Connors State College has been selected to join Degrees When Due, a national initiative of the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), with the goal of assisting students with some college credit to complete their degrees.
As one of eight colleges and universities selected from Oklahoma, Connors will participate in best practices in degree reclamation and will provide targeted support while re-engaging students who have paused or stopped out of their studies. Connors’ participation in the initiative is facilitated through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Oklahoma is one of 20 states participating in the nationwide initiative.
“Connors State College is pleased to participate with the other institutions across the state to promote increased degree attainment in our service area,” said Dr. Ron Ramming, CSC President. “We know that students who complete a degree will have more opportunities. The Degrees When Due initiative will help us fulfill our mission of ‘Building Futures One at a Time’.”
Degrees When Due will grant Connors access to a variety of resources to assist with auditing students’ previously earned credits in order to determine the students’ most efficient pathway to graduation. The program will benefit the many Oklahomans identified as having some college credit but no degree.
“Our Degrees When Due institutional and state partners are building a strong pathway to degree attainment for all students, including by providing an on-ramp for those who have paused their studies or ‘stopped-out,’” said IHEP President Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D. “IHEP enthusiastically welcome the selected institutions and states to this effort. Through this initiative, they will increase student success, serve as a diverse set of student populations, and join us in addressing on of higher education’s most pressing challenges: degree completion.”
“Student access and success are important initiatives at Connors,” said Dr. Janet Wansick, CSC Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The opportunity to participate in Degrees When Due will provide us with additional tools to assist students in our area who have taken some college classes, but have not yet completed their degree. We are excited to be a part of this initiative.”
Other Oklahoma institutions participating in the initiative include Murray State College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Northeastern State University, Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Redlands Community College and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.