New agreement between VCU and Reynolds Community College to make social work degrees more accessible, affordable

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Virginia Commonwealth University has signed a deal with Reynolds Community College to allow eligible Reynolds students who earn an associate’s degree in pre-social work to transfer to VCU and complete their bachelor’s degree at the School of Social Work in as little as four semesters.

The School of Social Work’s new articulation agreement with Reynolds Community College is the second such agreement with a Richmond-area community college. The School of Social Work entered into a similar agreement with John Tyler Community College in 2012, and the first cohort of transfer students from JTCC is currently studying at VCU.

“Our articulation agreements with both JTCC and Reynolds provide a direct pathway or bridge for students to begin their social work degree at the community college level and then transfer to VCU School of Social Work in the B.S.W. program,” said Ananda Newmark, B.S.W. program director for VCU’s School of Social Work.

Jenni Church transferred to the VCU School of Social Work under an articulation agreement with John Tyler Community College.
Jenni Church transferred to the VCU School of Social Work under an articulation agreement with John Tyler Community College.

So far, 12 graduates of JTCC’s Human Services, Pre-Social Work Specialization Program, have transferred to VCU and are pursuing a B.S.W. degree.

“Many students who begin their college coursework at various community colleges do so for a variety of reasons: convenient geographical locations, flexible schedule of classes to accommodate life, online courses and cheaper tuition,” Newmark said. “These agreements decrease the amount of time and money needed to earn their B.S.W. degree, ultimately contributing to increasing retention and graduation rates.”

We are excited to work with our community college partners to create a clear pathway to the social work profession for passionate and talented students.

James Hinterlong, Ph.D., dean of the School of Social Work, said the new partnership will greatly benefit students pursuing careers in social work.

“We are excited to work with our community college partners to create a clear pathway to the social work profession for passionate and talented students,” he said. “We look forward to seeing these students lead and serve throughout the commonwealth.”

Barbara Glenn, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Reynolds Community College, praised the new agreement with VCU.

“The agreement gives our students a crucial way of achieving their goals by being able to prepare now to transfer into one of the most historically distinguished social work programs in the region,” she said.

Under the new agreement, qualifying students must earn an Associate of Science degree in social sciences from Reynolds Community College, earn a minimum cumulative college-level GPA of 2.5, earn a grade of no lower than a B in HMS 100 Introduction to Human Services and HMS 121 Basic Counseling Skills, and earn a grade of no lower than a C in all other courses listed among the pre-social work track courses.

Several of the VCU social work students who transferred from JTCC said the articulation agreement helped them save money and prepared them for VCU.

“With this agreement, students in the program who transfer save a substantial amount – I [saved] an estimated $13,955,” said Jenni Church, who transferred from JTCC. “It also secures you a spot into the B.S.W. program. The requirements at JTCC prepare you for your junior year at VCU. I knew what to expect and the professors did an amazing job prepping the students for the B.S.W. program.”

Detra Baker, who also transferred to VCU from JTCC, said the articulation agreement offers an “awesome opportunity” to study in a program that “has made a mark not only in Virginia but in the U.S.”

“I certainly think the agreement is helping me achieve my career goals,” she said. “I would've gotten here either way, I suppose, but the agreement made it more convenient and cheaper to complete the program.”

Maitlin Ware, yet another JTCC graduate and current VCU student, echoed that sentiment.

“I can't wait to graduate and work in the social work field,” she said. “I definitely think that the agreement gave me a foundation of what I wanted to do in my future. I would recommend the agreement to anyone who is thinking about completing it.”

I definitely think that the agreement gave me a foundation of what I wanted to do in my future.