Paving the way: UWL, Western create new pathways for students to launch careers

Interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan discusses how new transfer agreements between UW-La Crosse and Western Technical College will benefit students.

New agreements between UW-La Crosse and Western Technical College have created pathways for students to continue their education and launch successful careers.

On Tuesday, Jan. 23, leaders from the two colleges finalized agreements that will allow students to transfer major credits from Western to UWL in five fields: early childhood education, sociology, philosophy, history, and race, gender and sexuality studies. 

“This is a win-win, and that’s why you see so many happy faces here today,” said Betsy Morgan, interim chancellor of UWL. “It benefits the students, it benefits (Western) and it benefits UWL because it creates more students with degrees. And that’s what we’re about.” 

These agreements build upon an already strong partnership between UWL and Western. While past transfer agreements have centered on general education courses, Tuesday’s signing permits students to transfer credits within their major, shortening their path to earning a degree. 

While most transfer students move from a two-year college to a four-year university, credits earned at UWL can also be transferred to Western. 

Roger Stanford, president of Western, says a smoother experience for students will help boost workforce development efforts and lead to a stronger local economy. 

“In the end, for all of our taxpayers and all of our community, the quicker we can get (students) out in the workforce, the less debt they will have to borrow,” he says. “That’s economic mobility, and that helps our students move better in this community.”