Start Now program between SUNY Oswego and Jefferson Community College
Partnership between SUNY Oneonta and Nassau Community College

11. Access, Opportunity and Success
Articulation Agreements vs. Transfer Agreements
Articulation Agreements: Program-based between campuses
Transfer Agreements: Campus-based
Benefits
Both are a guarantee of acceptance into a 4-year college as long as the student maintains a certain GPA within a prescribed set of courses at (typically) a community college
Potential limitations for Transfer Agreements
Course transferability
Additional time to degree completion
OpInform 2017

12. Access, Opportunity and Success
Joint Admissions
Joint Admissions is a cooperative program between two-year and four-year SUNY colleges. The program guarantees junior- level admission (subject to certain requirements) in a parallel program at a four-year college after completing an associate degree program at the two-year college.
OpInform 2017

13. Access, Opportunity and Success
Joint Admissions
Benefits
Guaranteed acceptance into the designated four-year campus with junior status (subject to requirements)
General core curriculum will be completed at the community college
Potential opportunities to watch athletic, concerts and other student events at the four-year campus while at the two-year campus
Streamlined communication plan and advising from the four-year campus
Possibility for additional scholarships to be awarded
Potential limitations
Students must meet the admission requirements at both campuses to enroll in the program
Not all SUNY campuses offer joint admissions programs
OpInform 2017

14. Access, Opportunity and Success
2+2 (or more) Agreements
Agreements between two regionally accredited two-year and four-year institutions that allows for a seamless transfer, spending two years at each institution. Students will likely have to maintain a specific GPA and complete certain prerequisite coursework and number of credits before moving on to the four-year college.
Examples
Tompkins Cortland A.A.S. to SUNY Upstate B.S. in Nursing
Adirondack A.S. Criminal Justice to Canton B.T. in Homeland Security
OpInform 2017

15. Access, Opportunity and Success
2+2 (or more) Agreements
Benefits
Students may pay tuition at the local community college rate for two years, but still be on a four-year plan
Potential Limitations
Student must complete a predetermined set of courses (and maintain a certain GPA) at the first college to be granted acceptance to the four-year college
Student may change his/her mind about attending the second college
OpInform 2017

16. Access, Opportunity and Success
Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
Benefits
Intensive advisement/mentoring
Available at 48 campuses
Modest financial support
Potential limitations
Due to available funding, space varies by campus
Academic/financial guidelines
EOP admission starts first semester only
OpInform 2017

17. Access, Opportunity and Success
EOP Transfer Process
Benefits
“Once EOP, always EOP”
Eligible from other access programs:
SEEK/College Discovery – CUNY
HEOP – Private college
Additional campus-based opportunity programs: Bridges (Cobleskill); AOP (Alfred State)
Potential limitations
Outgoing GPA can limit availability
OpInform 2017

18. Access, Opportunity and Success
Deferred Enrollment
Deferred enrollment may be offered to a select group of exceptional first-year applicants whom colleges were unable to admit for the fall semester due to space constraints. Some students have an opportunity to take a “Gap Year.” Other students are offered spring semester start.
*Only a few SUNY campuses offer deferred enrollment, be sure to do your research before taking this path.
OpInform 2017

19. Access, Opportunity and Success
Deferred Enrollment
Benefits
Options for those seeking military service or cultural experiences
For students offered spring admission, four-year colleges may work with the student’s local community college to help students begin coursework
Special advisement/informational sessions may be conducted by the four-year colleges for students at the local community college
Potential Limitations
Program availability
Tech-based programs
Intro courses
OpInform 2017

20. Access, Opportunity and Success
Reverse Transfer
Reverse transfer is a program for students who have already transferred to a SUNY four-year institution without having earned an associate degree at a SUNY community college. Reverse transfer allows students to transfer the credits they have earned at the SUNY four-year institution back to the SUNY community college to meet the requirements for an associate degree.
OpInform 2017

21. Access, Opportunity and Success
Reverse Transfer
Benefits
Allows students to progress academically
Financial savings
Re-establish academic standing
Potential limitations
Transferability of credits if student does not continue in a parallel program
OpInform 2017

22. Access, Opportunity and Success
Scenario 1
A student walks into your office carrying rejection letters from Binghamton, Geneseo, Albany and Cortland. What do you do now?
OpInform 2017

23. Access, Opportunity and Success
Scenario 2
A student wants to go to the University at Buffalo for pharmacy but his or her transcript says otherwise.
What can the student do?
OpInform 2017

24. Access, Opportunity and Success
Scenario 3
A student walks into your office asking about “Free College” through the Excelsior Scholarship…
OpInform 2017

25. Access, Opportunity and Success
Scenario 3 (for real)
A student started at Jamestown Community College, stayed for two years, then transferred to Fredonia without earning her A.S. degree. The student left Fredonia after a year for financial reasons. She has come back to see you.
What should the student do next?
OpInform 2017

26. Access, Opportunity and Success
Questions for Open Discussion
Within your professional positions, what are your best practices to assist students in following a “Pathway” to four- year degree completion?
From this dialogue, what’s missing in these conversations between school/college/CBO counselors and college admission professionals that can improve this process?
Additional questions for discussion?
OpInform 2017

27. Access, Opportunity and Success
Thank You!
OpInform 2017