Students will find it easier to pursue health careers thanks to recent transfer agreements signed between UNMC and Metropolitan Community College (Metro). The agreements outline Metro courses that will fulfill certain prerequisite requirements to all UNMC programs.
“Years ago we recognized that there were a number of students who had been at Metro and were now at UNMC. The articulation agreements establish a way to purposely get Metro students here to make it a more efficient process,” said John McClain, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and chief student affairs officer at UNMC. “In the end we expect that this will create another pipeline for talented individuals to enter health-care professions. We’re tapping a pool of individuals who will add vitality to UNMC’s programs.”
Jan Moore, outreach retention specialist in UNMC’s Office of Student Equity and Multicultural Affairs, said the guidelines give more opportunities to students who may not have the time or money to attend a four-year university.
“One goal is to draw more diverse students. Metro offers some of the same coursework that any university would have,” Moore said. “We’re hoping that more students, who might not even dream of going to UNMC, will realize they can start their academic careers at a community college.”
At Metro, students can take classes in the evenings or on weekends, allowing more flexibility for those who hold full-time jobs or have families. Other advantages include small class sizes and faculty who focus on teaching.
“At a community college, services are in place to help students ease into the college experience,” Moore said. “When they get to UNMC it’s not as much of an adjustment.”
Denise Ellis, articulation coordinator at Metro, said, “Metro is very excited to have completed transfer guides with all of UNMC’s programs. The advising tools will help serve all Metro students who desire to transfer to UNMC.”
Last August, committees from UNMC and Metro finalized a list of courses that UNMC will accept as prerequisites for each of its programs. Judy Dierkhising, Ph.D., former director of UNMC’s Community and Multicultural Affairs, Mary McNamee, Ph.D., director of the Office of Student Equity and Multicultural Affairs, and Moore worked with academic deans at UNMC to approve Metro courses based on the content of the course.
Some UNMC programs, such as the radiation therapy and pharmacy programs, allow for a student to come to UNMC directly from Metro with an associate’s degree, having fulfilled all prerequisites at Metro. Other programs, such as the physician assistant and cytotechnology programs, require a bachelor’s degree for admission. In those cases, a student takes the required courses at Metro for his or her associate’s degree, then must finish a bachelor’s degree program at a university before applying to UNMC, Moore said.
At UNMC’s graduation last December, four students who had started at Metro received bachelor’s degrees in nursing, and this year one pharmacy student entered the program directly from Metro, Moore said. While nursing has always been a popular program at Metro, Ellis is seeing interest grow in other areas.
“Since the articulation guides are available for all 16 UNMC programs, students are becoming aware of all their options,” Ellis said. “We’ve seen interest grow in fields like the radiation sciences, physician assistant and pharmacy. Fields that students may have not thought about before or seemed out of their reach, students now can begin at Metro.”