1. The Anatomy of An Articulation Agreement: More Than a Photo Op
AACRAO Technology Transfer Conference
July 9 – 11, 2017 New Orleans
Lois Bishop – DePaul University
Director/Community College Partnerships
Judy Doyle – Northern Illinois University
Assistant Director/Registration & Records/Transfer Articulation Coordinator

2. The Anatomy of An Articulation Agreement: More Than a Photo Op
AGENDA TODAY
Introductions
Stories
“T’was the day before signing”
“It needs to include faculty? From both schools?”
What is an articulation agreement anyway?
When and why do you use an agreement?
How is an effective agreement created?
What processes can be used to improve the impact of agreements?

3. What is an Articulation Agreement?
A formal agreement between two or more partner colleges and universities that documents and guarantees a policy or pathway for a specific academic program or degree. These types of agreements may also be called Memorandum of Understanding/Agreement MOU/MOA

4. DePaul University
It’s the combination of our Education, Environment and Ethos that makes DePaul one of a kind.

5. DePaul University
A teaching university - highest priority is on programs of instruction and learning
In an urban setting years of being part of and contributing to Chicago
Guided by Catholic Vincentian values
Purposeful education
Urban environment
Vincentian values

6. Northern Illinois University
Enrollment of 19,000 including Undergraduate, Graduate and Law students.
Over 50% of NIU students hold credits from other institutions.

7. Northern Illinois university
Located in DeKalb, Illinois 65 miles west of Chicago Regional Centers in: Hoffman Estates; Naperville; Oregon; and, Rockford.

8. https://nscresearchcenter

9. Community Colleges
Community colleges constitute an important role in higher education
Around half of students completing 4-year degree previously enrolled at a 2-year school,
46% nationwide
61% in Illinois
Two-thirds of these students enrolled at least 3 terms at a community college.

10. Average Transfer-Out Bachelor’s Completion Rates by State
Illinois was third in the nation in completion rates for students transferring from a community college to a four-year school, at 48% and 6 points higher than the national average.
The national 6-year completion rate for incoming freshmen was 59%.
Average Transfer-Out Bachelor’s Completion Rates by State
IL 48%
Source: Community College Research Center, Columbia University: Tracking Transfer Report, January 2016.
Note: For confidentiality, states with fewer than three institutions reporting are not shown. Freshman rate:

11. 12 Illinois 4-year Universities
48 Community Colleges
39 Districts
12 Illinois 4-year Universities
100+ Private Colleges and Universities

12. Illinois Transfer Destination Schools – Top 15 (IBHE, Fall 2015)

14. IAI – General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) Requirements (12-13 courses, 37 - 41 SH)
Discipline: Requirements
Communication:
2 course sequence in Writing, C grade required
1 course in Oral Communication
Mathematics:
1 course
Physical & Life Sciences:
1 course from Physical Sciences
1 course from Life Sciences
At lease one must be a lab course
Humanities & Fine Arts:
1 course from Humanities
1 course from Fine Arts
1 course from either Humanities or Fine Arts
Social & Behavioral Sciences:
3 courses from at least 2 different disciplines

15. Types of Articulation Agreements
Compact agreement:
2+2:
3+1:
Guaranteed Admission:
University Centers:
Reverse Transfer:
State Wide Initiatives:

16. Components of an Articulation Agreement – Part 1
Statement of Purpose
Addendum
Timeframe
Degree requirements
Course requirements

17. Components of an Articulation Agreement – Part 2
Articulations
The Agreement is a recorded document
Promotion

18. What Are the Advantages of an Agreement?
Strong partnership
Support and credibility
Sense of attainability of bachelor’s degree
Systematizes something that might otherwise have been random
Documented degree pathways
A new or innovative program

19. Topics for Discussion At your institution:
When should you use an articulation agreement?
Where does an articulation agreement get started?
How do you implement processes at your school to facilitate the development of articulation agreement?

20. When Should an Articulation Agreement Be Created?
Change in policy: Is what we are agreeing to different than current policy?
Will this facilitate the students moving from one school to the next to complete the bachelor degree?
Will this create institutional awareness and support that extends beyond: a specific individual; or department; and, people’s memories?

21. How does an Articulation Agreement Get Started?
Faculty: either at 2-year or 4-year school
Administrative professionals: President, Registrar, Department Chair, Dean
Transfer Departments: Admission Offices, Partnership Offices, Transfer Advising/Counseling Offices
State or Local mandates and policies

22. Process Of Creating And Implementing ‘Successful’ Agreements – Part 1
Centralized Coordinator
2-year Faculty
4-year Faculty
Registrar
Articulation Coordinator
Deans
Provost/VP Academic Affairs
IT Support
Legal Affairs

23. Process Of Creating And Implementing ‘Successful’ Agreements
Work flow development
Centralized form
Who will maintain and keep it current
Who manages the process

24. Best Practices
Determine the differing perspectives on reasons and uses of articulation agreements
One coordinator to oversee all agreements
How to maintain articulation agreements

25. Questions? Discussion… Ideas!

26. Contact information
Lois Bishop
DePaul University
Judy Doyle
Northern Illinois University