Dr. Carlos Vargas, president of Southeast Missouri State University, and Dr. Jon Bauer, president of East Central College, signed the document to establish the free Transfer Mentor Program that helps community college students plan and track their degree program at Southeast from their very first semester of college. ECC students who participate will be assigned a transfer mentor, offering them individual support as a community college student through their first semester of enrollment at Southeast.

“The Transfer Mentor Program allows Southeast to treat ECC students as if they were our very own,” said Vargas. “This agreement will give students support and advising to ensure courses are transferable as they make progress on their associate degrees.”

Bauer agreed, “It takes two institutions to make an agreement work. It’s important to have processes in place so students know the answers without having to search for them. This partnership will work for the students.”

As part of the program, ECC students will be assigned an individual support mentor and have access to academic advising at Southeast and Southeasts web-based degree management system. The program also provides students opportunities for concurrent enrollment and reverse transfer to earn their Associate of Arts. Students are encouraged to join the program as they begin their first semester at ECC.

As part of the partnership, every semester ECC will send an official college transcript to Southeast at no cost to the student or ECC. This will allow the ECC student, ECC staff and Southeast to share information, manage progress towards their degree and have access to their transcripts in a web-based degree management system. With the institutions working directly together on behalf of the students, Southeast’s Office of Admissions can create a clear pathway for the ECC students’ ultimate goal of a four-year degree while helping ensure there are no non-transferable credits, giving them guidance, and providing mentorship to succeed.