A program that came to campus a few years ago is coming to fruition.

The “Ferrum Promise” allows students who receive an appropriate associate’s degree from a Virginia community college to transfer to Ferrum College and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in four semesters/two years if they complete the required courses and hit each benchmark.

Among the first students to go through the program was Claudia Cooke, who walked the commencement stage for a Bachelor of Social Work degree during this year’s graduation ceremony on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

Cooke received her associate’s in General Studies with a specialization in Human Services from Patrick Henry Community College in December of 2019. In August of 2020, Cooke enrolled and transferred to Ferrum College to major in Social Work. “I am very surprised to know that I was (one of the first ones) to go through this program,” Cooke said.

Throughout her time at Ferrum, Cooke participated in the Ferrum College Marching Band (color guard) her junior and senior year and was also part of the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success. Moreover, she was also inducted into the Social Work Honor Society (Tau Rho Ferrum Chapter) in April of 2021.

“I am excited that she’s among the first, but I hope that she is among the first of many,” said Jason Powell, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

The Ferrum Promise program is the brainchild of college President David Johns and previous Provost Aimé Sposato. The two introduced the program to campus in November of 2019.

“There are about a dozen (students) in agreements (with the Promise) right now,” Powell said.

If the student does not complete their bachelor’s degree in those two years after transferring, the rest of their tuition is free. The “Ferrum Promise” applies to students who are enrolled full-time and meet certain academic requirements.

The Ferrum Promise program was created to prevent students (nearly 40 percent) from spending extra years to receive a bachelor’s degree due to their credits from their community college not adequately transferring.

“This is not what they (transfers) expected, and it’s frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive,” said Eric Grundman, Ferrum College’s senior enrollment officer. Students at community colleges find out about the program mainly through their academic advisors.

To make this happen, Ferrum has partnered with two-year institutions to make education more affordable and accessible for students. “Our strongest partner in this is Virginia Western Community College,” Powell said.

The “Ferrum Promise” includes many majors offered by Ferrum College. Learn more here.

Article written and submitted by Lindsey M. Foster, editor of The Iron Blade.

Read Molly Hunter’s article about Claudia Cooke that appeared in The Franklin News-Post here.

Watch Joe Dashiell’s interview with Claudia Cooke that appeared on WDBJ-7 here.

Above photo, from left to right: Ferrum College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aimé Sposato; Ferrum College President David Johns; Virginia Western President Robert Sandel; and Virginia Western Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Elizabeth Wilmer. Virginia Western photo.

Today, Ferrum College and Virginia Western Community College entered into an agreement guaranteeing admission into Ferrum College for Virginia Western students who have received an associate degree. Ferrum College also pledged to these students to provide a pathway to receive a four-year degree within two years of transfer to Ferrum, as part of the College’s Ferrum Promise initiative which was rolled out in November 2019.

“Our economic landscape is constantly evolving,” said Dr. David L. Johns, President of Ferrum College, “and our education needs to evolve with it. We are excited to partner with Virginia Western Community College to prepare students to enter the workforce and to contribute to their communities. This agreement is a commitment from both our institutions to make education accessible and affordable, and to build a strong future for Virginia.”

“We are fortunate to have such a strong partner institution in Ferrum College and we are thrilled to share this new initiative with our students,” said Dr. Robert Sandel, President of Virginia Western. “Students who transfer from Virginia Western to continue their education tend be among the highest achievers at four-year colleges and universities. The Ferrum Promise initiative will give those students a fantastic opportunity at an affordable, high-quality degree.”

The memorandum of agreement states that acceptance at Ferrum College will require Virginia Western students to have maintained a cumulative overall GPA of 2.3 or higher, and earned a grade of “C” or higher in required courses applicable to the program they choose to enter. Additionally, Virginia Western students must have earned either an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree prior to acceptance at Ferrum.

The agreement was signed on the Virginia Western campus by Sandel and Johns, along with Virginia Western Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Elizabeth Wilmer, and Ferrum College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aimé Sposato.

“This articulation provides a seamless pathway to degree completion in four semesters so that Virginia Western Community College students can hit the ground running when they transfer to Ferrum College,” said Sposato.

Learn more about the Ferrum Promise here.

Ferrum College and NRCC signed an articulation agreement today to offer a pathway to four-year degrees for NRCC transfer students. Pictured from left to right: Ferrum College Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Aimé Sposato; Ferrum College President David Johns; NRCC President Patricia Huber; & NRCC Vice President for Instruction & Student Services Peter Anderson. NRCC photo.

Ferrum College and New River Community College (NRCC) signed an agreement on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, guaranteeing admission into Ferrum College for NRCC students who have received an associate degree. In addition, as part of the Ferrum Promise initiative which was rolled out in November 2019, Ferrum College also pledges that these NRCC students will be able to graduate with a four-year degree in their field of study within two years of transfer to Ferrum, or tuition for their remaining coursework will be free.

“Ferrum College is delighted to begin working with New River Community College to provide a pathway for NRCC students to obtain a bachelor’s degree in two years as our Ferrum Promise guarantees,” said Ferrum College President David Johns. “Both our institutions are committed to our students’ futures and to providing the resources they need for innovative and meaningful work.”

