A transfer agreement MVCC recently inked with Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, comes on the heels of an articulation agreement signed in August with Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina.
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Moraine Valley Community College creating pathways for students to continue education at HBCUs
:
Nov 27, 2023
A student walks on campus at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. The college recently signed agreements with two historically Black colleges and universities that can help students further their studies at HBCUs. (MVCC)
Officials at Moraine Valley Community College are make it easier for students to transfer to historically Black colleges and universities after concluding their studies at the school in Palos Hills.
A transfer agreement MVCC recently inked with Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, comes on the heels of an articulation agreement signed in August with Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina.
The latest agreement means Moraine Valley students who are in good standing with at least a 2.7 GPA and an associate degree will accepted as juniors at Morehouse, a men’s college. They also are eligible for reduced tuition, dual admission and the possibility of being accepted into honors programs. Morehouse is a member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium, which includes nearby all-female Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University. It’s also where Martin Luther King Jr. received his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1948.
A Morehouse graduate has a Morehouse Man logo on his cap during a graduation ceremony in 2022 at the college in Atlanta. Moraine Valley Community College recently signed a transfer agreement with the historically Black college. (Curtis Compton/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)
“For us, it’s about saying not only do we have confidence you can be successful here, but you have a pathway to one of the greatest HBCUs in the country,” said Rory Dean Smith, executive director MVCC’s office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “The other really great thing about this opportunity is that Morehouse really takes this unique sense of pride in their students and helps to create leaders in this world.”
Smith said two of his nephews and a brother-in-law graduated from Morehouse, “so I can say with great confidence that students would have a terrific experience there.” He added the opportunity is open to students of any race.
“There’s this uniqueness about HBCUs in that they consider their students part of their family and part of their legacy and that kind of connection, belonging and welcoming is transformative,” Smith said.
Black students make up about 9% of Moraine’s student population, and Smith said the college is looking for ways to attract more Black students, including creating these pathways to further studies at HBCUs. Moraine Valley also has invited representatives from HBCUs to campus to recruit prospective students.
With a student population that is also about 27% Hispanic, the agreements are a way to foster opportunities for students from traditionally underserved populations, MVCC officials said.
“Having transfer agreements with HSIs (Hispanic serving institutions) and HBCUs helps bring awareness to our students about the opportunities these institutions can offer and the unique benefits they can provide,” Tina Carney-Simon, the school’s transfer coordinator, said in a news release announcing the latest agreement.
Scott Friedman, MVCC’s dean of Student Engagement, said staff from his school and Morehouse are working together on marketing and Morehouse was offering students preenrollment academic adviser services.
“Even before they are accepted, if students are interested, we’ll help them get connected to Morehouse,” Friedman said. “Obviously there’s a lot of questions advisers and admissions staff can answer in advance.”
Friedman said MVCC had tried to set up transfer agreements with HBCUs in the past, but the physical distance of the schools, based mainly in the southern United States, from Palos Hills made it difficult.
“This opens a lot of doors to our students who are interested in an HBCU because now we have two really solid direct transfer routes for our students,” Friedman said.
Not all the efforts are directed at channeling students to far away schools. MVCC’s local transfer agreements include one with Governors State University, an MSI — minority serving institution — with a 50% minority student population.
Kevin Brookins a trustee at Governors State University, who graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., said he had a wonderful experience “being around so many intelligent, ambitious and ultimately successful people from backgrounds similar to mine.
“The classrooms tend to be smaller and therefore more supportive to students. The cost of these HBCUs tend to be less than predominantly white institutions. They also usually have access to better financial aid,” Brookins said