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March 25, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SMITH TO JOIN FORCES WITH GREENFIELD AND
HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Admission Agreement Will Smooth The Transfer Path
For Women Seeking Four-Year Degrees

NORTHAMPTON, Mass.-Emphasizing its commitment to advancing women's educational opportunities, Smith College will sign agreements with two local community colleges, facilitating students' transfers from the two-year, public institutions to the four-year private college.


Smith's Acting President John Connolly will sign the collaborative admission agreements with Greenfield Community College (GCC) President Robert Pura and Holyoke Community College (HCC) Vice President for Academic Affairs David Entin at a luncheon at Smith's Alumnae House, 33 Elm St., at noon on Wednesday, April 3.


The gathering will include faculty and staff members from the three colleges and will celebrate what each institution hopes will be a productive and vibrant affiliation.


"Smith College was founded in the late 19th century to give women access to an education equal to that available to men," noted Connolly.


"Today, we are proud to join as partners with these two leading community colleges, each of which serves as a vital springboard to a four-year degree for so many women in our region."


At 2 p.m., following the luncheon, some 60 current Smith students who transferred to the college from GCC and HCC will join the guests for a dessert reception. While some of these students entered Smith as traditional-aged undergraduates, the majority entered via the Ada Comstock Scholars Program, whereby women beyond the traditional college age, whose educations had been interrupted earlier in life, can apply to Smith in order to pursue a bachelor's degree.


Senior Associate Director of Admission Debra Shaver, who serves as the Smith liaison to GCC and HCC, noted that, while the agreements won't guarantee admission, they will give important advice about transfer procedures as well as a list of transferable course credits that will help community college students interested in Smith to plan their academic programs.


"Having a roadmap of courses to take and procedures to follow can make all the difference, both pragmatically and in terms of confidence, especially when you are returning to college as an adult," Shaver said.


"We have seen women from GCC and HCC succeed marvelously at Smith, and we want to see that trend continue and strengthen," she added.


The agreements are modeled on those Smith has established with other community colleges, including Miami-Dade Community College in Miami, Florida, and Santa Monica Community College in Santa Monica, California.


Some 100 students transfer to Smith from community colleges every year.


Greenfield Community College is the smallest of the 15 community colleges in the Massachusetts higher education system and serves approximately 3,000 students annually. GCC is recognized for its tradition of caring and supportive faculty and staff and for the development of every student who enters its doors. This year marks 40 years of commitment to educational access, cultural awareness, lifelong learning opportunities and workforce development. Over the past 25 years, 173 students from GCC have transferred to Smith College.


Founded in 1947, Holyoke Community College is now celebrating its 55th year. The college serves 6,000 students annually in its associate degree and certificate programs and provides a variety of community services to the region as well as recreational and cultural activities for students and community members alike. Above all, the college's strongest assets continue to be an innovative spirit, a sincere concern for students and a vigor to strive for greater success. An estimated 240 students have transferred from HCC to Smith College over the past 25 years.


Smith College is consistently ranked among the nation's foremost liberal arts colleges. Enrolling 2,800 students from every state and 55 other countries, Smith is the largest undergraduate women's college in the country.

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