Recognition Comes on Heels of Three Consecutive Years on PTK's Honor Roll
The international honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, listed Wilmington College in its 2020 Partners in Excellence issue featuring colleges and universities that are "creating a culture of transfer student success."
PTK President and CEO Lynn Tincher-Ladner, Ph.D., said those partner schools "engage and equip community college students to help them grow as scholars and leaders in preparing them for their next step," which is often a transfer to a four-year college.
This spring, Phi Theta Kappa named Wilmington College to its 2020 Honor Roll featuring the top four-year colleges and universities for creating “dynamic pathways” in support of transfer students.
This marked the third consecutive year WC received this honor, which distinguishes the top 25 percent of the nation's colleges that earned the highest "transfer friendliness ratings." WC was among seven institutions in Ohio to garner this year's honor — and one of only three to earn such recognition a third consecutive year.
Heather Miller, assistant director of admission, said Phi Theta Kappa's continuing recognition of WC's commitment to serving its transfer students at the highest levels is especially gratifying.
"We strive to make the transfer process as seamless as possible for our students," she said. "Establishing a personal connection to our transfer students is the key component to our 'transfer friendliness.'"
Phi Theta Kappa lauded the College’s “excellence and success” in providing a program of accommodating transfer students from two-year institutions. It evaluated such areas as scholarships and financial aid, admission outreach, student support services and student engagement opportunities.
One of those especially unique elements is the College’s Transfer Advantage, which recognizes general education courses that associate degree recipients have taken at regionally accredited two-year schools, as satisfying WC’s graduation requirements. This is essentially unprecedented for a private institution in Ohio.
As such, the College re-shaped its general education requirements so many community college graduates can continue their pursuit for a bachelor’s degree at WC with the expectation of needing only two more years of studies. Also, the College features a transfer-friendly transcript evaluation program and a website designed to answer most questions and concerns of transfer students.
