BLINN COLLEGE RECOGNIZED FOR STAR AWARD TEAM PROGRAM

  

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has awarded the Texas A&M Blinn Transfer Enrollment at A&M (TEAM) Program its coveted Star Award as one of the top educational initiatives in the state.

The TEAM Program, which allows hundreds of additional students to qualify for Texas A&M University’s freshman class each year, was one of four winners named during the Texas Higher Education Leadership Conference. The awards recognize exceptional contributions toward meeting one or more of the goals of the Texas higher education plan, Closing the Gaps by 2015.

“This award demonstrates that when community colleges and elite research universities work together, they can produce remarkable results,” said Sylvia McMullen, Blinn College president of Brazos County campuses. “As proud as we are of the Star Award, we’re even more proud of the students who have used the TEAM Program as a gateway to a Texas A&M degree.”

The first co-enrollment program of its kind between a major university and a community college, the TEAM Program received the Coordinating Board’s Recognition of Excellence in 2013. This Fall, 1,091 students enrolled in the program.

TEAM allows students to enroll at both schools with part-time admission to Texas A&M and is offered only to qualifying students during the Texas A&M freshman admissions process. Participating students are enrolled in one academic course at Texas A&M each semester and complete the remainder of their courses at the Blinn – Bryan campus. Students who complete 45 Blinn credit hours and 15 Texas A&M credit hours within two years, with a 3.0 grade point average at each school, are automatically admitted to Texas A&M. TEAM students can apply for transfer admission sooner when they meet the eligibility requirements.

Students enrolled in 15 semester credit hours in the TEAM program save as much as $1,500 compared to students enrolled in 15 credit hours at Texas A&M.

“TEAM students get the best of both worlds,” said John. O. Beaver, dean of Educational Partnerships. “Not only do they enjoy the smaller classroom environment and lower cost Blinn offers, but they also get the full university experience with access to Texas A&M sporting events and student activities.”

Approximately 79 percent of students enrolled in TEAM earn full enrollment at Texas A&M, and of those who matriculate, 88.8 percent go on to graduate. TEAM’s success is one of the reasons why Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks among the highest in the nation.

The Coordinating Board received 33 nominations and 28 applications for this year’s Star Award. The other winners were:

For more information regarding the TEAM Program, visit www.blinn.edu/team and blinnteam.tamu.edu.

Story Courtesy of Blinn College