DURHAM, N.H. - The Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire and Great Bay Community College (GBCC) have signed an agreement that will allow qualified Great Bay students to transfer seamlessly into several four-year business programs at UNH. The agreement, signed by UNH President Mark W. Huddleston and GBCC President Wildolfo Arvelo, maps course selection decisions for GBCC students to support university access and bachelor's degree completion.

"The greatest challenges facing higher education are access and affordability," UNH President Mark Huddleston said. "This agreement will allow more New Hampshire business students the opportunity to transfer easily to UNH and continue their learning beyond the associate degree level. I am pleased that we continue to expand our collaboration with Great Bay Community College."

"New Hampshire's community colleges, through partnerships with industry and within higher education with partners like the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, continue to expand opportunities for New Hampshire students to advance economically and be part of the state's innovation economy. This agreement creates a very advantageous pathway for New Hampshire students to achieve a world-class business education," said Paul Holloway, chairman of the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) Board of Trustees.

Ross Gittell, chancellor of CCSNH, said "this agreement reflects our shared priorities of student success, access and affordability as it provides an important new pathway for students to achieve educational and career goals here in New Hampshire, by starting at Great Bay Community College and seamlessly transferring to the UNH Peter T. Paul College to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in business." 

The intent of the agreement is to provide students who have completed an associate's degree at GBCC to continue their education at UNH in a field of business administration, economics, or hospitality management. Depending on the student's specific program decisions and progress, this can be accomplished with two to three years at UNH.

The agreement outlines specific GBCC business courses students must take in order to transfer into three business majors at UNH. Courses include introduction to business, introduction to computers, macroeconomics, microeconomics, several courses in math, accounting and hospitality management, and hospitality electives. In addition, GBCC students must have at least an overall 3.0 grade point average (GPA) to be admitted to UNH under this program, have at least a 3.0 GPA in major-related courses, and have a general academic record that will allow them to be admitted to the Paul College.

"We are delighted to partner with Great Bay Community College and the New Hampshire Community College System on this initiative, which opens opportunities for students in the Seacoast. Great Bay provides strong programming that will prepare students to transfer to UNH to complete their bachelor's degree. We look forward to working closely with Great Bay to help students to reach their educational and career goals," said Daniel Innis, dean of UNH's Paul College.

"The dedicated faculty and staff of the Department of Business Administration and Information Technologies have been focused on delivering a quality education to the students of the Seacoast region and positioning students to achieve excellence in furthering their educational goals. This agreement with the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at  UNH recognizes the quality of students educated at Great Bay Community College and provides them with increased access to a quality baccalaureate business degree," John Burtt, chair of the Department of Business Administration and Information Technologies at GBCC.

The agreement is effective immediately. For more information, contact Venky Venkatachalam, associate dean of academic programs, UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, at 603-862-0015 or venky.venkatachalam@unh.edu, or contact the admissions department at Great Bay Community College at 603-427-7610 or askgreatbay@ccsnh.edu.

Great Bay Community College is a comprehensive postsecondary institution offering quality academic and professional and technical education in support of workforce development and lifelong learning. Located in Portsmouth, Great Bay Community College is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire, a public system of higher education consisting of seven colleges in Berlin, Claremont, Laconia, Concord, Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth. The colleges offer associate degrees and career training in technical, professional and general fields, including transfer pathways to baccalaureate degrees. For more information, visit www.greatbay.edu.

The UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics offers a full complement of high-quality programs in business, economics, accounting, finance, information systems management, entrepreneurship, marketing, and hospitality management. Programs are offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive development levels. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business schools worldwide. For more information, visit paulcollege.unh.edu.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

PHOTOS
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Great Bay Community College President Wildolfo Arvelo, seated from left, and University of New Hampshire President Mark Huddleston, celebrate the signing of an articulation agreement between the two institutions Wednesday, June 5, 2013. Pictured behind them, from left to right, are Paul Holloway, chairman of the Community College System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees; Ross Gittell, chancellor of  the Community College System of New Hampshire; Venky Venkatachalam, associate dean at the UNH Paul College; and Diane King, dean of academic affairs  at Great Bay Community College.
Credit: Mike Ross/UNH Photographic Services

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Great Bay Community College President Wildolfo Arvelo (left) and University of New Hampshire President Mark Huddleston, shake hands over an articulation agreement Wednesday, June 5, 2013, that will allow qualified students to transfer seamlessly from Great Bay Community College into several business programs at the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.  
Credit: Mike Ross/UNH Photographic Services

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