Oakton, Elmhurst Sign Guaranteed Admission, Dual Enrollment Agreements
(May 8, 2018) Oakton Community College and Elmhurst College signed two agreements—an innovative dual enrollment agreement and a guaranteed admission agreement—at a press conference and signing ceremony at Oakton’s Student Center, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines, on Tuesday, May 8. The agreements facilitate a seamless transfer process for students meeting the requirements of the program and earning associate degrees at Oakton.
“Today is a great day for Oakton students,” says Oakton President Joianne L. Smith. “The agreements make it easier for students to earn their bachelor’s degrees and allow them to take courses concurrently at both Elmhurst and Oakton at the Oakton tuition rate, saving them both time and money.”
“It’s all about better serving students by determining their needs and figuring out how we, as administrators and faculty, can work together to provide opportunities for them to reach their full potential,” said Elmhurst College President Troy D. VanAken. “We’re pleased to build on our individual and institutional connections with Oakton, and to welcome more Oakton students to Elmhurst.”
The guaranteed admission agreement facilitates the process for Oakton students transferring to Elmhurst to complete their bachelor’s degrees. Oakton students must meet all agreement requirements, which include maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 grading scale on all transferable coursework from Oakton, completing an associate’s degree with 64 hours of transferable credit that will lead to junior status at Elmhurst and participating in a special program while at Oakton that provides contact with Elmhurst counselors.
The dual enrollment program is open to students who have graduated from high school or have a high school equivalency. It requires students to participate in the program from their first year at Oakton and allows them to take at least one four-semester-hour class at Elmhurst per year and a maximum of two classes per academic year while concurrently attending Oakton and paying Oakton tuition rates. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA on transferable work of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students will have access to the more than 50 undergraduate degree programs available at Elmhurst, including the nursing, education and communication sciences and disorder programs, which have additional GPA and application requirements.
Under both agreements, Oakton Community College Honors Program students who achieve a transferable GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale will have a guaranteed invitation to apply to the Honors Program at Elmhurst.
“It’s nice to have agreements like these so we know that that the classes from Oakton will transfer for sure. It’s guaranteed,” says Adrianna Bialic (Glenview, Glenbrook South High School), a second-year Oakton student transferring to Elmhurst to study nursing in fall 2018.
For more information about these initiatives, please contact Oakton Assistant Vice President Academic Affairs/College Transitions Anne Brennan (847.376.7046 or abrennan@oakton.edu) or Elmhurst Associate Director of Admission Michelle Adams (630.617.3095 or madams@elmhurst.edu).
