Allows for transfer from community college directly into CSU mechanical engineering program

Note to reporters: CSU President Joyce McConnell and Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia will participate in a signing ceremony for the transfer agreement at the Fort Collins corporate headquarters of Woodward, Inc. at 11 a.m. Oct. 26. Angie Paccione, executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, will also attend. Media are welcome. Attendees must follow the Larimer County Public Health Order mask requirement. 

October 21, 2021 (Fort Collins, CO) – The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) and Colorado State University have signed an agreement to partner on a new Associate in Engineering Science degree that will help engineering students move from a community college directly into the CSU mechanical engineering degree program.

The agreement, to be made official at an Oct. 26 signing ceremony with CSU President Joyce McConnell and CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia, streamlines the transfer process for students who wish to complete their first two years of coursework at a community college and seamlessly transfer into the CSU mechanical engineering degree program. The agreement is essentially a broad promise between the community college system and CSU that gives students a structured, no-surprises pathway leading from an associate degree into a bachelor’s degree program in the same discipline.

Though students from CCCS institutions including Front Range Community College were already able to transfer to CSU mechanical engineering, there was no explicitly laid out mechanism for doing so that applied to the entire community college system. As a result, some students arrived at CSU deficient in prerequisites necessary to jump into the program. Now, students who successfully complete their associate in engineering science degree at a community college can transfer directly into CSU and be guaranteed to be on track toward their bachelor’s as soon as they arrive.

“Our new transfer agreement with our community college partners is a wonderful example of how our land-grant institution works to provide access to as many degree pathways as possible to as many students as possible,” said CSU President Joyce McConnell. “We’re proud to continue our close partnership with the community college system to help more students achieve higher education by eliminating bureaucratic barriers to their success.”

Joe Garcia, Chancellor of CCCS, added, “We’re excited to partner with CSU on this new degree pathway for our students. As the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the state, our mission includes preparing students for the workforce as well as providing opportunities for transfer to continue their education. This system-wide partnership will offer our students a clear pathway to a degree in mechanical engineering from one of the state’s top institutions.”

The statewide transfer agreement has been several years in the making. Faculty at CCCS and CSU are already contemplating additional degrees so that more students from other disciplines can benefit from similar arrangements.

The signing event was hosted by Woodward Inc., a firm headquartered in Fort Collins that specializes in the manufacture of energy control systems for the aerospace and industrial markets. Woodward sources significant engineering talent from CSU. Doug Salter, chief technology officer at Woodward, said: “Woodward applauds CSU and the community colleges for creating this partnership. We are excited about the diverse Colorado engineering talent this program will reach, and we look forward to those future Colorado engineers helping enable the path to a cleaner, decarbonized world.”

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About the Colorado Community College System: The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is the state’s largest system of higher education and workforce development, delivering thousands of programs to over 125,000 students annually through 13 colleges and over 35 locations across Colorado. The System’s open-access mission ensures all Coloradans who aspire to enrich their lives have access to high quality, affordable higher education opportunities. The System Office provides leadership, advocacy, and support to the colleges under the direction of the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE). Join us in changing the way Colorado goes to college www.cccs.edu.

About Colorado State University: Colorado State University is one of the nation’s top public land-grant research universities and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. CSU offers 76 undergraduate degree programs; 159 master’s degree programs, 56 of which also are offered online; 74 doctoral programs, six of which are online; and 47 graduate certificates, 42 of which are available online. CSU is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) institution, with $407 million in annual sponsored research expenditures. More information: www.colostate.edu

About Woodward, Inc.: Woodward is an independent designer, manufacturer, and service provider of control system solutions and components for the aerospace and industrial markets. The company’s innovative fluid, combustion, electrical, and motion control systems help customers offer cleaner, more reliable, and more efficient equipment. Our customers include leading original equipment manufacturers and end users of their products. Woodward is a global company headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. Visit our website at www.woodward.com