New Mexico Junior College and Texas Tech University signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today (Nov. 19) to help students transfer more easily to Texas Tech. Dr. Kelvin Sharp, president of NMJC, and Dr. Lawrence Schovanec, president of Texas Tech University, met in Lubbock to sign the historic agreement. The institutions also signed an animal sciences agreement that will allow students at NMJC to feed into the animal science program at Texas Tech and, eventually, in to the new School of Veterinary Medicine.

 “With this MOU, we can raise awareness of the affordability of an NMJC pathway,” said Dr. Kelvin Sharp, NMJC president. “The least expensive approach to a Texas Tech degree for students in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas is through this partnership. I am so proud to offer this opportunity to our students and their families.”

Students from NMJC also are eligible for in-state tuition since NMJC resides in a border county. There are also transfer scholarships available, based on grade point average.

“Partnerships like the one with New Mexico Junior College are important to Texas Tech because they benefit the students,” said Melanie Hart, vice provost of eLearning & Academic Partnerships, a division of the Office of the Provost. “We want to provide opportunities for the students to transfer to Texas Tech with a minimum loss of hours. With agreements like the one being signed today, students can be advised at NMJC on courses they should take so the transition to Texas Tech is seamless.”

Ethan Logan, associate vice president for enrollment management at Texas Tech, is looking forward to working with Sharp and NMJC to provide access to students in New Mexico.

 “New Mexico Junior College is a wonderful partner in education with Texas Tech University,” Logan said. “Kelvin Sharp has long been an advocate for our institution and the potential transfer destination that Texas Tech offers to NMJC’s students. With Hobbs just down the road from Lubbock, our institutions are serving our region through comprehensive educational offerings for students seeking educational opportunity in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. 

“We have many students eager to become Texas Tech Red Raiders,” said Sharp. “Tech is the premier university in our region, and certainly within reach for many students. With our tuition and fee costs well below our neighboring Texas colleges, and the scholarship opportunities available at Texas Tech in the transfer area, students will have an affordable pathway from NMJC to Tech.

NMJC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Larry Sanderson, TTU President Dr. Lawrence Schovanec, TTU Vice Provost Dr. Melanie Hart, NMJC President Dr. Kelvin Sharp, TTU Provost Dr. Michael Galyean