TIFFIN, Ohio — Transferring from a community college to another school can have difficult hurdles and red tape, so Heidelberg University's new open transfer program aims to make the process easier for students with pre-existing associate's degrees.
Students pursuing 13 degrees at HU can transfer from any accredited community college in Ohio or Michigan and can earn a bachelor's degree in 60 credit hours -- or two years.
"Every credit hour that is lost, every course that doesn't transfer directly means that it's going to take a student longer to complete that credential that they want in order to be able to get a new job, to embark on a new career, to get a promotion," Courtney DeMayo Pugno, the assistant vice president of academic affairs at HU, said.
The open transfer program isn't just for recent community college graduates either. It's offered to students who have completed their associate's degree over the last 10 years, too.
It's part of a new focus to make it easier to get into a four-year program and reward students who have already accomplished a college goal.
"They are adaptable and flexible, they are critical thinkers and they are successful in a variety of different career paths," Pugno said. "The open transfer program is really about making that experience available to students who might previously not have thought it was an option for them."
Bryan Smith, the vice president of academic affairs and provost, said he expects more bachelor's degrees will be added to the program as faculty evaluate their curriculum.
"They have demonstrated they have the ability to be successful in higher education, the work ethic to complete a degree and to acknowledge and reward that behavior," Smith said.