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West Virginia Northern, West Liberty University Ink Admission Guarantee Agreement in Wheeling

West Liberty University President Stephen Greiner, left, and Mike Koon, interim president of West Virginia Northern Community College, sign a guaranteed admission agreement Monday. Photo by Linda Comins

WHEELING — Under a new agreement, West Virginia Northern Community College graduates now have guaranteed admission to West Liberty University to earn their bachelor’s degrees.

WLU President Stephen Greiner and WVNCC Interim President Mike Koon signed the guaranteed admission agreement Monday during a brief ceremony at Northern’s Wheeling campus. The pact makes degree completion easier for students who start at WVNCC and transfer to WLU.

Koon said the agreement provides “a seamless pathway for our students” who want to continue their education.

Currently, about 10 percent of Northern graduates transfer to West Liberty, Koon said. He and Greiner anticipate more students now will follow this course of study.

“It allows students to transfer to West Liberty University and be guaranteed admission as a junior,” Koon said.

For West Liberty, Greiner said, “We know we are going to get students who are well prepared to transfer.”

The agreement applies to students who have completed an Associate in Applied Science degree or an Associate in Arts degree at WVNCC.

Guaranteed admission offers “a tremendous advantage for our students and a tremendous advantage for our region,” Koon said. He predicted that graduation rates will rise as a result of this policy.

Greiner, a former Weirton resident, said he has long admired Northern for the quality of its academic programs.

From the university’s perspective, he said, “Consistently at West Liberty University, we get quality transfer students from West Virginia Northern Community College. It just makes sense to have guaranteed admission … It is one of many partnerships I’m sure we’re going to have.”

Koon added, “This agreement is a great example of the ongoing commitment of Northern and West Liberty to work together to benefit our students and provides them with a substantial opportunity for degree completion.”

Northern is a two-year community college offering transfer degrees and programs in the liberal arts, career-technical and community and continuing education with campuses in Wheeling, New Martinsville and Weirton. West Liberty is a four-year university that offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a number of graduate programs.

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