UW System, WTCS collaborate for seamless credit transfer
MADISON, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) have signed a historic agreement that makes it easier for students to transfer from among up to 72 credits between the two higher education systems.
The agreement, effective Sept. 1, meets a statutory requirement that the two systems identify at least 72 credits of core general education courses for transfer by the 2022-23 academic year.
“This student-centered agreement will improve the quality of higher education in Wisconsin and is a win for students and our two systems,” said UW System President Tommy Thompson. “There’s a lot we can accomplish when we work together.”
The agreement underscores the collaboration between the UW System and WTCS, Thompson said, including previous transfer deals that had smoothed the way for up to 30 transfer credits. He emphasized that it represented a deep analysis by faculty and academic experts in both systems to identify courses appropriate for transfer.
“The commitment of our faculty and staff to Wisconsin students is incredible,” Thompson said. “The agreement is accessible to students and will save them time and money. It increases consistency for credit transfer among UW System and WTCS campuses.”
The UW System will make the transfer details available on its Transferology webpage, which will allow students to explore course equivalencies and which credits will transfer. The agreement means that a student can take courses at a technical college and have the potential to enter a UW System university with junior standing. The agreement also increases the portability of credits, allowing a UW student to transfer credits back to WTCS in a process known as “reverse transfer.”
The agreement will be up for review in 2023, when additional courses from both systems could be added.
The UW System and WTCS have a long history of collaboration, including shared faculty development that includes inviting WTCS instructors to UW System conferences and webinars; ongoing review of associate degrees at WTCS; creation of an Inter-System Steering Committee on Transfer; and meetings twice a year on advising, admissions, and transfer.
