Wright State, Clark State renew agreement on student Gateway Program

Wright State Provost Thomas Sudkamp, right, and Amit B. Singh, Clark State provost and vice president of academic affairs. (Photo by Will Jones)

Wright State University and Clark State Community College have renewed an agreement that will enhance access to bachelor’s degree programs at Wright State for Clark State students.

The Memorandum of Agreement for the Clark State Wright State Gateway Program was signed at the Clark State Greene Center in Beavercreek on June 28 by Wright State Provost Thomas Sudkamp and Amit B. Singh, Clark State provost and vice president of academic affairs.

The agreement is designed to provide a path to bachelor’s degree programs for students at Clark State, which is based in Springfield.

It comes in the wake of a call by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to increase the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded and the number of bachelor’s degree recipients with at least one year of credit from a community college.

The Gateway Program formalizes links between Wright State and Clark State to provide seamless student movement between the institutions. Goals include improving academic program articulation, promoting degree completion and using resources at both institutions efficiently.

The Gateway Program, which was launched six years ago, is reviewed every two years to ensure that it is up to date and to make any necessary improvements.

“The program has evolved as we found ways over the years to better serve the students of both Clark State and Wright State,” said Sudkamp.

“This is a great, tremendous resource for our students,” added Singh. “This is reaffirming our commitment to this program and to grow the program and just make it better.”

To enter the program, students must declare the intention to enroll at Wright State following completion of a specified program of study at Clark State, which may consist of an associate degree or a set of course equivalencies.The students must also remain in good academic standing at Clark State to stay in the program.

In addition to joint advising, students in the program will be able to use identified Wright State facilities, have the undergraduate Wright State application fee waived, receive a Next Step scholarship to Wright State, gain admission to non-ticketed athletic and cultural events, be permitted to participate or attend select student activities, apply to live on campus and for residential students have access to student parking with the purchase of a permit.

Wright State has similar agreements with Southern State Community College, Sinclair Community College, Edison State Community College and Cincinnati State.