Heidelberg, Terra State to partner on dual enrollment initiative

Heidelberg University and Terra State Community College have sealed the deal on a new dual admission and enrollment agreement, beginning in the spring of 2023. The partnership will provide a seamless pathway for Terra State students to enroll at Heidelberg to complete their bachelor's degrees. The partnership will officially focus on four academic pathways: Business, Health Science, Psychology and Sport Management, with the development of additional pathways in the near future, according to Heidelberg Provost Bryan Smith. It is designed to incentivize the completion of associate's degrees at Terra while simultaneously beginning to complete bachelor's degree requirements at Heidelberg, followed by full-time Heidelberg enrollment and bachelor's degree completion. Administrators from both institutions gathered at Heidelberg on Thursday to sign the agreement. Presidents from Terra and Heidelberg recognize the benefits of the agreements for their institutions and say they are looking forward to future collaborations. "On behalf of Terra State Community College, we are excited to continue to provide pathway programs to students where all Terra State courses will be accepted into these private institutions," said Terra State Community College President Ronald Schumacher. "I am very proud we can enhance our offerings through the partnership with Heidelberg University, and we look forward to many offerings to come in the future." Heidelberg President Rob Huntington added, "Our university has been fortunate to have a strong working relationship with Terra State Community College for a long time. We share a student mission focus on education for career success. I am grateful to President Ron Schumacher and his leadership team for strengthening our partnership with this agreement today." Academic administrators from Heidelberg and Terra agree the partnership will be mutually beneficial on multiple fronts. "We are very pleased because this agreement will benefit Terra State Community College, Heidelberg University, and especially, the students we serve!" Smith said. "It has been fantastic working with Heidelberg University in developing the 2 + 2 Dual Admission Program," said Bill Taylor, vice president of Academic Affairs at Terra State. "This partnership is a great opportunity for students to earn an associate's and bachelor's degree at a fraction of the cost while allowing them to make connections at both institutions. This is yet another example of why students should consider starting their four-year degree at Terra State." The agreement is modeled after the existing 1-2-1 Heidelberg-Terra Bachelor of Science in Nursing Pathway, which helped establish strong collaboration between the two institutions. The 1-2-1 Nursing Pathway agreement was also extended for four more years. "We have laid a solid groundwork with the BSN 1-2-1 agreement and we will adopt that model and refine it to serve the new agreement," Smith said. The new Dual Admission and Enrollment partnership offers several benefits for Terra students that extend beyond typical articulation agreements: While completing the associate's degree at Terra, a student may take up to half of their courses in a semester at Heidelberg at Terra tuition prices. Students will have access to academic advising and support services from both institutions. Students may apply for this program as College Credit Plus students while still completing high school graduation requirements. Terra students will be eligible for Heidelberg scholarships upon completion of their associate's degree. Terra students also will be eligible to enroll in Heidelberg's PlusOneAdvantage®Tuition-Free MBA Scholarship program, provided all admission criteria are met. As part of Heidelberg's $1.2 million "Pathways to Rural Student Access and Success" project, which is entirely funded by the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the articulation agreement with Terra is designed to provide better opportunities and support tools for rural students, leading to increased matriculation at both schools and increased degree completions. Heidelberg and Terra will partner on student services to provide holistic, wrap-around support for participating students.