‘Oh, The Places You Can Go’

From the College of Southern Maryland Students Travel Far and Wide

            College of Southern Maryland Senior Coordinator for Transfer Services and Articulation James Spence signs off each email with the familiar Dr. Seuss quote with a CSM twist, O’ The Places You Can Go from CSM,’ and he means it. With more than 28 formal articulation agreements with four-year colleges and universities as well as hundreds of schools that accept CSM credits, students can travel from Southern Maryland to all corners of the U.S. and beyond.

            “CSM is continually looking for articulation partnerships that make the transfer process easier and more seamless,” said Spence.

            The most recent agreements include St. Mary’s College of Maryland, with signing ceremony between CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried and SMCM Interim President Dr. Ian Newbould on June 5, Howard University and George Mason University.

             “One of the benefits of attending a community college for the first two years is the enormous savings—up to $28,000 in some cases—over starting at a four-year college or university. By alleviating some of the guesswork, ‘Will I be accepted?’ and ‘Will these classes transfer?’ students can concentrate on schoolwork and completion,” said Spence.

            From fall 2011 through summer 2012, 2,866 students transferred to 444 different colleges and universities in 50 states plus Puerto Rico. Of those, 594 transferred to University of Maryland University College, 252 transferred to University of Maryland College Park, 201 transferred to Towson University and 163 transferred to Salisbury University.

            “People might be surprised to learn that students who get their start at CSM can go on to transfer to and graduate from The George Washington University, Auburn, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, College of William and Mary and Villanova, and walk away with the same degree as students who entered those schools as freshmen,” Spence said.

            Spence urges CSM freshmen to visit the advising office after their first semester to make sure they understand transfer requirements.

            To assist students in understanding transfer requirements and setting benchmarks and goals to transfer to the college where they want to complete their bachelor’s degree, Transfer Services offers the Transfer Success Academy. The academy’s goal is to engage students to develop an academic transfer plan that leads to graduation and a seamless transfer through a series of advisory sessions and workshops. Students will learn general transfer information, how to interact with college representatives and have the opportunity to visit two universities in one day, free of charge. Registration is open for the fall 2014 Transfer Academy.

Craig Cornish, who grew up in Welcome, graduated from CSM with highest honors in May 2011 earning an associate degree in arts and sciences. He transferred to Morgan State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He is currently enrolled in the history Ph.D. program at Princeton University.

“CSM gave me the opportunity to sample widely and to flesh out my academic interests. It provided me with a venue to showcase my abilities, directly enabling me to secure a full-ride scholarship at Morgan State for the rest of my undergraduate education. And, of course, it allowed me to earn over 60 hours of college credit at an affordable cost,” said Cornish.

            January 2014 graduation student speaker Austin C. Rick, of Waldorf, earned an associate degree in general studies: communication and general studies: criminal justice  and will transfer to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a dual major in philosophy and communication with a concentration in interpersonal and organizational communication. Spring 2014 graduation speaker Deveraux Smith, of Waldorf, earned an associate degree in social sciences and will transfer to University of Maryland Baltimore College as a junior.

            James “J.R.” Rhine Jr. of California described his appreciation for college transfer agreements during remarks at the signing ceremony for CSM and St. Mary’s College. “This agreement will further help students afford college and not have to sweat over transferring college credits. To have this guaranteed partnership between these colleges makes this bridge seem more like a waterslide, because I feel like I am effortlessly gliding into yet another great school,” said Rhine.

            “All saved thousands of dollars by attending a community college for the first two years of college thereby reducing the overall cost of tuition to attain a bachelor’s degree,” said Spence.

            For information on transfer opportunities, the Transfer Academy and fall 2014 transfer fairs, visit www.csmd.edu/transferservices.