UP Express CSU provides seamless path to college and career success

Lorain County Community College students planning to transfer to Cleveland State University will soon benefit from a new streamlined and enriched pathway to earning a four-year degree with the creation of the UP Express CSU initiative. The program is an extension of LCCC’s successful University Partnership with Cleveland State University and will be open to all degree programs at Cleveland State University. UP Express CSU was announced at the annual Lorain County Superintendent’s meeting on March 6 on LCCC’s campus featuring LCCC President Marcia Ballinger, Ph.D. and CSU President Harlan M. Sands.

Highlights of the initiative include: 

• UP Express CSU will provide dual admission to LCCC and CSU from day one. 
• Students in the program will receive a CSU Viking ID and can take advantage of special events and facilities at both institutions.
• Students will take a first-year experience course at LCCC taught by a CSU graduate.
• Those in the program also can take up to 3 classes at CSU while attending LCCC and collaborative advising will be provided by both institutions.

“Cleveland State University was one of our founding partners when we launched the University Partnership in 1995 – making it even more meaningful that today we enhanced our partnership with CSU to create this unique transfer experience for LCCC students,” said Marcia Ballinger, Ph.D., president of Lorain County Community College. “Together, LCCC and CSU are leveraging the best of both institutions to offer students a direct, precise path to a bachelor’s degree, while also engaging in the exceptional experiences available on both campuses.”  

CSU is the number one transfer destination for LCCC students.

The new UP Express CSU program will prepare students for an urban school experience through a Future Vikings Learning Community where they will take classes with peers on LCCC’s campus, receive streamlined advising services from both institutions, and have access to facilities such as computer labs and recreation centers at both schools from the beginning of their educational journey all the way through graduation from CSU.  Students still in high school can get a head start on this path to a CSU bachelor’s degree by taking College Credit Plus courses from LCCC, saving even more time and money in pursuit of a four-year degree.

“We’re incredibly proud of the longstanding partnership between LCCC and CSU,” said Cleveland State President Harlan Sands. “Today, we take that partnership to the next level with this bold and brand-new initiative that provides the innovative academic support and mentoring that is critical to helping all students reach their goals.”

UP Express CSU builds upon an already strong partnership between the two colleges, and represents yet another customized approach to a four-year degree. From 1999 to 2018, 542 students earned a bachelor’s degree from CSU through LCCC’s University Partnership program. CSU continues to offer six bachelor’s degree programs through the University Partnership. UP Express CSU will provide additional opportunities for students and help to increase educational attainment both within Lorain and Cuyahoga counties – further strengthening the region’s economy with knowledgeable, prepared talent. 

“The program is designed for students who want to have that experience to express themselves in a different academic setting – in this case, on Cleveland State’s unique downtown campus. Students will not only save on tuition costs, they will be guided down a streamlined pathway to success – with courses for both LCCC and CSU mapped out from their first semester,” said Ballinger.