PSU President Ann Cudd and PCC President Adrien Bennings are joined by Victor E. Viking and Poppie the Panther Oct. 17 during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions.
Portland Community College (PCC) and Portland State University (PSU) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a long-term partnership to create a seamless, student-centered pathway from community college to a four-year degree from Oregon’s Urban Research University. This collaboration aims to reduce barriers for students, align academic programs and enhance support services to help more students successfully transfer and graduate.
The collaboration is built on PCC and PSU’s shared interest in supporting student success and ensuring everyone can access the many benefits of higher education. The MOU is both a groundbreaking cooperative commitment and a natural next step in the longstanding history of collaboration in education and training between the two institutions.
“This is more than just an agreement; it's a shared commitment to the students and communities we serve,” said Ann Cudd, Portland State University president. “By working together, we can provide a clearer, more affordable and more efficient path for students to achieve their educational and career goals.”
"By deepening our partnership with Portland State University, we are creating clear, supportive routes for students to move from PCC to a four-year degree," said PCC President Adrien Bennings. "As someone who was once a community college student myself, I know how life-changing an agreement like this can be for our students. No matter their background, they have the opportunity to keep moving forward, earn their degree, and build the future they envision for themselves and their families."
The MOU is designed to make the transfer process even smoother for students like Nadeem Hanayneh, who started taking classes at PCC after graduating from high school in Southeast Portland and eventually transferred to PSU to study engineering. After earning an Associates Degree in general studies at PCC, Hanayneh graduated from PSU with a B.S. in Civil Engineering this year and is now in the Master’s program specializing in Geotechnical Engineering.
“I would encourage anyone who is interested in a college degree to take classes at PCC. They do their best to make it very accessible for everyone,” Hanayneh said. “Transferring was practically painless. I got a course plan and met with advisers. And once I got to PSU, the opportunities seemed to be endless.”
Key Goals of the MOU
- Elevating the Transfer Partnership: A core focus is to increase the rate and number of students who successfully transfer and graduate. The institutions will create a Strategic Transfer Excellence Plan (STEP) to improve academic alignment, advising and data integration.
- Teaming up on workforce development: The partnership will work to improve student career opportunities and outcomes through joint partnerships with community and industry.
- Enhancing Public Perception: PCC and PSU will develop a joint communication plan to highlight the value of a degree and the seamless transfer pathway, including a shared strategy for outreach to high school students.
- Reducing Barriers: The institutions will strengthen collaboration between student support services to improve access to basic needs, health and mental health resources as students transition between campuses.
The partnership will be overseen by an Executive Steering Committee composed of leadership from both institutions, with supporting councils focused on curriculum, student services, and policy to ensure clear communication and effective implementation. PSU and PCC will also support student success through robust data sharing that will help identify and eliminate barriers and pursue opportunities to increase efficiency through collaborations in such areas as transportation and parking, purchasing and contracting, and sponsorship.
This partnership is particularly significant as both institutions are emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and PSU is also recognized as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving institution (AANAPISI). The collaboration is designed to better serve these and other historically underserved populations by advancing equity-driven initiatives that expand access, a sense of belonging and success in higher education.