Agreement allows students with tech college degree to begin university program with credits intact

Aiming to give higher education students more opportunities to achieve their dream of obtaining a bachelor’s degree and advance their careers, Northwood Technical College and UW-Eau Claire signed an agreement Thursday in Rice Lake that makes transferring credits easier.

The agreement also demonstrates how schools have evolved beyond competing for students and instead are working hand-in-hand to focus on their achievement, which can benefit them economically as well as the community by increasing the number of qualified, educated workers.

Through this particular agreement, students who have obtained an associate degree from Northwood Tech can transfer their credits to UW-EC’s new Bachelor of Science Professional Studies program.

“We have come up with a sort of creative way for their credits to count for this particular major,” UW-EC Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Louisa Rice said at the signing ceremony held at Northwood Tech’s Conference Center.

Students in the Professional Studies program may attend classes in person at UW-EC or the Barron County campus, take classes online to work around family or job obligations, or adopt a hybrid approach.

The agreement can benefit students or former students in a variety of situations who wish to obtain a bachelor’s degree, including those who have taken a hiatus from their studies and others living in Barron and nearby counties.

“We also see this as a way to bring these two campuses across the parking lot together,” Rice said, referencing the Northwood Tech and UW-EC — Barron County campuses in Rice Lake. “I think there’s a lot of room for integration along the way.”

The brand-new UW-EC Professional Studies program launches this fall and already has 30 applicants. The agreement pertains only to this particular major, and standard tuition fees apply.

Northwood Tech President John Will said this agreement benefits students who haven’t taken full advantage of either educational institution and sends a message about the value of obtaining higher education.

“The type of institution isn’t the focus,” Will said, “it’s getting people to the finish line so they can benefit from the economic mobility that education offers.”

UW-Eau Claire Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Michael Carney said the agreement was “the right thing to do” to provide everyone with a pathway to higher education.

For more information on UW-EC’s Professional Studies program visit tinyurl.com/2uwe9h7n .