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UTEP and EPCC Presidents Pledge to Continue Collaborating to Promote Student Success

Last Updated on October 24, 2019 at 12:00 AM

Originally published October 24, 2019

By UC Staff

UTEP Communications

For nearly three decades, faculty and staff at both El Paso Community College (EPCC) and The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have made a strong commitment to the residents of the Paso del Norte region, developing strategies to provide access to exceptional higher education along with raising the educational aspirations, degree attainment, and overall academic excellence of area students.

EPCC and UTEP logos

Today, UTEP President Heather Wilson and EPCC President William Serrata renewed their institutions’ commitments to the creation of pathways to higher education for our area’s students by, among other things, building on the successes of existing partnerships with local school districts, and eliminating barriers for transfer students and those who attend both UTEP and EPCC.

See the announcement below:

 

October 24, 2019

To the students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners of El Paso Community College and
The University of Texas at El Paso:

The regional partnership between El Paso Community College and The University of Texas at El Paso has long been regarded as a national model for collaboration, articulation, and student success. Together, in the past decade, we’ve awarded 83,745 degrees and certificates, and 74% of UTEP Bachelor degree recipients have earned EPCC credit.

For nearly three decades, faculty and staff at both EPCC and UTEP have made a strong commitment to the residents of the Paso del Norte region, developing strategies to provide access to exceptional higher education along with raising the educational aspirations, degree attainment, and overall academic excellence of area students. We are grateful for the many contributions that you and others have made to the success of this EPCC-UTEP partnership, and we are justifiably proud of our many shared accomplishments, which have garnered significant national recognition. Now, with new opportunities and challenges before us, it’s time to reinvigorate our efforts!

As we forge ahead into the continually evolving landscape of higher education, we share this message as a renewed commitment to the following guiding principles of our relationship:

  • We will continue to collaborate with our regional school districts to increase the percentage of high school graduates ready to succeed at EPCC or UTEP.
  • We will work together to deepen and strengthen inter-institutional working relationships to eliminate barriers and better serve our students, with the ultimate goal of increasing our effectiveness and efficiency in achieving student success.
  • We will cooperate by sharing data and aligning plans to expand pipelines of talent development so that we positively impact the health, culture, education, and economy of the region we serve.

The EPCC-UTEP partnership is unique and longstanding.  We remain committed to its success and the success of our students.  We are incredibly proud that our partnership continues to lead the way in demonstrating how institutions can work together to serve the community and we hope you share in our pride and commitment.

Sincerely,

dr-william-serrata-signature.png

Dr. William Serrata
President, El Paso Community College

dr-heather-wilson-signature.png

Dr. Heather Wilson
President, The University of Texas at El Paso