PARTNERS college after graduation,” Faulkner said. “MTSU, in turn, gets students who have benefitted from the many wrap-around services that Southwest offers and are now better prepared academically to transfer.” Faulkner adds MTSU is the top transfer destination in Tennessee. “The students really get the best of both worlds. These were students who attempted to go to MTSU, but were not admissible out of high school.”
Southwest welcomes first class of
MTSU PROMISE
STUDENTS P
eyton Wallace had her heart set on going to Middle Tennessee State University when she graduated from Collierville High School. She loved the campus. She liked the majors and all of the different programs they offered. But, she didn’t meet the admissions qualifications to get accepted at MTSU, and in her heart, she knew she just wasn’t ready yet to go to a four-year university. “I really wanted to go,” Wallace said. “But I don’t think I was prepared enough to move forward.” A high school guidance counselor told her about a program called MTSU Promise and how she could enroll at Southwest, get the support classes she needs to make at least a 3.0 GPA, and then transfer to an MTSU bachelor’s degree program with a guaranteed scholarship upon successfully completing two years at Southwest. “I thought that was the best fit for me,” Wallace said. “It is an opportunity to earn a good GPA and move on to a four-year college.”
The agreement consists of a letter from MTSU that refers the prospective student to Southwest to complete a two-year degree. The letter serves as a guarantee— that is the promise part—of a seamless hand-off with a scholarship if the student completes with a 3.0 or better GPA. “They receive the guidance and support that we provide at Southwest to help them stay on track, but then they are also being steered by MTSU who will be their future institution,” Faulkner said. Her counterpart at MTSU, Dr. Debra Sells, vice president for Student Affairs and vice provost for Enrollment and Academic Services, says transfer students perform best when they have gone to a two-year institution and completed their degrees. “Our goal was to make sure that we got the right students the right start,” Sells said. “For some students, the kind of care and attention they can get from a community college makes all the difference in the world in those first two years. We get them back and they qualify for admission and we can take them to the finish line.”
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The students really get the best of both worlds.
Faulkner says since the agreement was signed, MTSU has referred 41 students to Southwest. Of that total, 23 have applied to Southwest and 18 have been admitted for the fall. “I think that is a great start,” she said. “That’s more than 50 percent who have applied.”
Wallace is one of 18 students who was in the first cohort that entered Southwest this past fall as part of the new agreement signed in the fall of — Jacqueline Faulkner Sells added that those are exactly the types 2018 between Southwest and Middle Tennessee of numbers they hoped to see. “We are very VP of Student Affairs State University. Students who participate sign excited to see those kinds of numbers and will be a “reverse transfer” agreement and get deferred similarly excited to see what is going on with our admission to MTSU and a $3,000 scholarship to other partners,” she said. attend for two years if they complete 60 credit hours and achieve a 3.0 GPA. MTSU pledged Southwest is one of six partners in the MTSU to help those students complete their associate Promise program. MTSU has signed agreements degree and then transition to their campus. Southwest shares with Chattanooga State, Cleveland State Community College, directory information with MTSU so students are included in Columbia State Community College, Dyersburg State tailored communications of emails and mailings that support Community College, and Motlow State Community College. the planning process for the bachelor’s degree after successful completion of the associate. MTSU is already a popular destination for Southwest graduates who are thriving in their new environment. Currently, there Jacqueline Faulkner, vice president of Student Affairs, says the are 247 students who enrolled and completed some transfer agreement is a win-win for both institutions. “Southwest gains work or have graduated from Southwest. DeAnna Black, a a pipeline of students to enroll in its programs and a chance 2018 student alumnus in the graphic arts technology program, for them to continue their education at a quality four-year is now working on a bachelor’s in graphic design. Black said
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24 | SOUTHWEST NOW | SPRING 2020
