It’s common to see students arrive at Wichita State with transferred credit hours from other schools, especially Butler County Community College. It is not common, though, to see WSU students return to Butler to earn a degree.

But with a recent reverse transfer agreement from the Provost Office, students will be able to return to Butler and earn their associate degree within a couple of years. Associate Provost Linnea GlenMaye refers to this opportunity as “a second chance.”

“The agreement is targeted to students who transferred from WSU to Butler,” GlenMaye said. “This means they will have a degree behind their name and allow them to make a difference and get a job beyond that degree.”

Under three circumstances can students fall under the agreement and reach their associate degree as a Butler Grizzly. First, they must transfer 45 credits from Butler to WSU. After the transfer, students will complete 15 or more additional credits at WSU before sending their transcript to Butler one final time. Once it has been evaluated to ensure the credits meet other residency requirements, students can take any remaining credits before reaching their degree.

For Butler, the agreement works wonders.

“It’s helpful for Butler because it gives them better data on how many graduates they actually have,” GlenMaye said.

“We know that one of the best ways to ensure [students’] success is to complete postsecondary education milestone markers like associate and baccalaureate degrees,” Butler President Jackie Vietta said in a Nov. 29 press release.

Considering that most students want to continue their education for a bachelor’s, WSU can also benefit. With the reverse transfer agreement, WSU’s Provost Office is hoping that students will want to earn their four-year degree after finishing an associate degree at Butler.

“We can say that we’re very excited about this agreement because we think it will help our students,” GlenMaye said, “and it will strengthen our bond with Butler.”