Jack Sherlock
Reporter
An often integral part of many college student’s careers is going through some type of transfer process. Things like transferring credits from one institution to another, applying earned dual-enrollment credits or simply moving to a college with a better program for a desired course of study are very common.
Oftentimes, this process can be over-whelming or discouraging, depending on the actors involved within the process. Luckily, two institutions in Idaho are looking to change the student-transfer process for the better. Idaho State University (ISU)and the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) have officially announced a partnership agreement that will make the transfer process much more efficient for its students.
On Feb. 11, ISU and CSI signed a Memorandum of Understanding, establishing future plans for a smoother transition for CSI’s Golden Eagles to be more easily integrated during their journey to become ISU Bengals. CSI President, Dean L. Fisher, and ISU President, Kevin Satterlee, summarize this effort as an aim to reduce barriers to those wishing to transfer between the two institutions.
According to the Government Accountability Office of the United States, the average student enrolled within the academic years of 2003-2009 lost about 43% of their credits in the transfer process. This loss is often linked to the lack of student knowledge on credit transfer articulation, or what will or will not be accepted in the transfer from one institution to another.
This announcement contains a unifying statement from Satterlee that said, “We are partners in education.” The expectation of one obtaining a college education is to go on and become a contributing member of the workforce and to be an educated and strong contributor to their respective community.
Satterlee reassured this expectation by stating, “This partnership exponentially increases opportunities for students at CSI and opens doors to their future. Our agreement will meet immediate needs fora skilled and trained workforce in the Magic Valley and beyond.”
The history of ISU and CSI goes back28 years, and throughout this time both establishments of higher education have committed to the success of their students by ensuring students have been able to transfer between the two institutions easily. In the Fall of 2020 alone, 88 CSI students transferred to ISU to pursue their bachelor’s degree.
This new agreement is meant to conduct this transfer even further by offering new expanded opportunities from both institutions and by ensuring that comprehensive support systems are in place throughout the entire student-transfer process.
Those involved in the new transfer pro-gram are referred to as “CSI Bengal Bound students’’, and they will have access to tools such as a CSI-ISU transfer coordinator and/or advisor, a custom CSI-ISU transfer articulation table and scholarships that are specific for CSI Bengal Bound students. Students can also sign up for ISU-led events that are hosted at the CSI campus for early integration of the students into the Bengal community.
“It’s gratifying to work with transfer partners who make the student’s success their priority. I appreciate the collaboration of Idaho State University’s president and his team who have worked with CSI to establish a broad framework for cooperative admission and clear transfer guarantees for our students. This agreement serves Idaho’s students well now, and for the future,” said Fisher.
