EIU Media Relations

Eastern Illinois University, Lake Land College pen exclusive “Transfer Back” agreement

Arrangement simplifies re-entry for students who have temporarily put their college education on hold

Lake Land College Vice President for Academic Services Ikemefuna “Ike" Nwosu, Lake Land College President Josh Bullock, Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman and Eastern Illinois University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jay Gatrell celebrate a “Transfer Back” agreement at a signing event on Thursday.

(Mattoon, IL) – Leaders from Eastern Illinois University and Lake Land College signed an agreement today that will provide students who have paused their college education a unique pathway for returning to the classroom. In this collaborative program, students who meet the criteria will have the opportunity to complete an associate degree at Lake Land College and then transfer to EIU to complete a bachelor’s degree.

 “This is a magnificent arrangement for EIU and Lake Land College, but more importantly for the diverse students and communities our institutions serve,” said Dr. David Glassman, president of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. “We value this partnership with Lake Land College and the opportunities it will create for students at both institutions.”

“Lake Land College and Eastern Illinois University have a long history of working together to provide seamless options for students to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree locally,” added Dr. Josh Bullock, president of Lake Land College in Mattoon. “This innovative agreement creates additional onramps for paused students to complete their educational pathways that lead to rewarding careers.”

“This partnership program for adult students in our area offers the traditional benefits of acquiring knowledge and skills while emphasizing personal enrichment, lifelong learning, and networking opportunities which can be instrumental to their career trajectories,” Lake Land College Vice President for Academic Services Dr. Ikemefuna Nwosu said.

According to the agreement, EIU and Lake Land College will work together to identify targeted populations of EIU students who have temporarily paused their education but whose academic history demonstrates a strong propensity toward successful completion. To be eligible, candidates within that pool of temporarily paused students—academically recognized as “stop-outs”—must:

• not have been enrolled at either institution for the past two semesters
• have not earned an associate or a bachelor’s degree
• have completed at least 45 hours of undergraduate work with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
• be in good standing with regard to each institution’s student conduct policies.

These qualified students will be invited to enroll in Lake Land College to complete an associate degree. Upon completion, participants will be encouraged to enroll in an EIU program, either online or in person, to complete a bachelor’s degree. Participants will enjoy benefits of both institutions who will work together to facilitate a seamless transfer between Lake Land College and EIU. Distinct benefits unique to the partnership include enhanced credit and transcript transfers, in addition to specialized financial supports from EIU. In addition, EIU and Lake Land College will provide reciprocal assistance to its partner institution intended to enrich student success outcomes.

Degree completion and retention rates have historically been important metrics for institutions of higher education in Illinois.  While “stop-outs” can be common even in routine years, the number of students in Illinois and across the nation who opted to temporarily put their educations on hold rose significantly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a response, Illinois colleges and universities are working with their respective partners at the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to enhance degree completion and retention rates across the State, with an enhanced focus on adult students. The agreement signed today is another step toward helping Eastern Illinois University and Lake Land College in meeting and exceeding those State goals and extending their services to an even broader population.

For more information about Lake Land College, contact director of marketing and public relations Kelly Allee at kallee@lakelandcollege.edu. For more information about Eastern Illinois University or for details about the new program, contact public information coordinator Josh Reinhart at jdreinhart@eiu.edu.