Elmhurst College and College of DuPage recently signed agreements that will guarantee admission to Elmhurst for qualifying COD students; help COD students who already have transferred to receive their associate’s degree; and create a dual enrollment program that will allow COD students to declare their intent to transfer to Elmhurst.

The two institutions also signed a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines such collaborations as joint recruitment, 2+2 program-to-program articulation and academic remediation.

“We must work together to find pathways that will make transitions smoother for our students, and what we’ve produced is an in-depth partnership that demonstrates what two institutions can do together,” President Troy D. VanAken said. “The key now is for us to work with students so that they can take advantage of what we have created.”

“We are building on a 21st century model that brings institutions together to provide students with exceptional opportunities for success,” said College of DuPage President Ann Rondeau. “I believe that these extraordinary agreements will benefit students at both College of DuPage and Elmhurst College.”

The Guaranteed Admission agreement facilitates the process for College of DuPage students transferring to Elmhurst to complete their bachelor’s degrees. COD students must meet all agreement requirements, which include maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; completing an associate’s degree with 64 hours of transferrable credit that will lead to junior status at Elmhurst; and participating in a special program while at COD that provides contact with Elmhurst counselors. College of DuPage honors students who achieve a transferrable GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale also will have guaranteed admission into the Honors Program at Elmhurst.

The Reverse Transfer agreement applies to College of DuPage students who have completed at least 20 credits and transferred to Elmhurst before earning an associate’s degree. The initiative will help these students complete their associate’s degrees at COD while continuing their studies at Elmhurst.

The Dual Enrollment agreement gives College of DuPage students the option of completing a Participation Form prior to enrollment at COD that declares their intent to transfer to Elmhurst College.

The MOU outlines areas where the two schools will work together. This includes an Academic Remediation program that gives Elmhurst College students who are on “academic probation” an opportunity to remediate at College of DuPage. Elmhurst students will have access to academic and student services at COD and can transfer credits back to Elmhurst, which will re-admit students who successfully complete requirements for re-instatement of academic status.

The Guaranteed Admission, Reverse Transfer and Dual Enrollment agreements, along with the Memorandum of Understanding, continue the strong relationship between College of DuPage and Elmhurst College. In 2015 the two institutions launched their first 2+2 program, establishing an articulation agreement that helps COD philosophy students transfer seamlessly to Elmhurst. During the past six months, Elmhurst and COD launched several 2+2 programs for students who plan to major in political science, nursing, Spanish, French, German or English with secondary education licensure. These programs allow students to earn an associate’s degree at COD and a bachelor’s degree from Elmhurst in just four years.

• Learn more about the 2+2 programs (Link to 2+2 page)

For more information about these initiatives, please contact the Elmhurst College Associate Director of Admission Michelle Adams, at (630) 617-3095 or [email protected].