UWRF and CVTC sign Guaranteed Admission Program Agreement

April 11, 2022 -- University of Wisconsin-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo and Chippewa Valley Technical College President Sunem Beaton-Garcia signed a Guaranteed Admission Program Agreement April 5.

The agreement creates a seamless process for CVTC students who are part of the Liberal Arts Transfer Associate of Science degree or complete the University Credit Transfer Agreement to be admitted to UW-River Falls and complete a bachelor’s degree.

The agreement was signed at the St. Croix Business and Innovation Center, a business incubator partnership between UWRF, CVTC, the city of River Falls and the River Falls Economic Development Corp.

It was noted it was a fitting site for the signing given the collaborative nature of the center.

“We are both about student success,” Gallo said just prior to signing the agreement. “This is about how we can grow and serve students better in the state.”

Beaton-Garcia said the partnership with UWRF has been wonderful. “It’s institutional alignment,” she said. “It’s a means of eliminating barriers.”

Gallo and Beaton-Garcia exchanged pens with their respective college logos during the signing.

David Travis, UWRF provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, said UWRF wants more CVTC students to transfer and finish their four-year degrees and find their path to success.

“It’s so nice to talk collaboration with a college right in our backyard,” Travis said. “I have seen students come from CVTC to UWRF and they have a reputation of doing very well.”

About 50 students transfer each year from CVTC to UWRF. The majority are liberal arts, nursing assistants, emergency medical technicians, business management and early childhood education students.

CVTC also has the College Transfer Academy where high school students can earn up to 28 credits at the CVTC River Falls campus or online. Twenty-six credits will then transfer to a state technical college or university.

“We feel it is a good pipeline for UWRF, and a good opportunity to partner so we can continue to grow the academy,” said Shana Schmidt, CVTC director of college effectiveness.

Valerie Young, transfer coordinator for UWRF Admissions, said for UWRF’s Wisconsin partners, CVTC is the No. 1 transfer institution in the state.

UWRF is transfer-friendly with more than 60 transfer agreements with institutions, Young said.

“We want to make a nice smooth transition so we can help students have a simple way to get to UWRF,” Young said.