WC Wisconsin News

Leaders, faculty, and staff from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) and Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) gathered in River Falls on Tuesday to reaffirm their commitment to a seamless credit transfer process for students moving between the two institutions.

During Reaffirmation Day, UWRF Interim Chancellor John Chenoweth highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the schools. “It has been exciting to watch those opportunities for students,” Chenoweth said. “The path is there. The question, as always, is how seamless it is, and that is the work we do together.”

Chenoweth also noted that the partnership not only benefits students and the institutions but also supports regional economic development. “The number of alumni from our two institutions who are all over this region, serving in leadership areas, driving businesses and communities forward is really impressive,” he said.

CVTC President Sunem Beaton-Garcia emphasized that the program aims to increase access to education and help students complete their degrees. “Today is really about students. It's their dreams, their momentum, and our shared promise to make every credit, every conversation, every step count,” Beaton-Garcia said.

Beaton-Garcia added that the initiative serves a wide range of learners beyond traditional students, including first-generation college attendees, adult learners seeking career changes or degree completion, as well as veterans and service members. “Thank you to all of you who are translating policy to possibility,” she said. “For students, it’s life changing.”

Holly Hufnagle, a junior at UWRF majoring in environmental science with a minor in conservation, shared her experience transferring after earning an Associate of Science degree in liberal arts at CVTC. She described feeling comfortable on the UWRF campus and appreciated having earned credits beforehand. “It made it feel a lot less overwhelming to start here,” Hufnagle said. “Another thing that really surprised me was how much more comfortable I felt coming here knowing I had credits under my belt from CVTC.”

Hufnagle credited Sarah Schliesmann, UW transfer academic adviser at CVTC, for assisting with her transition: “She helped me walk through how each of my credits was going to transfer,” Hufnagle said. “There weren’t going to be any surprises.” Hufnagle also mentioned taking a summer class at CVTC after transferring for added flexibility.

Now in its fourth year, the program continues to expand with 113 CVTC students currently planning to transfer to UWRF.

Attendees participated in breakout sessions during the event to discuss ways of enhancing collaboration and improving efficiency for student transfers.

Stephanie Esser, executive dean of business, arts and science at CVTC concluded by stating: “Success is really defined when students leave,” Esser said. “That success carries well beyond our doors.”