(Weatherford)—In an official signing ceremony April 7, the presidents of Weatherford College and Tarleton State University formalized an agreement that serves the needs of a growing student constituency and strengthens the working relationship between the two institutions.
Joe Birmingham of WC and Dennis McCabe of Tarleton signed a five-year Memorandum of Agreement that outlines a seamless transition process designed “to promote the success of students attending both academic institutions and facilitate access to higher education in the common geographical service region.”
“Tarleton and Weatherford College have always done a good job keeping students at the heart of their decisions. This agreement is designed to do just that—tighten up the system and help students achieve educations and careers,” said McCabe. “Ultimately, students will be educated, and that is the purpose of these kinds of partnerships.
"We are excited to continue our existing relationship with Weatherford College in a more formal way. Society is expecting higher education to act very differently in the future than it has in the past, and policies made for higher education demand more agreements like this. With this agreement, Tarleton can better serve Weatherford College freshmen interested in attending Tarleton in the future.”
The formal articulation agreement outlines seven specific areas of collaboration between WC and Tarleton: dual admission; program-specific agreements; West Central Texas Two Step agreements; laboratory medicine consortium agreements; reverse transfer; alternative delivery of upper division courses and graduate programs and non-academic consortium agreements.”
“Articulation agreements of this sort have a tremendous benefit to both the participating colleges and the students,” said Birmingham. “It will enable the student to steer a straighter pathway toward their educational goals, to make wiser course choices and not waste their time or money as they advance toward their degrees or certifications.
“Through this agreement,” Birmingham said, “students will know they have a direct and friendly way to move their educational efforts from Weatherford College to Tarleton State University."