PERRY, Maine — The University of Maine at Machias and Washington County Community College are working together to bring more academic choices to students at both institutions.
Stuart Swain, UMM’s interim president, said Tuesday the agreement will help fight declining enrollments and enlarge the pool of prospective students by making it more attractive for WCCC students who wish to earn a four-year degree to transfer credits.
UMM earlier this month entered into a “primary partnership” with the flagship campus in Orono to find ways to attract students and improve finances.
Swain said the newest agreement, a successor to an earlier pact called the “Calais Connection,” simply makes transferring credits between UMM and WCCC easier.
“We have and will have WCCC courses here at our campus and we’re anticipating having UMM courses at WCCC,” he said.
Currently, UMM shares its Geographic Informational Systems curriculum with WCCC and WCCC shares its medical assisting program courses with UMM.
“It’s expanding on those sorts of opportunities,” Swain said. “This agreement really is intended to build on something that’s already been a success.”
Joseph Cassidy, WCCC president, said each institution will endeavor to support the delivery of courses and programs on the other’s campus. This support may take multiple forms, including physical resources, student support and curriculum coordination. WCCC also hopes to offer the third and fourth years of more popular degrees to enable students to complete their bachelor’s degree from UMM without leaving the Calais area.
Both institutions will identify other program areas for which to develop transfer articulations.
Cassidy and Swain said the program is groundbreaking, and will include the delivery of courses via point-to-point video conferencing or on-site on the other’s campus that would otherwise not be available. It will also provide an extension of library, computer lab and parking privileges and access to student tutoring for general academic support, such as writing and mathematics assistance.