Agreement Between the Two Colleges Facilitates Timely College Completion Through Efficient Transfer of Associate Degree Credits Toward Bachelor’s Degrees
New York, N.Y. — Graduates of several Stella and Charles Guttman Community College of The City University of New York associate degree programs are now able to apply their associate degree credits toward bachelor’s degrees at Mercy College. A new partnership between the two colleges, created to strengthen the two-year to four-year college pipeline and bring an affordable, high-quality college education within reach for all students, allows Guttman students to matriculate into Mercy College with junior standing.
An articulation agreement signing ceremony on Monday, September 19, 2022, held at Mercy College’s Manhattan Campus in Herald Square, formalized the partnership between Mercy College and Guttman. Signers of the comprehensive agreement were Mercy President Tim Hall and Guttman President Dr. Larry Johnson, who were gathered alongside Mercy Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Eva M. Fernández, Guttman Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Nicola Blake, and other representatives from both institutions.
“This important partnership with Guttman Community College addresses a major challenge facing higher education,” Hall explained. “In allowing transfer of credits from associate to bachelor’s degrees, we are eliminating barriers that deter students from pursuing, and completing, four-year degrees and enabling their academic and career success.”
Dr. Larry Johnson indicated that, “Guttman remains committed to post-completion and exploring opportunities to support students future educational and career aspirations. This partnership with Mercy College demonstrates a commitment by both institutions to ensure that students have access to affordable and high-quality educational experiences that are inclusive and that foster a sense of belonging.”
“The purpose of this articulation agreement is to provide Mercy College and Guttman students – many of whom come from first-generation and low-income households – the opportunity to transform their lives by gaining a high-quality, four-year degree,” said Fernández. “It is especially my pleasure, as former vice president for academic affairs and provost at Guttman Community College, to see these two formidable, Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving Institutions come together to achieve a mission of student success.”
Dr. Nicola Blake stated: “The Guttman faculty and Program Leadership are committed to providing seamless transfer for students and creating these types of pipelines within and outside of CUNY to ensure continued student success.”
Students currently enrolled in four Guttman programs will qualify for transferring credits toward bachelor’s degrees at Mercy College. Those programs are business administration, human services, information technology and urban studies. In addition, Guttman students enrolled in any program in the Liberal Arts & Sciences, apart from specialized programs of study, are eligible for seamless transfer to Mercy’s School of Liberal Arts.
A minimum of 60 and a maximum of 75 credits from the associate degrees can be applied toward the completion of the articulated bachelor’s degree program. Upon successful transfer, GCC students may qualify for a range of Mercy College Transfer Scholarships designed to encourage community college students with associate degree credentials to transfer to Mercy College to complete their bachelor’s degree.
To learn more about the partnership, please contact Mercy College Assistant Vice President of Admissions Anne Gilligan at (914) 674-3023 or agilligan1@mercy.edu and/or Guttman Community College Interim Dean of Enrollment Management Daniel Ambrose at 646-313-8085 or daniel.ambrose@guttman.cuny.edu.
About Mercy College
Founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy College is an independent, coeducational college that offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The vibrancy of the College culture is sustained by a diverse student body from around the region. The College offers campuses in Dobbs Ferry, the Bronx and Manhattan as well as online offerings.
About Stella and Charles Guttman Community College
Stella and Charles Guttman Community College welcomed its inaugural cohort of students in August 2012. It was CUNY’s first new community college in more than forty years with the purpose of reimagining a community college that would create a research-based innovative academic program geared to moving students quickly and efficiently towards graduation. Guttman’s graduation rates are the highest in CUNY’s community college sector. The three-year graduation rate is more than twice the national average, and the two-year graduation rate far exceeds the 4% national average of public two-year colleges in large cities. Guttman is federally designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and Minority-serving institution with more than 90% of the student population identifying at Latinx/a/o or Black/African-American. More than 80% of Guttman graduates go on to senior colleges, with the majority of them continuing at CUNY schools. Guttman’s high graduation rates contribute greatly to the College being ranked as the best community college in America in 2020, and the top community college in New York State for 2020 and 2021 by Niche.com and other ranking agencies. As of fall 2020, approximately 1,020 students were enrolled at the College.
