WT, Weatherford College join forces to ease grad school admission

CANYON, Texas — Two pioneers of higher education in Texas are joining forces to make the transition easier into West Texas A&M University’s acclaimed Graduate School.

Weatherford College President Tod A. Farmer and WT President Walter V. Wendler today signed a memorandum of understanding designed to expand educational opportunities for undergraduate students seeking a pathway to a graduate degree.

This agreement will assist qualified students in Weatherford College’s bachelor of applied arts and sciences in organizational leadership program in their application and admission to graduate programs at WT.

Founded in 1869, Weatherford College is the oldest community college west of the Mississippi River. WT, founded in 1910, is the oldest public institute of higher learning in the Panhandle region.

WT will provide Weatherford College students access to graduate advisers and provide individualized application support, financial aid and scholarship counseling, and other hands-on experience.

Weatherford College will provide contact information for eligible students each semester, advise its students of opportunities in graduate studies at WT, work on joint marketing efforts with WT and collaborate with WT faculty to ensure a smooth transition for its students.

“WT has set the goal of becoming the most transfer-friendly university in Texas,” Wendler said. “This partnership provides more opportunities for students to serve the region, the State of Texas, and beyond. We are proud to be the next step in a student’s educational and research journey in pursuit of earning a graduate degree.”

Working with local community colleges—Amarillo College, Clarendon College and Frank Phillips College—WT has made major improvements in scholarship programs, transfer policies and more.

“This commitment is now expanding more broadly across the region and state,”

Wendler said. “The Weatherford College agreement is the latest example.”

“We at Weatherford College are honored to enter this agreement with a graduate institution as prestigious as West Texas A&M University,” Farmer said. “Our WC graduates will now have the seamless opportunity to earn a world class graduate school education at WT. The commitment to excellence and focus on student success and that our two institutions share makes us natural institutional partners.”

Applicants must meet the requirements of admission and deadlines for entrance into the applicable graduate program at WT. Some leveling coursework may be required depending on the specific pathway.

WT offers more than 40 graduate degrees in a variety of fields, including two doctoral degrees, within each of its Colleges: the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The University also offers doctoral degrees in agriculture and educational leadership.

Six of WT’s programs earned Best Graduate Program rankings from U.S. News & World Report in January.

Embracing community college partnerships is one of the key maxims of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.