New partnership between CWU and YVC to enhance four-year degree pathways

Central Washington University and Yakima Valley College entered into a new partnership last week when the presidents of both institutions signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enact the Seamless Transfer Pathway Program.

The program was developed by representatives from CWU and YVC to provide transfer students with a clear, streamlined and barrier‑free pathway that will help them complete a bachelor’s degree.

CWU President Jim Wohlpart and YVC President Teresa Rich were joined by executives, board of trustees members, and enrollment management representatives on May 26 at the Kaminski Conference Center in Yakima for a signing ceremony and workshop to officially kick off the partnership.

Wohlpart explained that the goal of the agreement is to increase college attendance by eliminating many of the barriers that hinder access to higher education.

“This is about putting students first,” he said. “This is about being student-centric and not being about competition or thinking about who gets those students. This is really about their journey and their family's journey and their community’s journey.”

The Seamless Transfer Pathway Program is designed to make transferring from YVC to CWU similar to moving from middle school to high school. Students will submit a simple request at YVC, which will initiate their CWU admission application, and their transcripts will automatically be transmitted to Central.

To make the process even easier for students, the program also includes an application fee waiver, guaranteed admission to the majority of CWU majors, and the creation of dual-institution four-year plans for popular majors.

As Rich noted, the Seamless Transfer Pathway Program has the potential to change the way higher education institutions around the region think about their approach to recruitment.

“This initiative is monumental for our two institutions because people are looking at us in the Yakima Valley and in the central Washington region,” she said. “We are setting the stage, and they want to see how we're doing it because everybody wants to be like us. And we are knocking it out of the park.”

Wohlpart added that the vision for the program goes beyond CWU and YVC. The MOU provides a clear outline for other institutions interested in considering new paths forward as they adapt to a rapidly changing higher education environment.

He believes the most important consideration in every decision we make should be centered around student success.

“Institutions build structures and systems that seem to make sense, and when we dig into them, we realize that, in fact, they don't make much sense for a lot of our students,” Wohlpart said. “Many of them are new to higher education, and we have to think about how we can change those structures and systems to benefit them. That means changing our culture, and that requires a lot of really hard work.” 

Rich is confident that the MOU could be a transformative tool that both institutions can use to create more opportunities and better outcomes for current and prospective students. She believes YVC and CWU have the right personnel in place to create positive change through this one-of-a-kind partnership.

“Jim shared his vision with me, and we realized that we can absolutely do this because we have teams who think outside the box, who recognize there may not be a path right now, but we’re going to find the path,” Rich said. “If there isn't one there, we will make one. And that’s what we’re doing as two institutions together.”

The MOU marks the second agreement between CWU and YVC in the past two years. In the fall of 2024, the two institutions partnered with the Yakima School District to improve access to postsecondary credentials for K-12 students.

One of the goals of the initial MOU — which will remain in effect until at least September of this year — is to open new doors for students and create pathways to higher education, whether it’s a two-year or four-year degree, or a certificate.