GAP is designed for students earning an associate degree—Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), or Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.)—at Inver Hills and wish continue their education by enrolling in an undergraduate program at UW-River Falls. Inver alumni will be eligible for this program beginning fall semester 2025.
Inver Hills and Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) President Michael Berndt and UWRF Interim Chancellor John Chenoweth attended the event along with several administrators and staff from both institutions, including Elaina Bleifield, Inver Hills vice president of academic affairs, Wes Chapin, UWRF interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, Jeremy Clark, Inver Hills and DCTC vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Heather Aagesen-Huebner, Inver Hills and DCTC vice president of finance and operations, Barbara Curchack, Inver Hills dean of liberal arts, Caroline Baker, UWRF interim associate vice chancellor of academic affairs and graduate studies, JT Bealka, Inver Hills dean of business, healthcare and public service, Michael Gilmer, UWRF interim vice chancellor for student affairs and strategic enrollment and dean of students, Yohannes Agegnehu, Inver Hills dean of STEM and social sciences, Cindy Holbrook, interim executive director of admissions and retention, Grace Mickelson, UWRF transfer admissions counselor, David Toles, UWRF Admissions, and Peter Moua, Inver Hills executive assistant to the president.
“GAP agreements take the stress out of transferring,” said Inver Hills Dean Barbara Curchack. “Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree have the peace of mind to know that if they graduate with any of our associate degrees—A.A., A.S., or A.F.A.—they are guaranteed acceptance at UW-River Falls, our number one out-of-state partner university.”
Inver Hills and UW-River Falls Guaranteed Admission Program (GAP) Agreement Signing Ceremony 2025 gallery
View more event photos by opening the Inver Hills Flickr album:
Inver Hills and UW-River Falls Guaranteed Admission Program (GAP) Agreement Signing Ceremony 2025
About Inver Hills
Mission, Vision and Values
At Inver Hills, we are dedicated to advancing the power and promise of education. This vision guides our daily work and captures the spirit of our campus. Read more about our institutional priorities.
Mission
Learn, discover, and build a better future: Inver Hills is dedicated to the power and promise of education.
Vision
At Inver Hills, we aspire to create a transformational education for every student founded on belonging, learning, support, clear pathways, and community engagement.
Students at Inver Hills will say of their education:
Belonging: “I am valued for who I am.” Learning: “I am engaged in meaningful learning.” Support: “I have the support I need.” Clear Pathways: “I know where I am going and how to get there.” Community Engagement: “I am engaged in community.”
Values
Student Centered: We recognize and build on students’ strengths and perspectives. We support them in taking an active role in their learning and in navigating our college. We provide inclusive, high-quality, and timely services. We also design our services and programs with our diverse students’ needs in mind.
Equity Minded: We take responsibility for creating an inclusive learning and working environment where our students and colleagues can thrive. We identify and address patterns of inequity, informed by a social and historical understanding of exclusionary practices in American higher education.
Community Engaged: We collaborate with employers, educational institutions, and community organizations to enhance our respective missions and strengthen our communities.
Founded in 1874, UWRF is part of the Universities of Wisconsin. The Universities of Wisconsin comprise 13 unique universities with a shared mission.
Our Mission
Our mission is to help prepare students to be productive, creative, ethical, engaged citizens and leaders with an informed global perspective.
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls serves students who are full-time and part-time, undergraduate, graduate, non-traditional, distance-education and non-degree-seeking. The university offers programs in agriculture, food and the environment; arts and humanities; social and natural sciences; engineering and technology; business administration, marketing and economics; and education and professional studies; offering degrees at the associate, bachelors, masters, doctoral and education specialist levels.
Our Vision
UW-River Falls is a student-centered institution that provides excellent, accessible academic programs serving the needs of our region, the state and beyond. UWRF is known for being exceptional in fields such as STEM, agricultural sciences, teacher education, business and liberal arts, as well as in innovative multidisciplinary programs and new programs added in response to student interest and employer need. UWRF ensures academic excellence in all modes and methods of instruction and is committed to expanding access to opportunity for traditional and non-traditional learners alike.
UWRF is deeply committed to student success and is recognized for its culture of care for every Falcon. The campus fosters a true sense of belonging because diversity, equity and inclusion are top priorities. High-impact teaching and personalized experiential learning practices prepare students for successful careers, enabling all Falcons to lead their best lives as productive, engaged citizens and leaders.
UWRF employees enjoy being part of a cohesive community where everyone knows they are on the same team. The institution thrives because of our strong foundation of working together to accomplish ambitious goals with a commitment to shared improvement. A campus-wide ecosystem of innovation exists because of numerous cross-program collaborations and connections.
UW-River Falls embraces its role as a leader in higher education for the public good and is a recognized model of sustainability through our continued dedication to holistic sustainability practices. We strive to partner with the communities we impact to bring about positive change locally, regionally and globally.