“NRCC is pleased to partner with Ferrum College to provide this new opportunity to our local students.  In addition to our existing articulation agreement with Ferrum that allows NRCC students to transfer easily, the Ferrum Promise goes one step further to help students stay on track and be successful on their journey to earn a four-year degree,” said NRCC President Pat Huber.  “Today is an exciting day for NRCC students, and this is a great way for them to complete their pathway to success.”

The memorandum of agreement states that acceptance at Ferrum College will require NRCC students to have maintained a cumulative overall GPA of 2.3 or higher, and earned a grade of “C” or higher in required courses applicable to the program they choose to enter. Additionally, NRCC students must have earned either an Associate of Arts and Sciences or an Associate of Applied Science degree prior to acceptance at Ferrum.

The agreement was signed on the NRCC campus by Huber and Johns, along with Vice President for Instruction and Student Services Peter Anderson, and Ferrum College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aimé Sposato.

“Our partnership with New River Community College illustrates both of our institutions’ commitment to our students,” said Sposato. “Higher education is changing and our methods of providing a top-notch education must also change to help our students start making a difference in the world sooner than later. We are honored to partner with NRCC for this opportunity.”

Learn more about Ferrum College’s Ferrum Promise here.

Learn more about New River Community College here.

Left to right: LFCC Provost Chris Coutts; Ferrum College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aimé Sposato; Ferrum College President David Johns; and LFCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Karen Kellison.

On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, Ferrum College and Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) officials entered into an agreement guaranteeing admission into Ferrum College’s recreation leadership program to LFCC students who have received an Associate of Science degree in recreation and outdoor leadership. Within the College’s recreation leadership program, LFCC students may choose to focus on recreation management or ecotourism. The agreement was signed on the College’s campus by Ferrum College President David Johns and Provost Aimé Sposato, and LFCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Karen Kellison and Provost Chris Coutts. LFCC President Kim Blosser was unable to attend.

Also present at the signing were Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Kevin Reilly; Dean of the School of Health Professions and Social Sciences Angie Dahl; Associate Professor of Recreation Leadership Dan Caston; Associate Professor of Ecotourism Chris Mayer; Director of Ferrum Outdoors Aaron Conover, all of Ferrum College; and Dean of Science, Engineering, Math and Health Ia Gomez; and Associate Professor of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Stacey Ellis, both of LFCC.

“More and more people are discovering the beauty of Virginia and they are spending time in our lakes and trails, and at our many parks and cultural sites. Tourism and outdoor recreation brings hundreds of millions of dollars into the Commonwealth,” said Johns. “Because of this, we need professionals ready to support this growing area of tourism, and we need them to be business savvy educators who are advocates for Virginia’s natural environment. Ferrum College is delighted to partner with Lord Fairfax Community College to prepare such women and men.”

“As people and communities continue to realize the impacts recreation and being outdoors have on overall wellbeing and health, there will be a growing need for professionals trained in the recreation and outdoor wellness fields,” said Blosser. “We at LFCC are grateful for the hard work put in by Professor Stacey Ellis and her counterparts at Ferrum College to ensure that LFCC students can seamlessly transfer into their bachelor’s degree programs at Ferrum.”

This agreement follows Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s July 2019 announcement of the creation of the Office of Outdoor Recreation, which seeks to recruit new outdoor businesses to Virginia as well as promote the outdoor recreation industry. The governor’s website indicates that Virginia’s outdoor recreation industry contributes approximately $22 billion per year in the state’s revenue, and provides nearly 200,000 jobs.

The memorandum of agreement states that acceptance into the College’s recreation leadership program with require the following: LFCC students must have earned a grade of “C” or higher in required courses applicable to the recreation leadership program; have earned a minimum of 60 transferable credits; and hold an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher prior to enrollment at Ferrum College. Additionally, the agreement allows LFCC students to transfer to the College with junior status if they have successfully completed 56 hours of curriculum with a grade of “C” or above, thereby providing a pathway to complete a Bachelor of Science in recreation leadership within two years of transfer.

“The Lord Fairfax Community College program aligns perfectly with both our recreation leadership and ecotourism degrees, and we are delighted to provide these students with a smooth pathway to the completion of a four-year degree through the Ferrum Promise,” said Sposato.

The College announced the Ferrum Promise initiative this past November, which guarantees that students who transfer from a Virginia community college with an appropriate associate’s degree will be able to graduate within two years of transfer, or they will receive free tuition for the remaining coursework.

“This is a great opportunity to create a streamlined admission process between LFCC’s recreation and outdoor leadership graduates and Ferrum College’s recreation leadership bachelor’s degree candidates,” said Dahl. “It’s the first step in facilitating a long-term partnership which will produce individuals equipped for careers that both utilize and preserve the uniqueness of where we live.”

“These agreements represent the commitment that both of our institutions of higher learning have toward educating citizens who care about the integrity of the environment and the quality of life in our communities,” said Mayer.

Caston agrees: “We are very excited by this opportunity to formally connect with LFCC. Our programs are synergistic so it just makes sense to work together for the benefit of our students.”

Read more about Ferrum College’s recreation leadership major here.

Learn more about the Ferrum Promise here.

Read more about Virginia’s outdoor recreation economy here and the Office of Outdoor Recreation here.