NMSU, DACC create pathways to four-year degrees in agriculture and beyond

When Kassandra Dominguez enrolled at Doña Ana Community College to study graphic design, she already had a destination in mind: a bachelor's degree in agricultural communications from New Mexico State University. 

What she didn't expect was how seamless and affordable that journey would be.

"It's definitely made college a lot easier for me in the whole transition to the main campus," said Dominguez, who graduated from DACC earlier this month. "It also gave me the option to study online and do my courses at my own pace, which was definitely helpful. It's made the experience a lot less intimidating."

Dominguez is one of the first students to benefit from the DACC-to-ACES Aggie Pathway, a new initiative between DACC and NMSU's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences that maps clear, coordinated routes from four associate degree programs at DACC to 15 bachelor's degree programs in agriculture-related fields at NMSU, including agribusiness, hospitality, agricultural education, communications and nutrition.

The program is an expansion of NMSU's broader Aggie Pathway Program, which makes it possible for students to begin their academic journey at any of NMSU's three community colleges and transfer to the Las Cruces campus without losing time, credits or momentum.

Clarity from Day 1

The new DACC-to-ACES Pathway is built on the idea that students shouldn't have to guess what it takes to earn a degree. By aligning coursework, advising and degree requirements across both institutions, NMSU and DACC are giving students a clear roadmap from the start.

"One of the things we need to do as a university is find the easiest pathway for students to finish their degrees," said Rolando A. Flores Galarza, dean of the College of ACES. "Our goal is for students to graduate as quickly as possible, ready to enter the workforce. With this program, students at the community college know what they have to do to graduate, starting from Day 1."

That clarity translates to real savings. Because students know exactly which credits transfer and when, they avoid the costly experience of repeating coursework or delaying graduation. Dominguez noted that starting at DACC also offered a meaningful financial advantage. 

"It's definitely a cheaper option," she said, adding, "It got me used to the pace of everything, and it's helped me feel a lot more confident."

Meeting students where they are

The program reflects NMSU's belief that it matters less where a student starts their college career than how well they're supported along the way.

Students in the pathway can choose between two flexible models: a two-plus-two track, in which they complete two years at DACC before transitioning fully to NMSU, or a co-enrollment model, in which they take classes at both institutions during their first two years. Under either model, students have access to consistent support that includes meeting regularly with peer mentors, faculty advisers and student success staff throughout their academic journey.

"It's a really exciting program where a student comes to DACC and says, 'I want to be a DACC student, but I'm interested in a major in the College of ACES,'" said Mónica Torres, chancellor of NMSU's community colleges. "They're simultaneously a DACC student while taking ACES classes on NMSU's main campus."

That dual identity – DACC student and future Aggie – is precisely the point. The NMSU system is designed to work together, and these pathways are proof of what's possible when it does.

A foundation for the future

The DACC-to-ACES Pathway didn't happen overnight. Torres and Flores Galarza led more than a year of close collaboration between faculty and staff at both institutions to identify compatible degree programs, align academic requirements and build the infrastructure for a truly coordinated experience.

The result is a model that both leaders believe can, and should, be replicated across the NMSU system.

"This is nothing but an advantage for the university system," Torres said, "because we are able to introduce a whole new set of students to these four-year majors."

As New Mexico's land-grant institution and a Carnegie R1 research university, NMSU has a special obligation to expand access to higher education and drive economic opportunity across the state. Programs like the DACC-to-ACES Pathway are among the ways that mission becomes tangible: one student, one roadmap, one degree at a time.

DACC is currently recruiting students to join the program, which officially launches this fall. For more information about the DACC-to-ACES Pathway, visit https://aces-academics.nmsu.edu/programs/dacc-aggie-pathway.html.  

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu--dacc-create-pathways-to-four-year-degrees-in-agriculture-and-beyond/s/248a8455-5917-4f87-ab58-9e4aaf1d490a