Lincoln University Agreement Signing Ceremony Formalizes Transfer Path for State Fair Community College Students

State Fair Community College (SFCC) and Lincoln University of Missouri (LU) join forces to offer a seamless transfer path for SFCC students pursuing their bachelor's degrees at LU. Left to right: Dr. Darius Watson, LU executive director of academic initiatives; Dr. John Moseley, LU president; Dr. Brent Bates, SFCC president; Dr. Murders Murders, vice president academic and student success.

Students at State Fair Community College (SFCC) in Sedalia, Mo., will soon have a formalized transfer path to obtain bachelor’s degrees through Lincoln University of Missouri (LU), thanks to a new agreement between the two institutions. LU-SFCC’s Connect Blue concurrent enrollment program will make the SFCC students’ transition process from their associate degree to the completion of their undergraduate baccalaureate degrees at LU seamless and support students’ success. LU President Dr. John B. Moseley and SFCC President Dr. Brent Bates made the memorandum of understanding between the two schools official at a signing ceremony on Tuesday, April 18.

“Today is a great day for Lincoln University, State Fair Community College and the students who will benefit from this new partnership,” said LU President Dr. John B. Moseley. “Our goal in higher education is to provide students with the best opportunities to ensure their success, and this program is a great example of how collaboration can expand their possibilities.”

The Connect Blue concurrent enrollment program allows students to be admitted to both LU and SFCC simultaneously, giving them the opportunity to experience both two-year and four-year college life. By participating in the program, SFCC students can take courses at LU for a reduced rate while fully immersing themselves in the university campus life, including living on campus and joining campus organizations while pursuing an SFCC Associates of Arts degree.

The agreement will allow SFCC to teach dual credit general education courses to high school students on the LU campus. Both institutions will dedicate space at each campus for the partnering school to advise, enroll and assist students in the Connect Blue program.

“Dr. Moseley and I signed an agreement that not only benefits SFCC students transferring to Lincoln University but also allows us to offer classes on their Jefferson City campus,” said SFCC President Dr. Bates. “LU is in Cole County that is one of 14 counties served by SFCC, and this agreement provides opportunities for access to our programs and services, including A+. From ‘Roadrunners to Blue Tigers,’ Missouri public higher-learning institutions are working together to serve students, our communities and the state!”

Students in the enrollment program will have access to LU and SFCC advisors to discuss courses, degree options and transfer requirements. The Connect Blue concurrent enrollment program is open to students enrolling for fall 2023. Contact Admissions at SFCC or LU for more information.

In addition to the presidents from both institutions, the signing ceremony included members of the State Fair Community College Board of Trustees and the leadership teams from Lincoln and State Fair.

State Fair Community College opened its doors in September 1968 on land west of the Missouri State Fairgrounds. SFCC’s beautiful Sedalia campus now has 11 buildings and recently added a 200-acre working farm. SFCC offers four transfer degrees—Associate of Arts; Associate of Fine Arts in Music, Theatre, Musical Theatre, or Art; Associate of Arts in Teaching, and Associate of Science in Chemistry or Engineering — plus 35 Associate of Applied Science degrees in career programs ranging from accounting to welding. SFCC serves a 14-county area with campuses in Boonville, Clinton, Eldon, Lake of the Ozarks, Warsaw, and Whiteman Air Force Base. More than 260 online classes plus two complete online degree programs are offered — an Associate of Arts degree and a Business Management degree. SFCC has maintained full Higher Learning Commission accreditation since 1976.

Lincoln University of Missouri is a historically Black, 1890 land-grant, public university that provides excellent educational opportunities to a diverse population within a nurturing, student-centered environment. Lincoln is known for its innovative undergraduate and graduate programs in agriculture, business administration, criminal justice, elementary education, nursing, business administration, guidance and counseling and natural science. Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, Lincoln University was founded in 1866 by the men of the 62nd and 65th United States Colored Infantries and their white officers for the benefit of freed African Americans. The university boasts an exciting residential life and a full slate of NCAA Division II athletics.