Emporia State University is making it easier for community college students to get bachelor’s degrees.
ESU has finalized an articulation agreement with all the state’s 19 community colleges and held a signing ceremony on campus Thursday afternoon.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment before the signing ceremony Thursday, Assistant Vice President of Academic Strategies and Government Relations Greg Schneider says this agreement builds on existing coursework pathways between the university and some community colleges.
Butler County Community College President Dr. Tamara (TAM-uh-Ruh) Daniel says she believes this will not only remove uncertainty for those students still mapping out their futures, but also give more confidence in those who may have already set their path.
Hutchinson Community College Vice President of Student Services Christopher Lau adds he believes this could be just the start to similar trends across the state, saying he believes this is a step towards making the education system more synchronized.
ESU President Ken Hush agrees with Lau’s statement, saying he believes this will also remove territorialism among higher learning institutions.
Kansas Association of Community Colleges Executive Director Heather Morgan says this culminates a longstanding discussion.
Agreement complexities aside, Schneider says conversations went smoothly, leading to the agreement. Schneider says this could lead to cost savings for community colleges transferring to ESU as the university continues its work to keep costs low.
President Hush adds that lower costs will likely translate to more Kansas students choosing to pursue their degrees in-state.
Dr. Daniel says she expects the signing of this agreement will lead to an increase in enrollment for all entities involved.
Lau says he feels that this agreement, and the groundwork laid ahead of it, will not only provide an easier path towards Bachelor’s Degrees or beyond, but he believes it will also emphasize the importance of completing Associate’s degrees before moving to the next step.
Schneider says ESU will continue its work on articulation agreements in other settings.
In addition to the recent signing, ESU has announced its cost plans for residence hall board and meal rates for the 2026-27 academic year. ESU will maintain meal rates at the current 2025-26 prices and will do the same for all rooms in the Towers Complex. Students in Abigail Morse and Schallenkamp (SHALL-in-kamp) will actually have a 7- to 10-percent decrease in room rates, depending on the room.
The Kansas Board of Regents took a look at proposed residence hall and contract board rates from universities Wednesday and will likely decide on approvals next month. If passed by the Regents, this will be the third straight year ESU has kept room rates at least flat.
8:15 am Thursday:
Emporia State University is making it easier for community college students to get bachelor’s degrees.
ESU has finalized an articulation agreement with all the state’s 19 community colleges. On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Thursday, Assistant Vice President of Academic Strategies and Government Relations Greg Schneider says this agreement builds on existing coursework pathways between the university and some community colleges.
Kansas Association of Community Colleges Executive Director Heather Morgan says this will end a lot of uncertainty for community college students hoping to transfer after getting their associates degrees.
Morgan says this culminates a longstanding discussion.
Agreement complexities aside, Schneider says conversations went smoothly leading to the agreement. Schneider says this could lead to cost savings for community colleges transferring to ESU as the university continues its work to keep costs low.
Morgan says this could mean more students go into community colleges before going to ESU.
And Schneider says ESU will continue its work on articulation agreements in other settings.
ESU will have a special signing ceremony at 1 pm Thursday at the Memorial Union Skyline Room. Presidents from all the state’s 19 community colleges will join ESU President Ken Hush for the ceremony. Also included will be Kansas House Representative Chris Croft and Deputy Commerce Secretary Mike Beane.
7 am Thursday:
Emporia State University is announcing two significant items designed to help students.
ESU has been working with the Kansas Association of Community Colleges to sign articulation agreements with all the state’s 19 community colleges. ESU is now the first Regent university to do so.
Articulation agreements set the stage for seamless pathways so students with associates degrees from community colleges can move towards bachelor’s degrees or designated majors at Emporia State.
ESU will have a special signing ceremony at 1 pm Thursday at the Memorial Union Skyline Room. Presidents from all the state’s 19 community colleges will join ESU President Ken Hush for the ceremony. Also included will be Kansas House Representative Chris Croft and Deputy Commerce Secretary Mike Beane.
Separately, ESU has announced its cost plans for residence hall board and meal rates for the 2026-27 academic year. ESU will keep meal rates flat at current 2025-26 prices and will do likewise for all rooms in the Towers Complex. Students in Abigail Morse and Schallenkamp will actually have a 7-to-10-percent decrease in room rates, depending on the room.
The Kansas Board of Regents took a look at proposed residence hall and contract board rates from universities Wednesday and will likely decide on approvals next month. If passed by the Regents, this will be the third straight year ESU has kept room rates at least flat.
ESU Assistant Vice President of Academic Strategies and Government Relations Greg Schneider and Kansas Association of Community Colleges Executive Director Heather Morgan will be KVOE’s Newsmaker guests at 7:20 am Thursday with more information on the articulation agreements.
