On July 25, leaders from Dallas College, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Woman's University, and the University of North Texas at Dallas signed a collaborative agreement at Dallas College, establishing the Dallas Transfer Collaborative. The partnership aims to facilitate students’ successful completion of bachelor’s degrees on time and with reduced financial strain.
The agreement outlines a shared governance structure, academic alignment, real-time credit-to-degree technology, coordinated advising and student success services, and data sharing among the institutions.
Dr. Justin Lonon, chancellor of Dallas College, emphasized the need for streamlined transfer pathways. “Our collaboration aims to rectify this situation by collectively simplifying our transfer pathways and developing targeted associate degrees that map to multiple bachelor's programs.”
Initial Funding and New Programs
The initiative is supported by initial funding from the Commit Partnership's Opportunity 2040 Fund and JP Morgan Chase. It introduces new programs and technologies to ease the transition from community college to university and into the workforce.
Todd Williams, CEO of Commit Partnership, highlighted the goal of improving postsecondary credential attainment among Dallas County residents. “To reach our ‘true north’ goal of at least half of all 25-to-34-year-old residents of Dallas County earning a living wage by 2040, we must help more students attain postsecondary credentials and begin productive careers in high-demand fields.”
The first phase of the collaboration will introduce Meta Majors in business, education, and health sciences this fall. These Meta Majors consist of agreed-upon blocks of lower-division courses accepted for credit toward related majors. Additionally, a transfer hub website will be launched, providing real-time credit-to-degree technology to help prospective students understand how their credits will transfer and track their degree progress.
Addressing Credit Loss and Future Plans
Dr. Warren von Eschenbach, interim president of the University of North Texas at Dallas, noted that the new components aim to address credit loss issues and assist in transfer planning. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board reported in fall 2022 that over 13,000 Texas students faced credit denial issues when transferring from a two-year public institution to a university.
The Dallas Transfer Collaborative plans to expand its Meta Majors to include STEM/IT fields and develop further streamlined transfer processes and student success supports after its first year.
Dr. Carine Feyten, chancellor of TWU, stated the overarching aim is to simplify the transfer process and provide diverse academic options. Dr. Mark Rudin, president of A&M-Commerce, expressed a vision of creating a “friction-free” transfer ecosystem for students.
