University of Nevada, Reno joins Interstate Passport Network

BOULDER, Colo. – The University of Nevada, Reno has joined the Interstate Passport Network, the national program of two- and four-year colleges and universities that streamlines the transfer process for students. The University becomes the 58th member of the Network, signing up with two other Nevada institutions: Nevada State College and Truckee Meadows Community College. Founded in 1874 as a land-grant school, the state’s first institution of higher education, the University now enrolls over 21,000 students across 11 schools and colleges, and employs 1,049 academic faculty.

“We are excited to be accepted into the Interstate Passport consortium and join other leading universities in this wonderful initiative,” University of Nevada, Reno Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Carman said. “Being a member of the consortium validates the quality of our University’s  general education curriculum and gives us access to a new pool of highly qualified transfer students that will no doubt enrich our University community.”

The University of Nevada, Reno offers hundreds of degrees, certificates and licensures in more than 145 academic majors, as well as master’s and doctoral programs for over 3,000 students. The University also has a continuing and professional studies program and offers online learning in a number of programs across all levels. The University is a member of the Mountain West Conference with six men’s and 10 women’s sports teams.

The Interstate Passport program was founded in 2011, and became fully operational in 2016. Students who earn a Passport, which encompasses lower-division general education and is based on learning outcomes instead of course-by-course articulation, can transfer to a Network institution in another state and have their learning recognized and general education credits accepted. Since Interstate Passport launched in 2016, member institutions have awarded over 38,800 Passports.

Nearly four in 10 college students will transfer institutions at least once during their college careers, and almost a quarter of those will enroll in an institution in another state, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. Until now, transferring between schools – especially across state lines – has been made more difficult and expensive by lengthy credit evaluation processes and loss of credit already earned.

“We are delighted to welcome University of Nevada, Reno to the Interstate Passport Network,” said Anna Galas, director of academic leadership initiatives at WICHE. “With the recent growth of the Network membership to 60 institutions in 17 states across the nation, students have expanded options and improved access. Students who earn a Passport will be able to easily transfer to other Network institutions without losing or having to repeat lower-division general education coursework, a seamless transition that will keep students on their pathway to a degree.”

Even for students who don’t transfer, earning a Passport can be beneficial. Because of its specifically defined learning outcomes, the Passport can become a widely recognizable documented completion benchmark from which employers can gauge a prospect’s skill level and readiness for a job.

INTERSTATE PASSPORT® 

Interstate Passport is a program based at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) that enables block transfer of complete lower-division general education attainment based on a set of multistate faculty-developed learning outcomes instead of on specific courses and number of credits. After years of research and development, the Interstate Passport Network, whose members are two-year and four-year non-profit colleges and universities, was launched in July 2016. In its first three years of operation, members awarded 38,800 Passports to students. Current membership has grown to 60 institutions in 17 states. For more information please visit interstatepassport.wiche.edu.