Winthrop has expanded its collaboration with York Technical College with the introduction of Meta-Majors for students in its bridge program.
While Meta-Majors group individual majors under a broader academic umbrella, students select their Meta-Major based on their career interests. The guided pathways provide them with a clear track to graduation. Students are able to make connections between their studies and different career tracks.
The Guided Transfer Pathway Initiative committee, convened in February 2020 by Winthrop Provost Dr. Adrienne McCormick and YTC’s then-Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs (now President) Dr. Stacey Moore, was implemented with the intention of improving transfer credit, increasing student success and reducing the cost and time required to complete an undergraduate degree.
“By creating Meta–Majors with eight-semester academic pathways for each major, it makes it a smoother transition from York Tech. It also decreases the chance of a transfer student taking a class that would not count toward their bachelor’s degree at Winthrop University,” said Winthrop Admissions Transfer Counselor Craig Gero.
While the program offers 29 guided pathways (eight-semester plans) with built-in checklists to keep track of academic milestones, the development of the Winthrop Meta-Major and revised guided pathways are intended to make impactful changes to enrollment and advisement and integrate student services to create a cohesive learning experience across both institutions.
“A student interested in business, for example, can join the Business and Management Meta-Major and immediately start their path towards earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Winthrop by taking transferable classes at York Tech,” said Pre-College Programs Coordinator Erica Panton.
“For students who have a general idea of what they want to study, the Meta-Majors streamline the process of selecting a major and take the guesswork out of which classes will be applicable to their Winthrop major.”
Meta-Major students may also attend cultural events to simultaneously earn credit towards Winthrop’s cultural event requirement whilst fostering a life-enriching pattern of cultural involvement.
Other benefits enjoyed by students in the Winthrop Bridge Program include a “Winthrop ID card, which gives you access to campus facilities and services, including the West Center physical education and wellness center, the Academic Success Center, Writing Center, and Dacus Library, as well as admission to Winthrop cultural and select sporting events” and a “Winthrop academic advisor who can help you plan your path to WU,” according to York Tech’s website.
While students complete their associate degree at York Tech, they are also made to feel at home on Winthrop’s campus. The collaboration with York Tech provides students with the opportunity to utilize available facilities and resources on both campuses.
“Bridge students are guaranteed admission to Winthrop University upon successful completion of the bridge program and upon transferring receive the Bridge Scholarship (valued at $1000 per year, for up to three years). We’re so proud of our bridge students’ achievements, and we look forward to welcoming more students into our program,” Panton said.
Bridge program students also receive emails from Winthrop to invite them to campus events and remind students of deadlines for transfer.
“There are so many student benefits to the Meta-Majors and guided pathways — planned and intentional exploration of careers and opportunities within a general field of study, less uncertainty about requirements for completion; ability to move through coursework with fewer obstacles and a clear understanding of path; fewer excess units taken, saving time and money, and embedded counseling and feedback on students’ progress throughout their educational journey on both campuses,” Panton said.
Winthrop is working to make the transition for all transfer students easier through the Transfer Credit Evaluator (TraCE) on the Winthrop transfer webpage, allowing transfer students to enter all of their transfer courses and determine how close they are to receiving their Winthrop University bachelor’s degree.
“[T]ransfer Admissions has a Virtual Transfer Information Session once a month that allows prospective students to view a presentation and ask questions about our transfer process,” Gero said. “In addition, our Transfer Admission Counselor is on campus of our top two-year institution twice a month to be available to explain our transfer process.
“We are also working with those institutions to create academic pathways for those students as well.”
