FMU, NETC announce partnership

Francis Marion University and Northeastern Technical College have partnered to make transferring from a two-year institution to a four-year institution more convenient for Northeastern Tech students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree.

FMU President Dr. Fred Carter and Northeastern Tech President Dr. Ron Bartley announced the partnership program Tuesday.

The university announced the same partnership with Florence-Darlington Technical College in April. Both programs will take effect this fall.

Bartley said in a previous interview that one of his goals as the college’s new president was to establish a more prominent partnership with four-year institutions and public schools in the region.

“This is an exciting event for me because my goal is to create as many options for students as I possibly can,” Bartley said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “There’s a whole host of our students that may or may not consider a four-year college, but with an agreement like this ... they can look at a (university) like Francis Marion as a legitimate transfer opportunity.”

The program is intended for first-time college students who are recent graduates of high schools in Chesterfield, Dillon and Marlboro counties, according to a press release issued by FMU.

Program participants will include applicants to FMU who are referred to Northeastern Tech for assistance in meeting admissions standards and those who apply to NETC and express an interest in eventually transferring to FMU.

In the program, students may complete developmental or other required coursework, enhance study skills and adapt to college life while attending NETC.

Students must submit an application for admission to FMU and a Bridge Program Registration Form to NETC to participate in the program. Once participants are identified, NETC will forward a copy of the registration form to the FMU Office of Admissions for system input and tracking.

To complete the Bridge Program and qualify for transfer admission to FMU, students must complete all developmental and required coursework as identified through placement testing at NETC; complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of transferable coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher; and submit an updated application for admission to FMU at least two months before the start of the desired semester of entry.

“We are pleased to welcome Northeastern Technical College as an education partner,” Carter said in the press release. “This relationship will allow both institutions to leverage the resources of faculty, facilities and technology in responding to the demands of local students.”

For details, contact Atticus Simpson, Northeastern’s public information and research coordinator, at (843) 921-6916 or e-mail or Libby Cooper, FMU’s vice president for public and community affairs, at (843) 661-1225 or e-mail .