UB Signs Joint-Admission Agreements With Genesee, Broome Community Colleges

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo recently signed joint-admission agreements with two SUNY community colleges that will facilitate the transfer of students from the colleges to UB.

An agreement with Genesee Community College will guarantee students admission to UB at the sophomore level after completion of their first year at GCC. The college and UB already maintain an agreement in which students from the college can transfer to UB after earning an associate's degree.

The agreement between UB and Broome Community College is designed to increase the number of students transferring with associate degrees from the college to the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The "early transfer" agreement between UB and GCC, located in Batavia, allows students to begin their academic studies "in a nurturing environment that is closer to home and geared to making a transition from a small college to a large university environment."

Students must complete the required two-semester curriculum -- a total of 30-34 credits -- in either a science-oriented or non-science-oriented track with a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 in order to continue their studies at UB as a sophomore.

GCC staff will advise students who enroll in the program, with UB staff offering special advisement sessions. UB staff also will train GCC faculty and staff advisors.

The college and UB already maintain a joint-admission agreement whereby students from GCC can transfer to UB after earning an associate's degree.

UB also will co-sponsor Genesee's Advanced Studies Program that offers college-level courses in Genesee County high schools. The program allows accelerated high-school students to earn credits from GCC. Students who later are admitted to UB will receive equivalent UB credit for the courses.

This past academic year, more than 600 high-school students from 28 different high schools registered for the program.

Under the joint-admissions agreement with Broome Community College, located in Binghamton, BCC will recruit for the program. Students will apply to BCC and to the program and qualified students will be admitted simultaneously to both the college and to UB. Students are guaranteed transfer as juniors into the engineering major upon completion of the BCC degree with the required course work and specified grade-point average.

The document also calls for regular communication between BCC and UB faculty and participation of UB staff in advising students and training BCC faculty and staff advisors.

The rationale for the agreement is to guarantee that students participating in the program will be better prepared to transfer at the junior level into the UB major after completing the BCC degree. Students will be made aware of the university's academic policies, and enhanced support systems will assure their retention after transferring.