University Business - July/August 2011 - (Page 20)

BEHIND the NEWS Linking to Success THE DAYS OF HAPHAZARD TRANSFER COULD soon be a thing of the past. With the help of an eight-month planning grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Community College Linkage (CCL) program could help students move from a community college to a four-year institution with intention and complete a degree in four years. According to Kurt Thiede, executive director of CCL, the concept entails regional offices being set up around the country where advisors can work with students early in the college planning process. The regional offices will act as liaisons between community colleges and four-year institutions in the area, helping students with academic, financial, and social issues make the transfer process as smooth as possible. “They are not clearing houses,” says Thiede. “The regional offices are not designed to simply facilitate transactions; they’re designed to help build relationships.” Right now, CCL is in the planning stage. In the coming months, the concept will be shared with representatives from four-year institutions and community colleges for feedback. “Ultimately, the final project will be a reflection of a lot of conversation and collaboration,” says Thiede. He anticipates having enough commitment and interest by fall 2011 to begin building regional centers in early 2012. The idea mirrors a similar program at Bucknell University (Pa.), the Bucknell Community College Scholars Program, U Get Paid to Pay Your Bills! Tuition and public funding don’t have to be your only revenue streams. Is your school’s A/P department hiding working capital and revenue opportunities? If so, consider Wright Express’s AP Direct Program. We deliver bottom line profits and overall efficiency to traditional payment processing. Benefits include: • Improve working capital and days paid outstanding • Earn revenue share — think cash back — on payments processed • No-cost, straight-forward integration with your existing ERP system Contact us today to learn how easy it is to integrate AP Direct into your current ERP system. 1-877-865-4244 www.wrightexpress.com/education which Thiede helped design when he served as vice president for enrollment management there. “I said to myself, ‘If we can do it here, why can’t we build something larger?’,” he recalls. Since then, Thiede has been working with Brian Mitchell, former president of Bucknell, at forming a comprehensive plan to encourage all students to pursue a fouryear degree. “As we look at the changing demographics of this country and how the world is changing, strong institutions should focus on building a student body that’s more reflective of 21st century America,” says Thiede. “And at institutions that are under capacity, the idea of enrolling bright, motivated, accomplished, confident community college students seems to make a lot of sense.” —K.D. universitybusiness.com 7/8/11 4:24 PM 20 | July/August 2011 WEXMC-020 Ad.indd 1 http://www.wrightexpress.com/education http://www.wrightexpress.com/education http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - July/August 2011

University Business - July/August 2011
Contents
Editor's Note
Ad Index
College Index
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Financial Success
Money Matters
Community Colleges
Funding Capture
Models of Efficiency
Thwarting ID Thieves
Embezzlement Epidemic
What's New
End Note

University Business - July/August 2011