Increased quality, more opportunity
Starting fall 2018, students can take advantage of the new affiliation between Wichita
State University and ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech β formerly known as Wichita Area Technical College.
While the two remain separate degree-granting institutions, the formalized affiliation
now allows for more collaborative possibilities, as well as increased availability
and quality of opportunities for students, while directly meeting the core workforce
needs of the state.
What's in it for students?
- General education courses taken at ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech are transferable directly to ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ.
- ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech students have the option of paying supplementary fees to access all of ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ's support services and student life activities not found in the traditional technical college setting.
- ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ and ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech co-locate at ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Old Town, ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ South and ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Haysville, giving students the ability to take classes at each institution in one location.
- The affiliation encourages the kind of faculty collaboration between ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ and ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech that will lead to innovative methods of teaching and applied learning opportunities for students β giving them a competitive advantage in the job market.
- ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech will maintain its open admissions policy, and students taking ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech classes will apply through . Classes will be held at one of ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech's five Wichita-area campuses.
- Students wanting to take classes at ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ and ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech will go through each institution's admissions process.
- ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech will continue to offer the same degree and certificate options as WATC did in the past. ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech and ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ will maintain different tuition rates.
- β a partnership that allows students to start their associate's degree at ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech and finish it at ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ β will remain in place.
What's in it for the community?
- New educational opportunities are being developed to equip the community to adapt to new career pathways and the integration of technology, leading to a better trained workforce.
- New industry partnerships are expected to develop because of the institutions' shared mission to provide an applied learning experience for students. The power of research and technical education working in collaboration, and the educational opportunity for learning from GED to Ph.D., will serve as an economic driver for south central Kansas.
- ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech will remain the developer of workforce human capital for the region.
- ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech will continue to work with business and industry to train and provide a highly
qualified workforce and will remain flexible and responsive to the needs of industry.
Sheeree Utash, ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech president and vice president of Workforce Development for ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ, says this affiliation represents a historic moment for the post-secondary sector of higher education in Kansas. - ΎΕΙ«ΜΓ Tech will continue to reframe how people think of technical education and training for the community, she says, and will create more educational opportunities for students while continuing to connect talent with business.