CSU Pueblo, Pueblo Community College Sign Landmark Transfer Agreements in Downtown Ceremony
Two local institutions formalize more than two dozen articulation guides to help Southern Colorado students transfer without losing credits.
By Trevor Vigil
April 9, 2026
Leaders from Colorado State University Pueblo and Pueblo Community College met Friday, April 3, at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum on Pueblo’s downtown Riverwalk to sign more than two dozen articulation agreements — a step both schools say will make a real difference for students who move between them.
The signing covered approximately 26 to 27 transfer guides, with several more still in the works that could bring the total past 30. The agreements tackle a problem that has tripped up students for years: when a student transfers from a community college to a four-year university, the new school may not accept credits the student already earned.
“Transfer processes have by and large been kind of dysfunctional. Sometimes credits don’t transfer. When they do, sometimes they don’t count toward the student’s intended major.”
— CSU Pueblo President Rhonda Epper
CSU Pueblo President Rhonda Epper, just three weeks into her role, said the transfer agreements are designed to reduce barriers that often prevent students from finishing their degrees.
Building a smoother path for students
Pueblo Community College President Chad Hazelbaker pointed out just how rare this kind of agreement is among peer institutions. At a statewide meeting of community college presidents earlier that week, a colleague presented on the broken transfer relationship between their college and its four-year partner.
“I was able to step up and say, ‘Nope, we have this signing coming up on Friday,’” Hazelbaker said. “I want to thank our partners at CSUP — they have been fantastic to work with.”
The work behind the agreements started with a launch meeting in fall 2024 and picked up through a faculty work session in December, followed by months of back-and-forth between department chairs, deans, and staff at both schools.
CSU Pueblo Provost Gail Mackin credited Associate Provost Helen Capriolio for helping move the process forward, while PCC Vice President for Academics Jenny Sherman said the collaboration helped both institutions build stronger working relationships.
“Beyond the paper, there can be a warm handoff. You can call your partner at the other institution and say, ‘Hey, has a scholarship deadline passed? I have a student who needs help.’”
— Jenny Sherman, PCC Vice President for Academics
Why this matters
The agreements are built to do more than move credits from one transcript to another. Advising teams at both schools have started meeting jointly, and scholarship opportunities tied to the partnership are in place to help low-income students cover the cost of a four-year degree.
For students in Pueblo and across Southern Colorado, the agreements mean something straightforward: a cleaner, less costly path between two schools that together are the region’s main entry point into higher education.
Speakers at the ceremony included CSU Pueblo President Rhonda Epper, PCC President Chad Hazelbaker, CSU Pueblo Provost Gail Mackin, and PCC Vice President for Academics Jenny Sherman.
