DURHAM, N.H. - The College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) 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 life sciences B.S. programs at UNH. The agreement, signed by UNH president Mark W. Huddleston and GBCC president Wilfredo Arvelo, maps course selection decisions for GBCC students to support university access and B.S. degree completion.

"This agreement between Great Bay Community College and UNH's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture demonstrates further the continuing collaboration between the college and the university. Many of our students intend to transfer on to UNH and providing a seamless transfer process helps to meet our mission of providing access to higher education and continued learning beyond the associate degree level. UNH and COLSA have been great partners for us and our students," said Arvelo.

"Among the greatest challenges facing higher education today are access and affordability," said Huddleston. "We are pleased to enter into this agreement that allows more New Hampshire students to build upon their achievements at Great Bay and to pursue baccalaureate and advanced study at UNH."

The agreement outlines specific GBCC liberal arts life sciences courses students must take in order to transfer into several life sciences majors at UNH with the background and prerequisites necessary to move into upper-level courses. Courses include general biology and chemistry, microbiology, ecology, genetics, and biochemistry or organic chemistry, as well as math and electives in social sciences and humanities. In addition, GBCC students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to be admitted to UNH under this program.

"Our students can now complete the core science requirements for most COLSA majors here at Great Bay, with full confidence that the Great Bay courses are academically equivalent to the courses at UNH, and with  full confidence that they will transfer accordingly," said Leslie Barber, GBCC professor of biology and chair of the department of life science and chemistry. "This is great for students who know they want a bachelor's degree in a life science area, but who are more comfortable starting their college experience at a smaller institution with smaller class sizes and more modest tuition rates."

The agreement provides a pipeline of well-prepared transfer students ready to dive into upper-level courses, said COLSA associate dean of academic affairs Kimberly Babbitt, who worked on the details of the transfer agreement. "This agreement is truly a win-win. By providing a more cohesive pathway for students who plan to transfer, we are helping them complete their degrees in a timely fashion," said Babbitt. "This will save them time and money and we are happy to be able to help students in both regards."

The agreement is effective immediately, with the first Great Bay students expected to matriculate at UNH under this new agreement in fall 2013. For more information, contact Barber: lbarber@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 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.

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