UWF partners with NWFSC to offer enhanced access to bachelor degrees
Students entering Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) will now have a smoother transition and easier access to four-year bachelor degree programs through NWF2UWF, a new partnership with the University of West Florida (UWF) in Pensacola that was announced today by UWF President Judith Bense and NWFSC President Ty Handy.
An agreement that governs the innovative program was signed at a brief ceremony held today as part of a meeting of the UWF Board of Trustees at the UWF Emerald Coast campus in Fort Walton Beach, a joint campus with NWFSC.
“This collaborative endeavor creates a new path to earning a bachelor’s degree for students who enter a two-year associate’s degree program,” said Bense. “The partnership will lead to more students earning both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees.”
Bense noted that students will benefit from tailored advising by a NWF2UWF program coordinator housed on-site at the NWFSC Niceville campus, waiver of the UWF application fee so that students in the program are directly admitted to both institutions, ease of transfer of records from NWF to UWF, full access to UWF library services, athletic events and activities, and even a UWF email account and ID card assigned to students while they complete their studies at NWFSC.
Students in the NWF2UWF program who complete an Associate of Arts degree are also guaranteed admission into UWF.
“Currently UWF is the institution of choice for our students who transfer to the university level, with UWF receiving the highest percentage of our Associate of Arts graduates,” said Handy. “The NWF2UWF program is a unique opportunity for our students to prepare for success and gain access to services and amenities offered by both institutions.”
Bense noted the program is also ideal for working professionals, military members and veterans because courses are available at four UWF campus locations—Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field.
At the meeting, UWF officials introduced Chandra Williams, the new NWF2UWF program coordinator, and a new UWF website dedicated to information on the new joint endeavor.
For more information about NWF2UWF, visit http://nwf2.uwf.edu/ or contact Chandra Williams at 850-729-4903.
The NWF2UWF office is currently located in Room 153 of Building K, the College Mall on the NWFSC Niceville campus. The office will move to the new NWFSC Student Services building, currently under construction, in December 2011.
By Kelly Russ, University Communications
