photo by: Photo by Alan Olson

West Virginia Northern Community College President Daniel Mosser, left, and Western Governors University Regional Vice President Alison Bell shake hands after signing a transfer agreement Monday at WVNCC’s downtown Wheeling campus.

West Virginia Northern Community College solidified an informal pathway students had taken for years Monday morning, signing a transfer agreement with Western Governors University for four degree programs.

Students who obtain an associate degree in business, healthcare, education and information technology from WVNCC may seamlessly transfer to the online university to pursue their bachelor’s degree, under the terms of the agreement.

WVNCC President Daniel Mosser said that students had long been transferring from Northern to WGU informally, but the two universities decided to formalize the agreement.

“Our students discovered these pathways years ago and have been finding their way there informally,” Mosser said. “This paves that pathway for them, so more students will be able to find it, more students will be able to take advantage of it, be able to transfer their credits as they move on to a four-year degree.”

Mosser said the agreement covers around 20 programs in the four categories, including accounting, business administration, nursing, elementary education and cybersecurity.

Alison Bell, regional vice-president for WGU, said it was a privilege to partner with WVNCC, and that the university looks forward to helping students further their education.

“We want to change the world by allowing more people to complete their education and improve their lives,” she said. “If they don’t complete (their bachelor’s degree) quickly, they still have that associate degree, which is powerful in terms of creating more opportunities for employment.

“Students can move through at their own pace, which oftentimes allows folks to move through quickly, but more importantly, allows them to spend time learning what they don’t know, and that they don’t need to spend time demonstrating what they already know,” she added.

Western Governors University is an online university based out of Utah, which serves more than 136,000 students nationwide. More than 1,200 graduates and 500 current students hail from West Virginia, according to Bell.