By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Part of Barton Community College academic advising’s mission is to make sure students have the prerequisites sufficient for a successful transfer, students are aware of requirements and students will be able to obtain Bachelor’s or advanced degrees through studies sponsored by Barton.
Angie Maddy, Barton Vice President of Student Services, said the Kansas Board of Regents' effort to make sure transferring from one college to another in the state is simple is helpful when a student changes their mind late in their time at Barton.
"Giving students the opportunity to know that even if you change your mind somewhere throughout your community college experience, you're still going to meet that general education group of classes no matter where you go in the state of Kansas," said Maddy.
RELATED STORY: Barton CC following statewide push to make transferring easier
According to data from the fall 2022 semester, 79 students were attending Kansas State University that transferred from Barton. K-State had the largest number of Barton transfers that semester compared to any other four-year university in the state.
Maddy said Barton always wants to do what is best for the student’s success, even if that means transferring earlier.
"At any given time, about 65% of our graduates say they intend to transfer," said Maddy. "We're trying to support that successful transfer. We believe in what we're offering here and the support that we're giving them is going to keep them here."
Barton hosts transfer fairs each semester with several four-year institutions participating to provide information to students on taking the next step in their higher education.
A fall 2023 Student Services survey revealed that 89% of students surveyed said that Barton is preparing them for a successful transfer to a university.