Central Minnesota students now have more access to and more opportunities to succeed in college because of collaborations between St. Cloud State University (SCSU), St. Cloud Technical College (SCTC) and Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC). Tyler Peterson, who will be a junior at SCSU this fall, is one example of how the collaborations work. When he applied to SCSU two years ago, he did not meet the university’s freshman admission criteria. However, because of the Connection Program, Peterson was able to begin college at SCSU while enrolled in ARCC classes. After Peterson completed his freshman year in the Connection Program, he was accepted as a transfer student and started as a sophomore at SCSU. “I made the dean’s list at ARCC,” said Peterson. “And this year I made the dean’s list as a SCSU student.” The three programs include: Associate of Arts collaboration ARCC provides liberal arts courses leading to an associate of arts degree on-site at SCTC. Students with the degree can then transfer to SCSU and complete the general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree. During the 2003-04 school year, 262 students participated in the program. The number is expected to increase by 28 percent in the 2004 fall semester. Community College Connection Program ARCC offers developmental math, reading and English courses needed to bring students up to college level and acceptance to SCSU. The courses are taught by ARCC faculty on the SCSU campus. The program serves the needs of prospective students who do not meet SCSU admission criteria. It now helps roughly 200 students each year. Division of General Studies Two years ago, ARCC began offering developmental courses for the SCSU Division of General Studies (DGS) to support students who do not quite meet SCSU admission criteria. The program, started in 1979, is currently filled to capacity at 250 students. For more information on the programs, contact Andrea Roberge, dean of educational services at ARCC, at (763) 422-3432, or Kathryn Kelly, director of the SCSU DGS, at (320) 308-3143.
