Students in northeast Wisconsin have another path to a bachelor’s degree thanks to a new partnership between the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and Fox Valley Technical College.

Under a new agreement, approved by the UW System Board of Regents Friday, students can earn a liberal arts transfer associate degree at FVTC and be eligible to transfer into a baccalaureate program at UW Oshkosh with junior status.

“This increases the educational opportunities and pathways for students in our region to complete a four-year degree at UWO,” said Provost John Koker. “Offering additional pathways to a bachelor’s degree, especially to non-traditional and returning adult students, is central to the mission of the University.”

FVTC now will offer both an Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree. Each will meet the requirements for general education courses at UWO. The programs are made up of 60 credits, including 39 to 41 credits of general education and 19 to 21 credits of electives.

“UW Oshkosh has always been the top transfer destination for FVTC students,” said Chris Matheny, FVTC president. “They have been strong partners in creating multiple pathways from our technical degrees to bachelor’s degrees. It was a natural fit that they are our first partner in this effort to expand transfer options for our students.”

In recent years, a growing number of students have shown interest in beginning their college coursework at FVTC and then transferring to another school in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, said Jennifer Lanter, interim chief academic officer at FVTC.

“In fact, 6.8% of FVTC students last enrolled during the 2020-21 academic year pursued additional credentials at a four-year college or university,” she said.

The two associate liberal arts degrees also were approved at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Moraine Park Technical College and Lakeshore Technical College and work is underway on transfer agreements between those schools and UWO.

The associate degree approvals result from months of discussion between UW-System and Wisconsin Technical College System academic experts and cover hundreds of courses.