Purpose

Governors State University (GSU), an upper-division university based in the Chicagoland area, offers a bachelor's degree completion program for adult learners using distance learning in cooperation with leading community colleges throughout the country.

Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) enables adults to gain access to associate's degree education, increasingly through the use of distance learning methods. DCCCD also seeks to help its current students and alumni to proceed toward bachelor degrees that are relevant in content and flexible in format in meeting their continuing education needs.

This MOU signifies that GSU and DCCCD intend to cooperate in making the Board of Governors BA degree completion program available and accessible to adult students and alumni who may wish to pursue a non-traditional baccalaureate degree through distance learning.

Program Description

Students with a minimum of 30 semester hours may enroll in the BOG/BA program, with the expectation that such dual-enrolled students will complete their associate degrees with Dallas County Community College District. All credits earned at DCCCD or other regionally accredited institutions that meet graduation requirements of DCCCD's associate degrees will be accepted in transfer to the BOG/BA Program at GSU.

Note: Students from Eastfield College and North Lake College will not be able to transfer their A.A.S. degree. However, all DCCCD students who take core courses within their A.A.S. degree, such core courses will be transferable.

Additionally, up to 80 lower division credit hours may be used to fulfill the 120 total semester hours required for the BOG/BA degree. Thus BOG students from DCCCD may take further courses from within the district beyond those required for the Associates degree. Students may use GSU courses delivered in a distance-learning mode to satisfy the 24-hour residency requirement.

Governors State University will provide academic advising, upper division courses through distance delivery, in-state tuition rates, access to financial aid for courses taken from GSU and elsewhere, and other support services such as library access, student development services, online math and writing tutorials, throughout the enrollment period. GSU offers support to BOG students who wish to write a portfolio for the evaluation of experiential learning. The BOG/GA Program is described in complete detail in the GSU catalog and in the GSU Distance Learning Guide.

Dallas County Community College District will help GSU identify and communicate with its current and former students who may be appropriate for, and interested in, a bachelors degree completion program offered by distance learning methods. DCCCD also agrees to support these adult students by providing access to local support services available on or through its campus, i.e. testing, library, and computer labs. (Services beyond the normal lower division level are not expected of the DCCCD. BOG/BA students using these services from DCCCD will be responsible for any normally charged fees for these services.

Both institutions agree to designate a staff member/office who will facilitate and sustain contact between the two institutions regarding enrolled and prospective students.

J. William Wenrich, Chancellor                      President
Dallas County Community College District       Governors State University       

Contact Person/Office
Jocyln Braun                                              Judith A. Gustawson
District Coordinator                                     Governors State University
Articulation and Transfer Services                  External Programs Manager
Dallas County Community College District         Room 153, OTS Building
701 Elm Street                                            University Park, IL 60466
Dallas, TX 75202                                         708-534-4086
214-860-2185                                             j-gustawson@govst.edu