Southeast signs articulation agreements with Mineral Area College

This story has been edited to correct Mineral Area College's location.

The presidents of Southeast Missouri State University and Mineral Area College (MAC) in Park Hills, Missouri, have signed several "articulation agreements" designed to help students seamlessly transfer from MAC to bachelor's degree programs at Southeast.

SEMO president Carlos Vargas and MAC president Joseph Gilgour executed the four agreements during a signing ceremony on the MAC campus Thursday attended by deans and academic leaders from both schools.

"This agreement makes sense because at Southeast and Mineral Area College we focus on providing quality, affordable options for our students," said Vargas, who explained MAC was already part of Southeast's transfer mentor program.

Thursday's action takes the transfer mentor program "one step further," Vargas said. "This will allow students to focus more on their academic pursuits and career goals."

Gilgour said MAC and SEMO have always maintained a strong, cooperative relationship

"We are pleased to continue this partnership and appreciate the opportunities these agreements provide for MAC graduates interested in completing a bachelor's degree at SEMO," he said.

Under the agreements, MAC alumni with associate of arts degrees will have clear and direct pathways to Southeast's bachelor's degree programs in business administration, criminal justice, psychology and nursing (online).

According to a news release from Southeast, the articulation agreements are consistent with the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education's guidelines advocating cooperative and seamless transfer agreements between two-year and baccalaureate institutions. The agreements go into effect with the 2021-2022 academic year, which begins this month.

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