Dive Brief:
- The Wall Street Journal reports on the increasing value of articulation agreements between community colleges and special mission institutions.
- Schools like Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. say these agreements are paying off in increased attendance from out-of-state students. Six agreements have more than doubled enrollment in Gallaudet's sign language interpretation program.
- Wiley College in Texas has also attracted a growing number of students through an HBCU-California Community College articulation agreement, but Dillard University officials say the program has not reaped similar dividends for its bottom line.
Dive Insight:
Schools with specialized mission rely heavily on two things: niche programs that are renowned for workforce development in competitive areas, and the influence of alumni and other students helping to recruit students to these institutions. While articulation agreements allow for seamless transitions for graduates with limited exposure to HBCUs or other special mission schools, the greatest asset for these campuses is word of mouth.
Presidents of mission-based institutions should invest in marketing and awareness among stakeholders in large cities, specifically Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Houston and other cities, to specifically encourage ambassadorship for out-of-state college choice. In addition, leaders should continue to lobby the federal government for changes to the way completion data is calculated; articulation agreements may actually negatively impact institutional graduation rates, which only consider first-time, full-time enrollees in higher education. Schools that accept high rates of transfer students from community colleges or elsewhere are negatively impacted by these metrics.