CT State Community College (CT State) signed an articulation agreement with Morehouse College during a virtual meeting with college officials and students on November 28, in a historic move toward establishing stronger pathways for male CT State students aspiring to attend the private, all-male HBCU (historically Black college or university) located in Atlanta.
The new partnership aims to streamline the transfer process for students, ensuring a seamless transition and a supportive environment as they pursue their higher education goals.
“As a mission-driven, student-centered, and equity-minded comprehensive and statewide community college, CT State’s values align with providing opportunities for historically underserved and minoritized communities by creating equitable pathways to upward economic and social mobility for our students to thrive,” said CT State President John Maduko, M.D. “We are grateful to be afforded the opportunity for our students to pursue a higher level of education and career advancement at the alma mater of the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other notable African Americans.”
Studies have shown that Black students who enroll at HBCUs have a higher success rate in degree completion and income than non-HBCU enrolled peers.
Through the updated partnership, originally initiated through CT State Capital, admission is guaranteed to Morehouse’s traditional and online programs for male CT State students who meet the criteria and have earned a minimum GPA of 2.7 and an associate degree through CT State. Students who transfer with an associate degree and all credits in good standing will enter Morehouse College with junior status. Morehouse will provide academic advising and enrollment support to CT State students prior to and during the transition.
“I, like most of the people in this program, took time off in high school before I went back to college and I only went back to college because of this opportunity,” said John Gwynn, of Hartford, a student at CT State Capital who will transfer to Morehouse in the fall. “So I am taking my opportunity now that I have it with CT State and Morehouse College to pursue education to the fullest,” he continued. “Eventually, I’ll be one of your proud alum who is a doctor serving as a psychiatrist to our Black and brown communities.”
“Several years ago, we started to think about how we introduce the likelihood that we will find the best Black male talent available in the country, but also to think about the fact that many African American men don’t go straight to four-year colleges,” said Morehouse President David A.Thomas, Ph.D. “So we’ve been on a very deliberate mission to identify the most outstanding community colleges in the country that also have a reputation for serving Black men well and creating these kinds of partnerships.”
Morehouse College is the only all-male African American College in the United States and one of the most prestigious HBCUs in the country. Morehouse also recently topped the list of the National Science Foundation (NSF) as the leading higher education institution producing Black male undergraduates that receive doctoral degrees.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/young-black-man-with-cup-of-coffee-and-notebooks-4559762/
