James Madison University (JMU) and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) teamed up in April 2014 to build a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between their respective four-year and two-year honors programs. This MOU is the basis for the continued work between these two institutions to collaborate and find research to assist other interested…

This report examines the structural divide between for-credit and noncredit postsecondary education and the problems it presents for people seeking better jobs with higher pay. It highlights innovative ways that some community colleges are trying to bridge the gap nationally--creating more seamless pathways between credit and noncredit…

Many states are experimenting with mechanisms for making college more affordable while maintaining quality and access. This report examines promising or innovative state programs to improve college affordability and credential attainment. Many of these approaches show innovative thinking and bear watching to see if they result in meaningful…

This report, undertaken by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia, intends to provide information on transfer students and identify obstacles faced by transfer students in order to create policy that will aid transfer students in the future. Key findings of the report are as follows: (1) transfer enrollments at public four-year…

This report presents the findings of a national study initiated by the Ford Foundation to examine the policies affecting community college transfer, including obstacles to transfer and successful models for overcoming those obstacles. The first part of the document outlines current changes in higher education and identifies factors that encourage…

The Joint Committee on Transfer Students (JCTS), comprised of faculty and administrators from two- and four-year institutions, was established by Virginia's State Council of Higher Education (SCHE) and State Board for Community Colleges (SBCC) in October 1990. In order to develop policy recommendations designed to facilitate student transfer, in…

In October 1990, the Virginia Council of Higher Education and the State Board for Community Colleges established a 10-member Joint Committee on Transfer Students (JCTS) to develop transfer agreements between the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and four-year institutions in the state, and to report on the progress and performance of…

Although junior colleges were originally established to provide the first two years of collegiate instruction, the mission of today's community college includes providing not only transfer education, but also certificate or associate degree vocational programs, adult continuing education, and community services. Therefore, the community college…