The Bergen Community College and Ramapo College of New Jersey mascots met students at the October 17 “takeover” event in Paramus.
PARAMUS, N.J. – Nearly three-quarters of Bergen Community College students enroll in the institution’s transfer programs, indicating their desire to earn an associate degree and continue their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. To create additional pathways for Bergen graduates, College officials signed revised transfer agreements with Ramapo College of New Jersey and Montclair State University this month to further enhance the partnerships between the colleges.
A delegation of officials from each of the four-year colleges, including their presidents, visited in October to meet with Bergen President Eric M. Friedman, Ph.D., and other College leaders. Members of Ramapo and Montclair’s academic and student affairs teams even led a “takeover” of Bergen’s student center on separate days to provide potential transfer students with information about the colleges. The takeover events featured the colleges’ mascots, giveaways and instant decision admission services while the presidents met one-on-one to discuss other potential collaborations.
“As a community college with a significant number of students who plan to continue their education, Bergen has always sought to maintain robust transfer agreements with four-year partners,” President Friedman said. “However, it remains incredibly important to periodically review these agreements and enhance them for the benefit of our students. Providing a streamlined transfer process helps all sides – Bergen, the four-year college, and most importantly, the Bergen graduate.”
The newly revised agreements offer Bergen graduates with the assurance that their credits will successfully transfer to the four-year schools. As such, the graduates essentially enter the four-year schools with “junior” status and halfway toward their bachelor’s degree. For example, the Montclair State University agreement provides admission for Bergen graduates who have earned an A.A., A.S. or A.F.A into a B.A., B.S. or B.F.A program at the four-year college. The colleges recommend that students seeking to take advantage of the transfer agreements discuss the individual requirements with a Bergen adviser.
In addition to establishing revised terms for transfer students, the Ramapo agreement confirms a commitment by both institutions to begin an exploratory study regarding the feasibility of offering some bachelor’s degree program classes at Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst.
Montclair and Ramapo consistently rank as the No. 1 and 2 destinations for Bergen graduate transfers. Bergen maintains transfer agreements with two dozen four-year college partners and offers students an opportunity to periodically meet with representatives from these colleges at its main campus.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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