Path to Purple: History of Partnership
• Winona State University in Rochester since 1917
• Co-located with Rochester Community and Technical College in 1986
• University Center Rochester primarily housed by RCTC and WSU-R
• Offered “2+2” articulated programs
• First two years at RCTC, second two years at WSU-Rochester
• Developed Path To Purple philosophy in 2010
Path To Purple: A Special Partnership
• Winona State University is co-located with Rochester Community and Technical
College (RCTC) at the University Center Rochester (UCR). The two institutions
share facilities such as food service, fitness center, and health services, as well
as important academic support functions like the UCR Welcome Center,
bookstore, comprehensive UCR Learning Center, proctoring center and more.
• Students can take advantage of the Path to Purple program in a variety of ways:
• Students can enroll at RCTC as part of the Path to Purple/2+2 program to earn an
associate’s degree, then move to complete a bachelor’s degree in selected academic
program with WSU-Rochester on the same campus (UCR) or on the Winona campus.
Course may be delivered through the classroom, interactive television (ITV), online, and/or
hybrid.
• Students can initially enroll in RCTC and then make an independent decision as to when
they want apply for admission to WSU.
• Students who do not initially qualify for admission to WSU can enroll in RCTC to gain
sufficient academic standing to qualify them for acceptance as a transfer student status
with WSU.
A Truly Affordable Education
• RCTC
• $215.33/credit, $3229.95 per semester at 15 credits
• $12,919.80 for 2 years (60 lower division credits)
• WSU-Rochester:
• $254.68/credit, $3820.20 per semester at 15 credits
• $15,280.80 for 2 years (60 upper division credits)
• Total for 120 credits through RCTC and WSU-R:
• $28,200.60
http://www.rctc.edu/eservices/tuition-and-fees-table.html
http://www.winona.edu/billing/tuitionfandees.asp
Completion Programs at WSU-Rochester
– Accounting*
– Business Administration*
– Computer Information Systems*
– Computer Science*
– Computer Science – Bioinformatics*
– Elementary Education K-6*
– Healthcare Leadership & Administration
– Human Resources Management
– Nursing: RN to BSN and Generic*
– Individualized Studies
– Social Work*
– Social Work- Human Services*
– Social Work- Human Services: Alcohol and Drug Counseling*
*RCTC/WSU-R articulated program
Collaboration and Sharing: Space
• Co-located at UCR
• UCR Welcome Center is first point of contact for
most students—houses staff for both institutions
• WSU-R has nearly 70 residential faculty and staff in
student services and program offices, and soon will
have an AVP for Rochester campus housed here
• Both schools share library, health services, sports
complex, tech support, bookstore, learning center,
security, food service, and more!
Collaboration and Sharing: Staff
• UCR Shared Advisor (50/50 split in funding between WSU-R/RCTC)
• Welcome Center front desk staff (WSU 25/RCTC 75 split)
• Recruitment & Admissions Advisor works with prospective transfer
students (100% WSU-R funded)
• These three positions work to facilitate a seamless handoff from students
going from RCTC to WSU-R
• WSU also provides visiting advisors from Winona campus (Admissions,
Financial Aid, International Students, etc.) on regular basis
• Culminates in Transfer Advising and Registration event every semester—
students see the partnership in action
Collaboration and Sharing: Data
• RCTC and WSU-R share info on students to provide recruitment possibilities
• 80% of WSU-Rochester’s students have taken at least one class from RCTC
• In Fall 2013, 188 new RCTC transfers
• 61% increase over Fall 2012 (117 students)
• Both list the P2P/2+2 majors as options in online application forms
Bottom Line: It’s The People!
• They work together and make it happen!
Questions?
Contact Information
• Carl Stange, WSU Director of Undergraduate Admissions
• cstange@winona.edu
• Trent Dernbach, WSU-Rochester Student & Campus Services
• tdernbach@winona.edu
• Paula Carlsen, UCR Shared Advisor
• paula.carlsen@rctc.edu