UC Merced has partnered with two California community colleges to further extend access to students transferring to a four-year university. In April, ceremonies were held to sign agreements with Madera Community College and Las Positas College.
By signing the Madera Promise and Las Positas Promise agreements, the institutions give respective students attending Madera Community College and Las Positas College a streamlined pathway to transfer to UC Merced.
"We are committed to creating and promoting pathways for every California student to fulfill their educational aspirations from kindergarten through the Ph.D.," Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said.
These Promise Pathway Partnerships follow agreements signed with Yosemite Community College District, Fresno City College and Merced College Highlights of the latest agreements include:
-Review pathways to facilitate an efficient and smooth transition from Madera Community College (MCC) and Las Positas College (LPC) to UC Merced.
-Attract, track and retain qualified MCC and LPC transfer students with an aspirational goal to increase transfers to 100 students from each college by 2025.
-Target incoming MCC and LCP first-year students who applied to UC Merced as high school seniors but were not granted admission at that time.
-Develop an online program mapper - a simple-to-use tool to enable students to select programs of study and accelerate their progress toward completion.
-Develop opportunities for summer undergraduate research projects for community college students who are on track to transfer to UC Merced in their respective fields of study.
-Develop Madera Promise and Las Positas Promise Scholars programs for students who meet specified criteria, and for UC Merced to offer financial scholarship packages to attend the university as part of a transfer pathway.
"This partnership between Madera Community College and UC Merced will be a tremendous benefit to both of our institutions and I'm grateful to Chancellor Muñoz and his team for opening this door for our students," said Ángel Reyna, Madera Community College president. "Earning a college degree is an empowering achievement and it's exciting that our students will now have a seamless transition from Madera Community College to UC Merced."
Dyrell Foster, president of Las Positas College, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "This MOU signifies our shared commitment to student success and academic excellence. By working closely with UC Merced, we can provide our students with expanded opportunities for higher education and empower them to pursue and achieve their educational and career goals."
