SC State-Midlands Tech announce new partnership to provide greater access to higher education
March 30, 2017
South Carolinians who seek to advance their career opportunities through higher education now have more options thanks to a new South Carolina State University (SC State) and Midlands Technical College (MTC) partnership. The institutions have formalized a bridge agreement that will give MTC students access to programs and services to facilitate their transfer to SC State upon completion of their associate’s degrees.
Midlands Technical President Dr. Ronald L. Rhames and SC State President James E. Clark celebrate the launch of a new strategic alliance designed to increase access to higher education.
The strategic alliance, yet another part of SC State’s Partnerships and Collaborations effort, was announcedThursday by SC State President James E. Clark and Midlands Technical College President Dr. Ronald L. Rhames during a press event held on the MTC Northeast Campus. Both presidents signed an MOU creating the Bulldog Bridge Program, which takes effect immediately. The program will provide graduates from MTC’s associate in arts and associate in science programs direct transfer of credits to SC State, where they will be able to work towards earning a bachelor’s degree.
“This agreement between South Carolina State University and Midlands Technical College will enhance the successful transfer of students with associate degrees from Midlands Technical College to South Carolina State University to earn baccalaureate degrees,” said Rhames. “This collaboration serves students by providing program support, articulated academic curricula and services that facilitate the transfer process and successfully prepare and acclimate students desiring to matriculate at South Carolina State.”
The alliance with Midlands Technical College is part of SC State’s strategy to leverage its capabilities and increase its public value by forming partnerships and collaborations with academic institutions, businesses and the community.
“We are pleased to be working with an institution that performs exceptionally well in providing students access to the two-year to four-year transfer pipeline. By partnering with Midlands Technical College, SC State is tapping into the largest source of transfer students, who, upon earning their bachelor’s degree from SC State, will help address the state’s workforce demands as well as expand our economy,” said. Clark.
“Through our partnership with Midlands Technical College, along with other partnerships we have formalized and are working to further develop, SC State finds it important to make the educational pathway from a two-year degree to a four-year degree as seamless as possible to ensure student success,” Clark continued.
MTC students who transfer to SC State will be able to pursue several degrees including mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering technology, industrial engineering, business, accounting, marketing, special education, elementary education, social work, history, criminal justice, political science, early childhood education, child development, English and middle-level education.
To participate, MTC students must submit a Bulldog Bridge Program Information Form to the MTC admissions office at the time of enrollment at MTC or upon deciding to transfer to SC State. During their enrollment at MTC, students in the Bulldog Bridge Program will receive structured advisement, an array of support services and college engagement activities designed to promote successful transfer. To be admitted to SC State, students must submit an application for undergraduate admission at least two months prior to the transfer semester.
Additionally, Bulldog Bridge students will get a 50 percent discount on the SCSU activity fee, which allows the Bulldog Bridge Program students to be eligible for an SC State University ID. This allows the students to participate in SC State campus activities, including athletic events, commuter parking and campus meal plans while they are still enrolled at MTC.
For more information about the Bulldog Bridge Program, please contact Dr. Matthew Guah, special assistant to the provost at [email protected], or call (803) 536-7180.
South Carolina State University
Founded in 1896 as a land grant institution with a mission of providing service to the citizens of the state, South Carolina State University has evolved from a small teachers’ college into a major University center of learning and research. Located in Orangeburg, S.C., with a student population of some 2,600, South Carolina State offers more than 50 different fields of study on the undergraduate and graduate levels. South Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools.
About Midlands Technical College
Midlands Technical College (MTC) is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The fifth-largest provider of higher education in South Carolina and the largest provider of transfer students to the University of South Carolina, MTC enrolls approximately 16,000 credit students annually. The college’s Corporate and Continuing Education program, one of the largest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, annually has 25,000 enrollments and provides continuing education to hundreds of area businesses each year. MIDLANDSTECH.EDU
