Pathways programs aren’t a new idea—for the past several years, UNH has had agreements in place with a number of New Hampshire community colleges to allow their associate’s degree-earning students to apply their credits to a bachelor’s program at UNH. But a new Public Pathways Program launched in February takes the concept a step further, tailoring community college students’ experience to match specific programs at UNH Manchester. Under many dual-admissions initiatives, only a portion of a student’s community college credits will transfer to his or her bachelor’s work. By providing a detailed path for each student’s two-year community college experience that lines up with a particular four-year program at UNHM, the Public Pathways Program ensures the maximum transfer of credits—and hopefully, a more structured experience for students.
“We talk more and more about pathways, but I really think they are becoming highways,” says Manchester Community College president Susan Huard. “UNH Manchester has shown us the way.”
Huard sees the program as the start of a vibrant partnership between UNHM and the community college system, and one that will continue to grow as the institutions work together. “Our job now is to keep those pathways moving forward and make it a very common thing that happens for students.”
— Kassidy Taylor
Originally published in UNH Magazine Spring 2016 Issue
