Five students at Garden City Community College have already signed up for the new Transfer Connect program between Fort Hays State University and GCCC.

Transfer Connect went live on April 20.

A key to the system is partnership between academic advisors at Garden City and a dedicated FHSU Transfer Success Coach. Under Transfer Connect, coordination begins much earlier than in traditional articulation agreements to ensure smooth transferability of a student’s community college work.

“An articulation agreement is a printed curriculum guide that the prospective students and their community college advisors can use in course selection,” said Erica Fisher, FHSU’s articulation coordinator and recruiter.

“Transfer Connect is a dual advising relationship where a prospective community college student has access to an FHSU Transfer Success Coach, who proactively engages with their assigned students,” she said.

The transfer coach is available for questions from students or students’ academic advisors at the community college.

Colin Lamb, GCCC’s vice president for student services, said the new partnership is mutually beneficial and is likely to increase GCCC’s own recruitment and retention efforts. More GCCC students transfer to FHSU to continue their studies annually than any other four-year institution statewide, he said.

“This partnership will allow our students to receive academic advising more often and earlier in their undergraduate career,” Lamb said. “We are very excited for any opportunity that improves our students’ transfer experience.”

Fisher agreed.

“We are trying to build the bridge to FHSU earlier in the student’s academic journey to ensure a seamless experience,” she said.

Throughout the community college career, students will have access to:

• Unofficial transcript evaluations to help student keep on track.
• Course recommendations.
• Regular communication of events and deadlines.
• Program exploration based on academic goals.
• Degree completion planning.
• Admission and financial aid assistance.
• On-boarding and enrollment guidance.

A pilot partnership for Transfer Connect began last spring at Barton Community College for the current academic year. That partnership has been a success, said Fisher, with 23 students currently enrolled.

More information, and the sign-up form, is at https://fhsu.edu/transfer/transfer-connect/student.

Once enrolled, a Transfer Success Coach at FHSU will begin collaborating with the student and the GCCC academic advisor to develop a customized academic plan.

For questions about the academic advising process or the Transfer Connect program, contact Fisher at eafisher@fhsu.edu or hsrebel@fhsu.edu.