CEI, ISU enter agreement to benefit business students

The following is a news release from the College of Eastern Idaho.

IDAHO FALLS — College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) and Idaho State University (ISU) have signed their first articulation agreement to facilitate the transition of business students from CEI to ISU.

Students seeking a business degree will now be able to start at CEI and complete an Associate of Arts in General Studies then easily continue at ISU to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration.

The partnership provides students specific advisement and an opportunity to complete an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in a total of four years (2+2). The agreement states that students matriculating this coming fall semester to CEI would have “catalog rights.” This means that students who maintain continuous enrollment would lock in the catalog requirements at ISU established the specific year that they enrolled.

CEI, as a new comprehensive community college, is bringing exciting local opportunities in education.

Lori Barber, Dean of General Education at CEI exclaimed, “This is historic. This is the first 2+2 agreement for CEI. As a community college we’re going to see where the community leads us and what our students want as we add more 2+2 programs. ISU is here in Idaho Falls to partner with us to build more pathways for students.”

There are many 2+2 programs nationwide where community colleges partner with four-year universities to offer this service to students. These programs can open the door for more college applicants and college completion.

A typical 2+2 program is one that begins at a community college with a two-year associate degree. Coursework taken at the community college then transfers to a four-year program, allowing students to complete a bachelor’s degree in the same time it would have taken if they had initially gone to a four-year institution. Students enter community college with a four-year degree in mind and with advisement, select courses at the first institution that align with their ultimate goals.

“This is cooperative not competitive.” Said Barber. “Our cooperative relationship with ISU is beneficial to our students at CEI who get catalog rights; beneficial to ISU because from the beginning students think of themselves as ISU students.”

Michelle Munoz, Transfer Coordinator for ISU said —“Students will see themselves as university students from day one. If a student wants to do business, here’s your pathway to a four-year degree at ISU. They begin to think of themselves right away as university business students.”

Here are some reasons why 2+2 programs work:

· Financial savings, tuition is much less starting at a community college
· Remedial help is available at a community college
· Better access for non-traditional college students

Danielle Stimpson, CEI Pathway Coordinator, shared — “We are really working well with ISU. Our motto is breaking barriers, building bridges, and creating pathways. I feel like we are making a great partnership that benefits our students.”