College of the Rockies’ Agreements with UVic to Benefit Students

Officials from College of the Rockies and the University of Victoria have signed two new partnership agreements

College of the Rockies Vice-President Academic & Applied Research Stan Chung and Dr. Catherine Mateer from UVic sign two new partnership agreements as (l-r) Dean of Instruction Heather Hepworth, Dean of Instruction Darrell Bethune, Director of Student Affairs Doris Silva and Dean of Instruction Jack Moes look on.

Officials from College of the Rockies and the University of Victoria have signed two new partnership agreements for guaranteed admission to a broad range of UVic degree programs.

The new dual admission and guaranteed admission agreements will greatly expand educational opportunities for local students.  College of the Rockies students will have access to a host of new degree pathways, while remaining home for the first two years – providing significant cost savings over the course of a four-year degree.

Through the dual admission agreement, eligible high school students can apply for dual admission to both College of the Rockies and the University of Victoria with one application package.  Students accepted for dual admission are guaranteed a seat in select degree programs at UVic after two years of study at the College with satisfactory grades.

The guaranteed admission agreement provides guaranteed UVic admission to students who have already begun their studies at College of the Rockies.  Under the guaranteed admission agreement, eligible College students with acceptable grades are guaranteed a seat in selected UVic Bachelor degree programs.

Eligible College of the Rockies programs include Fine Arts, Pre-Education, University Arts and University Science.  Most UVic Bachelor degree programs in science, the humanities and social science are included in the agreements.

Pre-education students at the College transfer to the UVic/East Kootenay Teacher Education program, held at the Cranbrook main campus, after completing 10 courses.

College of the Rockies Vice-President, Academic and Applied Research, Stan Chung notes, “Students who take advantage of these new agreements will not only have a guaranteed spot in their degree program but will have access to co-op program opportunities, academic advising and scholarships from both institutions.  In addition, students from the East Kootenay region, who remain at home during their first two years, can see a savings of at least $20,000 - $25,000 over those who complete their entire four years at a university.”

“At College of the Rockies, we recognize that each student has their own path to follow when pursuing post-secondary education, and we are committed to creating new opportunities for students in the East Kootenay region to reach their goals,” adds College President and CEO David Walls.  “We have seen that students who start their post-secondary education at the College before moving on to university to complete a degree have a very high rate of success.  These new agreements give our students additional options to continue to succeed.”

In May 2015 the British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT) reported on transfer student success among BC post-secondary institutions.  The report found that College of the Rockies transfer students excel after transfer to a new institution, graduating with among the highest grade-point-averages (GPA) in the province for transfer students.  Further, 85 percent of College of the Rockies transfer students completed their degree – the highest completion rate of transfer students from any BC institution.

For Dr. Catherine Mateer, Associate Vice-President for Academic Planning at UVic, the new agreements are a perfect fit with student needs. 

“The University of Victoria is delighted to build on its longstanding partnerships with College of the Rockies in developing new innovative admission agreements that provide more accessible degree pathways for students in Southeastern BC.  In our experience, BC college trained students are well-prepared to succeed when they arrive at UVic.  Starting post-secondary education at the College allows students to live at home and work toward their goals while saving money.  When they begin their studies at UVic, they know what they want to study and have the confidence to do well.  It’s our pleasure to work together to put more university degrees within reach of BC students.”

UVic is a national and international leader in post-secondary education and an institution of choice for students from around the globe. In 2013, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed UVic first in Canada and number 20 globally among universities less than 50 years old.

Learn more about College of the Rockies and University of Victoria’s new agreements at: cotr.ca/dual-admission-uvic