TSU Signs Reverse Transfer/Dual Admission Agreement with Dyersburg State

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University has made it easier for transfer students from Dyersburg State Community College to receive the associate degree they may lack prior to enrollment at TSU.

Under a Reverse Transfer agreement signed between the two institutions October 15, students who transfer to TSU without first completing their associates degree, will now have the opportunity to use credits earned toward a bachelors degree for completion of their two-year degree. This is the first time this type of agreement has been signed between TSU and a partnering community college.

Staff from TSU and DSCC were present Oct. 15 to sign a Reverse Transfer and Dual Admission agreement between the two institutions, including: (seated) Dr. Teri Maddox, Interim Vice President, DSCC; Dr. Karen Bowyer, President, DSCC; Dr. Kay Patterson (standing) Dr. John Ricketts, program leader in Agriculture Education, associate professor; William Joslin, site coordinator, Department of Community College Initiatives; Dr. John Hall, associate professor of Agriculture & Leadership Education; Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of Community College Initiatives. (courtesy photo)

According to Dr. Sharon Peters, director of the Community College Initiative Program at TSU, the agreement builds on partnerships already established with other community colleges around the state. It also helps support community college degree completion, a key component in the Drive to 55 campaign launched by the state of Tennessee that ensures at least 55 percent of Tennesseans have a certificate or degree beyond high school by 2025.

“This helps students attending the University complete their associates degree while pursuing a baccalaureate degree,” said Peters. “While we encourage our students to earn their four-year degree, we understand that students take multiple routes to completing their education. This way, they would have an associates degree which could help them in the job market or career progression.”

The agreement also creates a Dual Admission track that establishes a formal pathway for DSCC students to accumulate academic credits toward an Agricultural Science degree at TSU.

TSU’s Agricultural Sciences major includes concentrations in Agricultural and Extension Education, Food Bioscience and Technology, Agribusiness, Plant and Soil Science, Animal Science, and Biotechnology.

“Agriculture is a major industry in northwest Tennessee and this dual admission agreement is a keystone of the partnership,” added Peters. “We are excited to provide additional education opportunities while providing more choices for aligning associate degrees with bachelor’s degrees through our College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences.”

The agreement with Dyersburg State comes on the heels of an agreement with Southwest Tennessee Community College last month, which now brings the total number of agreements between TSU and community colleges across the state to seven, and along with DSCC and STCC, includes Volunteer State, Nashville State, Columbia State, Chattanooga State and Motlow State Community Colleges.

The partnerships with community colleges, such as DSCC around the state, help students transfer seamlessly to the University to complete a four-year degree. Under the Community College Initiative, students have more options to move them along through their educational career.

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University