Bradley and ICC Partner to Help Students Achieve Degrees

Bradley University and Illinois Central College are teaming up to help students gain their baccalaureate degrees.  Through a special partnership, students at ICC who have received an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, or Associate in Engineering Science degrees and are preparing for baccalaureate completion in Bradley University programs, will be guaranteed admission if they have a 2.5+ cumulative GPA.

Bradley and ICC have also created more than 40 2+2 agreements all to ease the transfer process for students.  The 2+2 agreements map out what courses are needed in the first two years at ICC and what a student is expected to complete in the next two years at Bradley to graduate in 4 years. 

Dr. Justin Ball, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Bradley, says students who plan to transfer and complete a bachelor degree after their associate degree face a great deal of uncertainty.  "This agreement creates a clear path for ICC graduates to Bradley with guaranteed admission, excellent financial assistance, and advising support throughout a student's entire college experience." 

This agreement will ensure a smooth transition, which will increase the baccalaureate completion rate for local students, and grow the regional workforce according to Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey, President of Illinois Central College. “Everyone wins when our excellent institutions of higher education work together, our students, our employers, and our community. We are delighted to bring this opportunity to our students together with our partners at Bradley University.”

Jesus Covarrubias Bravo transferred from ICC to Bradley to obtain his bachelor degree in civil engineering, and he believes this new agreement will open many doors for many people. “This new agreement will be a source of encouragement for students to keep their GPA high enough to be able to transfer to a prestigious university like Bradley where they can continue their education and follow their dreams. I truly believe that this new agreement will help many students save money and time.”

ICC Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Emmanuel Awuah credits an enduring partnership between Illinois Central College and Bradley for the agreements. “Thanks to our historically strong partnership, we are pleased to offer one of the most comprehensive agreements to date between our institutions,” says Dr. Awuah. “It demonstrates a unified commitment toward seamless transfer and completion.”

Dr. Walter Zakahi, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bradley says this is the right time for these agreements. "Now more than ever our institutions need to be working together to ensure students' success and to help meet the local workforce demands."  Bradley University offers two full-tuition scholarships to ICC graduates entering Bradley each year, the Perley and Thomas scholarships (named after ICC presidents Drs. Leon "Bud" Perley and Thomas K. Thomas).

On April 3 at 1:00 pm, ICC will host a signing ceremony at the East Peoria Campus to commemorate these agreements.  Dr. Walter R. Zakahi, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bradley University, and Dr. Emmanuel Awuah, Vice President of Academic Affairs at ICC, will be signing the agreements.