Earning an associate degree carries academic, employment and economic benefits that Georgia Perimeter College students may miss if they transfer to another institution before getting the degree, says Dr. Don Pearl, GPC’s interim assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and Complete College Georgia.

Pearl spoke at the Aug. 10 college-wide faculty meeting and urged listeners to change their conversation with students to focus on graduation, rather than transferring before graduation.

“When students complete their associate degree, it demonstrates a commitment to academic achievement and college completion, aids in credit transfer and acceptance at four-year institutions and increases scholarship opportunities,” Pearl says. “There is an economic and employment benefit of getting an associate degree—it increases their marketability in the job market and results in higher salaries.”

To help students graduate in a shorter amount of time, GPC has introduced the course, GPCS 1020: Creating a Pathway to Graduation. The one-credit-hour, six-week course provides students strong advising, with an emphasis on academic planning tools, program examination and self-assessment and interest inventories. 

Hear five stories from GPC alumni about the value of an associate degree.