WVU is joining Southern WV Community & Technical College and is launching WVU Degree Up – a first-of-its-kind program in West Virginia designed to make it easier for Southern students to transition from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s.
Robert Fields | WVOW News
LOGAN Students at Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College will now be able to more easily continue their education at West Virginia University.
WVU and Southern are collaborating on WVU Degree Up, a program designed to simplify the process for students transitioning from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree. According to a news release from Southern, the program provides automatic admission to WVU for eligible students without requiring an application or admissions fees.
Southern President Dr. Pamela L. Alderman and WVU President Gordon Gee signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday, formally launching the initiative. Under the agreement, students enrolled at Southern will automatically be admitted to WVU and remain eligible as long as they maintain good academic standing. Starting in Fall 2025, students can enroll at WVU campuses, including Morgantown, WVU Institute of Technology, WVU Potomac State College, and WVU Online.
Degree Up also establishes a WVU presence on Southern’s campus, where representatives will provide in-person support to students. Services include advising, assistance with credit transfers, and guidance on meeting program requirements. Dr. Alderman called the program a “groundbreaking initiative” aimed at making higher education more accessible and helping students achieve their academic goals.
“This program opens doors that were once out of reach for many students, providing a seamless transition to WVU from Southern. By removing traditional barriers, we allow students to pursue a four-year degree – many without leaving home, sacrificing support for taking on undue financial barriers,” she said.
WVU leaders said the program addresses growing workforce demands in fields such as healthcare, technology, and business. Retired Major General James Hoyer, WVU Vice President for Economic Innovation, stated that fostering a skilled and educated workforce is critical to West Virginia’s economic future. Degree Up, he said, provides students with the tools and pathways needed to succeed while strengthening the state’s economy.
“Degree Up is designed for us together to focus on meeting the needs for West Virginia businesses and for the future, our young people and those that – going back to maybe in adult careers – for education,” said Hoyer. “In the state of West Virginia today, we have eighteen thousand vacant jobs. We have got to do a better job as a state in making sure that we help businesses fill those jobs.”
According to WVU President Gordon Gee, the state hasn’t done enough to give students the opportunity to truly let their talents flourish. He said his university sees it as a duty to ensure every student in the state can have every chance to further their education and explore their skills.
“What we’re about today with this Degree Up is we’re about making certain that students from this wonderful community have an opportunity to continue at their university, at the land grant university,” said President Gee.
“Our campus is every community in this state. The state is our campus. As the land grant university, as the institution that is in charge of Extension and 4H and all of those other programs, we are here, and we are here to be with you and we are here to be your partner.”
WVU President Gordon Gee joined Southern WV Community & Technical College President Dr. Pamela L. Alderman in signing an agreement Wednesday to begin a first-of-its-kind program in the state titled WVU Degree Up, a program designed to help students transition from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree.