Transfer of Credit Handbook

Transcription

1 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions Edited by Roy Alden Atwood Updated October 24, 2013

2 P a g e 2 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions Table of Contents I. Introduction... 3 II. National Higher Education Associations... 6 A. Council for Higher Education Accreditation 6 B. AACRAO, ACE and CHEA Joint Statement on Transfer 9 III. National Accreditor Transfer Policies A. Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Transfer Policies (TRACS) 12 B. Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) 13 C. Association of Theological Schools (ATS) Commission on Accrediting 14 IV. Regional Accreditor Transfer Policies A. Middle States Commission on Higher Education 15 B. New England Association of Schools and Colleges 17 C. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission 20 D. Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (NWCCU) 22 E. Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges 25 F. Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC) 27 V. Model Student Handout on Transfer Issues VI. Model Letter to Institutions Denying TRACS Transfers VII. Contact Information... 34

3 P a g e 3 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions I. Introduction Roy Alden Atwood, Ph.D. President, New Saint Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho Purpose The purpose of this Handbook is to provide TRACS-accredited college and university administrators and students with resources for preparing transfer requests or responding to adverse accreditation-based decisions on transfers or graduate admissions. The documents and resources below include transfer guidelines from the leading national higher education associations, transfer policies from major national and regional accrediting agencies, a sample student handout explaining the transfer process, a sample letter responding to adverse decisions, and contact information for key individuals and agencies that should be informed whenever a substantive accreditation-based transfer or graduate admission problem arises with non-tracs institutions. Accreditation-Based Transfer Problems Historically, regional accrediting agencies dominated higher education accreditation, but since the 1970s institutional, technological, and programmatic developments in higher education led to a need for great differentiation and specificity between the types of institutions being certified through accreditation. Today the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the nation s leading peer organization for quality assurance in higher education, recognizes at least four major categories of accrediting bodies: 1. Regional Accrediting Organizations 2. National Faith-Related Accrediting Organizations (such as TRACS) 3. National Career-Related Accrediting Organizations, and 4. Programmatic Accrediting Organizations (The complete Directory of CHEA Recognized Organizations can be found here as a pdf file.) CHEA s Statement on Transfer and Seven Criteria for Transfer Decisions The definitive standard on transfer policies for higher education institutions is CHEA s Statement on Transfer in the Public Interest ( It articulates the profession-wide consensus on the criteria for evaluating a student s academic work and credits for transfer across different accrediting agency lines. The CHEA Statement identifies seven criteria that should inform any transfer decision made by a CHEA-recognized accredited institutions. They are: 1. The educational quality of the sending institution 2. The comparability of credit to be transferred to the receiving institution 3. The appropriateness and the applicability of the credit in relation to the programs offered by the receiving institution 4. Balance in the use of accreditation status in transfer decisions, so that transfer decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution, and that students receive reasonable explanations about how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving institution and how work is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements of the receiving institution.

4 P a g e 4 5. Consistency: The considerations that inform transfer decisions by institutions and accreditors should be applied consistently in the context of changing student attendance patterns and emerging new providers of higher education 6. Accountability for effective public communication means institutions and accreditors assure that students and the public are fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices, and that the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and efficiency. 7. A commitment to address innovation expects institutions and accreditors to be flexible and open in considering alternative approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. Unfortunately, a number of U.S. Department of Education- and CHEA-recognized accredited institutions (including a number of Christian colleges) have been slow, for whatever reason(s), to follow these criteria and to accept the growing diversity in higher education institutions and accreditation. Though these regionally accredited institutions may be members of CHEA, their transfer policies and practices often fail to comply with the standards set forth in CHEA s Statement on Transfer. This has resulted in an unfortunate accreditation-based form of discrimination that denies some students the opportunity to transfer their credits from one U.S. Department of Education- and CHEA-recognized accredited institution to another solely based on the source of accreditation of the sending institution. This ought not to be, but sadly it still happens. Hence, the need for this handbook. The Authority and Responsibility for Transfer Requests and Final Decisions The final authority for all transfer decisions belongs rightfully and appropriately to the institution(s) receiving the credit. This is important because in the final analysis each institution must be responsible for its own academic quality and integrity. No institution should be compelled to accept students with inferior academic records or demonstrated inabilities to meet the academic standards of the receiving institution. At the same time, the admission and transfer standards of a receiving institution should be clear and publicly accessible to any potential transfer student or applicant. It is also the responsibility of the sending institution to ensure that a student s academic record is complete, clear and consistent with commonly accepted academic standards. TRACS institutions should also make it clear to students who may be considering to transfer or apply to graduate school (through an appropriate section in the Student Handbook or a handout on transfer issues available from the Registrar [see V. Model Student Handout below]) that transferring credit or admission to graduate school across accreditation lines (between a TRACS school and a regionally accredited program, for example) can be problematic. The sending institution should also be prepared to help students navigate those turbulent accreditation waters as much as possible. Direct communication between Registrars, Deans, and Presidents can often help eliminate confusion, institutional and personal biases, and discrimination, and pave the way for the student to achieve his or her academic goals and interests with a minimum of headaches or hassles. Inter-institutional Understandings and Articulation Agreements Whenever a TRACS institution has students or graduates applying to the same institutions year after year, it is wise for the TRACS institution to seek some kind of inter-institutional understanding or articulation agreement with that receiving institution. Such agreements, usually handled through the respective registrar offices, will formally recognize the quality of the TRACS-accredited courses and degrees and simplify the work of the receiving institution s admissions staff and transfer evaluators. Best of all, such agreements greatly reduce the problems TRACS college alumni will face when moving across accreditation lines. Even if an official articulation agreement may not be possible, it is wise for TRACS-accredited institution s registrars to develop a working, professional relationship with their peer registrars at the receiving institutions most frequently sought out by their students. A Suggested Process for Handling Accreditation-Based Transfer Problems 1. Confirm that your institution s academic record-keeping and transcripts are consistent with commonly accepted academic practices (see the AACRAO website, 2. Keep records of all previous student transfers and graduate admission successes (these may be helpful to receiving institutions concerned about the quality of your institution s academic programs, course credits or degrees). 3. Develop professional relationships with registrars at institutions that have previously accepted transfer students from your institution (or that you d like to accept transfer students in the future). Maintain those over time. 4. Educate your students generally about accreditation issues, the politics of accreditation, and the challenges of the transfer process (perhaps sharing this Handbook with them). Make it clear that they may not be able to transfer credits successfully to certain institutions (for both legitimate and illegitimate reasons). 5. Fully inform students who are sending transcripts to non-tracs institutions about the challenges they may face (see Model Student Handout below) when they request transcripts to be sent to non-tracs institutions. 6. Advise students to keep careful records of all correspondence and conversations regarding their transfer request or graduate admission process. These records may be crucial in an appeal or in helping the student when trouble arises.

5 P a g e 5 7. If a student encounters accreditation-related transfer or admissions trouble, make sure he or she notifies you immediately and review the details of the communication between the student and the receiving institution. 8. If the decision to reject transfer credit or to deny admission appears to be based solely on the accreditation status of your institution, then craft a letter or (see Model Letter below) firmly pointing out the institution s failure to follow commonly accepted standards for transfer of credit or admissions and note that its adverse decision against the student may constitute discriminatory behavior. Be sure to copy (a) the Vice President of CHEA, (b) the President of TRACS, and (c) the executive of the receiving institution s accrediting body. 9. Provide the student with copies of this correspondence and any additional documents or resources so they he/she is fully equipped to discuss these matters intelligently with the receiving institution s registrar or dean. 10. If the receiving institution relents and accepts the transfer credits or considers the student s work as it should have initially, according to commonly accepted academic standards, then thank the institution in writing. If the receiving institution refuses to accept transfer credits or admit the student solely on the basis of the accreditation status of the sending institution, then file a letter of protest with CHEA and the receiving institution s accrediting body.

6 P a g e 6 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions II. National Higher Education Associations A. Council for Higher Education Accreditation Statement to the Community: Transfer & the Public Interest I n December 1998, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) convened a Committee on Transfer and the Public Interest to examine the role of transfer in higher education. This committee attempted to define the responsibilities of national, regional and specialized accreditors as they work with colleges and universities to assure quality in a changing environment for transfer. This statement, the result of the committee s efforts, is addressed to institutions, accreditors and national higher education associations seeking to maintain and enhance conditions of transfer for students. Transfer issues are not simple, new or easily resolved. This statement seeks to energize the ongoing national conversation about transfer decision making, setting into motion a more open and accountable transfer process. Transfer as used here refers to the movement of students from one college, university or other education provider to another and to the process by which credits representing educational experiences, courses, degrees or credentials are accepted or not accepted by a receiving institution. The classic form of transfer is vertical transfer, which is to say movement from a two-year college to a four-year college. Why Examine Transfer at This Time? Higher education is experiencing a significant change in how students attend college and who provides higher education. Both can have profound effects on students and their opportunities to transfer successfully. The challenge is to make transfer as efficient and effective as possible for those students who have had courses or educational experiences comparable to those offered for credit by the receiving institution. Sound transfer policy and practice, maintaining institutional and accrediting standards, is part of higher education s commitment to students. Transfer in higher education is more varied and pervasive now than it used to be. In addition to vertical transfer, students now pursue horizontal transfer as they move from one two-year college to another or from one four-year institution to another. Many students now attend more than one institution at a time, and accordingly face issues not previously seen when they seek to transfer credits. Online courses and courses taken in other countries pose yet another set of issues. Even more students will seek transfer as new providers of higher education (e.g., virtual institutions and corporate providers) and distance learning programs offered by traditional providers increase their enrollments. Accreditors and the colleges will have to find new and better ways to meet the need for transfer services. Among the key indicators of these changes: the majority of 1996 baccalaureate graduates attended at least two colleges and universities; many students taking distance learning courses are enrolled in another institution different from the distance learning providers; students attending corporate universities and certain unaccredited institutions are seeking to transfer their coursework to accredited institutions; increasing numbers of virtual institutions and corporate providers are forming partnerships with traditional providers to offer courses and programs; and

7 increasing numbers of students are enrolling in foreign institutions and seeking to transfer credits into American colleges and universities. P a g e 7 Finally, proposals for innovative practices pose new ways to manage credit accumulation and transfer(e.g., third-party verification of transfer credits, electronic storage of and instant access to transfer credits for purposes of review). As these new methods of managing transfer transactions gain prominence, they may well influence how transfer decisions are made. All of these indicators suggest that higher education is changing in ways that make transfer more important to more students and at the same time more complex. Making Transfer Decisions: Roles and Responsibilities to Assure Quality Institutions, accreditors and national higher education associations play significant roles and sustain important responsibilities in the transfer process. Each has responsibilities with regard to quality assurance and fairness. The Role and Responsibilities of Institutions. Colleges and universities are ultimately responsible for decisions about the admission of transfer students and the acceptance or non-acceptance of credits earned elsewhere. Typically, academic faculty and student affairs professionals (working within the framework of faculty rules and standards) determine the transferability of courses and programs. Institutions must balance responsiveness to students preferences about transfer with institutional commitment to the value and quality of degrees or other credentials. The Role and Responsibilities of Accreditors. Institutional (national and regional) accreditors have policies and standards that, in turn, call on institutions and programs to develop and maintain clear transfer policy and practices. Accreditors have expectations, for example, that degree requirements for native students be consistent with those that apply to transfer students. Specialized (programmatic) accreditors often have policies or standards to address transfer, with particular attention to admissions practices and assuring equitable treatment for transfer students. Accreditors are responsible for assuring that institutional transfer practices are consistent with accreditation standards and policies on transfer. They are responsible for maintaining effective communication among accrediting organizations as a means to meet students needs in the transfer process while also sustaining quality. The Role and Responsibilities of National Higher Education Associations. For many years, institutions and accreditors have based their scrutiny of transfer primarily on three criteria contained in the 1978 Joint Statement on Transfer and Award of Academic Credit developed by three national higher education associations. These criteria are: the educational quality of the sending institution; the comparability of credit to be transferred to the receiving institution; and the appropriateness and the applicability of the credit in relation to the programs offered by the receiving institution. National higher education associations lead the ongoing national conversation about transfer. They work with agencies of the federal government to address transfer issues that reach the level of national public policy, and they provide a national voice for assuring that students are well served by transfer practices that meet students needs while also sustaining the quality of the system itself. Criteria for Transfer Decisions CHEA believes that the three criteria of quality, comparability, and appropriateness and applicability offered in the 1978 Joint Statement remain central to assuring quality in transfer decision-making. The following additional criteria expand this list and are offered to assist institutions, accreditors and higher education associations in future transfer decisions. These criteria are intended to sustain academic quality in an environment of more varied transfer, assure consistency of transfer practice and encourage appropriate accountability about transfer policy and practice. Balance in the Use of Accreditation Status in Transfer Decisions. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution. While acknowledging that accreditation is an important factor, CHEA believes that receiving institutions ought to make clear their institutional reasons for accepting or not accepting credits that students seek to transfer. Students should have reasonable explanations about how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving institution and how work is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements of the receiving institution.

8 P a g e 8 Consistency. Institutions and accreditors need to reaffirm that the considerations that inform transfer decisions are applied consistently in the context of changing student attendance patterns (students likely to engage in more transfer) and emerging new providers of higher education (new sources of credits and experience to be evaluated). New providers and new attendance patterns increase the number and type of transfer issues that institutions will address making consistency even more important in the future. Accountability for Effective Public Communication. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that students and the public are fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices. The public has a significant interest in higher education s effective management of transfer, especially in an environment of expanding access and mobility. Public funding is routinely provided to colleges and universities. This funding is accompanied by public expectations that the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and efficiency. Commitment to Address Innovation. Institutions and accreditors need to be flexible and open in considering alternative approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. Distance learning and other applications of technology generate alternative approaches to many functions of colleges and universities. Transfer is inevitably among these. Finally, CHEA is committed to working with other national higher education associations to convene a group of higher education leaders to address emerging issues for transfer and to develop additional tools and sound practices that can assist institutions as they manage transfer. This national conversation should include attention to how higher education s future will differ from its past and, above all, our responsibilities to students in an increasingly mobile, fast-paced and international environment. Approved by CHEA Board of Directors, September 25, 2000

9 P a g e 9 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions B. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), American Council on Education (ACE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit T he following set of guidelines has been developed by the three national associations whose member institutions are directly involved in the transfer and award of academic credit: the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the American Council on Education, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The need for such a statement came from an awareness of the growing complexity of transfer policies and practices, which have been brought about, in part, by the changing nature of postsecondary education. With increasing frequency, students are pursuing their education in a variety of institutional and extrainstitutional settings. Social equity and the intelligent use of resources require that validated learning be recognized wherever it takes place. The statement is thus intended to serve as a guide for institutions developing or reviewing policies dealing with transfer, acceptance and award of credit. "Transfer" as used here refers to the movement of students from one college, university or other education provider to another and to the process by which credits representing educational experiences, courses, degrees or credentials that are awarded by an education provider are accepted or not accepted by a receiving institution. Basic Assumptions This statement is directed to institutions of postsecondary education and others concerned with the transfer of academic credit among institutions and the award of academic credit for learning that takes place at another institution or education provider. Basic to this statement is the principle that each institution is responsible for determining its own policies and practices with regard to the transfer, acceptance, and award of credit. Institutions are encouraged to review their policies and practices periodically to assure that they accomplish the institutions' objectives and that they function in a manner that is fair and equitable to students. General statements of policy such as this one or others referred to, should be used as guides, not as substitutes, for institutional policies and practices. Transfer and award of credit is a concept that increasingly involves transfer between dissimilar institutions and curricula and recognition of extra-institutional learning, as well as transfer between institutions and curricula with similar characteristics. As their personal circumstances and educational objectives change, students seek to have their learning, wherever and however attained, recognized by institutions where they enroll for further study. It is important for reasons of social equity and educational effectiveness for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for acceptance of such learning experiences, as well as for the transfer of credits earned at another institution. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum consideration for the individual student who has changed institutions or objectives. It is the receiving institution's responsibility to provide reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for determining a student's knowledge in required subject areas. All sending institutions have a responsibility to furnish transcripts and other documents necessary for a receiving institution to judge the quality and quantity of the student's work. Institutions also have a responsibility to advise the student that the work reflected on the transcript may or may not be accepted by a receiving institution as bearing the same (or any) credits as those awarded by the provider institution, or that the credits awarded will be applicable to the academic credential the student is pursuing.

10 P a g e 10 Inter-Institutional Transfer of Credit Transfer of credit from one institution to another involves at least three considerations: (1) the educational quality of the learning experience which the student transfers; (2) the comparability of the nature, content, and level of the learning experience to that offered by the receiving institution; and (3) the appropriateness and applicability of the learning experience to the programs offered by the receiving institution, in light of the student's educational goals. Accredited Institutions Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards. Users of accreditation are urged to give careful attention to the accreditation conferred by accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA has a formal process of recognition which requires that all accrediting bodies so recognized must meet the same standards. Under these standards, CHEA has recognized a number of accrediting bodies, including: (1) regional accrediting commissions (which historically accredited the more traditional colleges and universities but which now accredit proprietary, vocational-technical, distance learning providers, and single-purpose institutions as well); (2) national accrediting bodies that accredit various kinds of specialized institutions, including distance learning providers and freestanding professional schools; and (3) professional organizations that accredit programs within multipurpose institutions. Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are organized and in their statements of scope and mission, all accrediting bodies that meet CHEA s standards for recognition function to ensure that the institutions or programs they accredit have met generally accepted minimum standards for accreditation. Accreditation thus affords reason for confidence in an institution's or a program's purposes, in the appropriateness of its resources and plans for carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these things can be judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability, but does not guarantee, that students have met acceptable standards of educational accomplishment. Comparability and Applicability Comparability of the nature, content, and level of transfer credit and the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned to programs offered by the receiving institution are as important in the evaluation process as the accreditation status of the institution at which the transfer credit was awarded. Since accreditation does not address these questions, this information must be obtained from catalogues and other materials and from direct contact between knowledgeable and experienced faculty and staff at both the receiving and sending institutions. When such considerations as comparability and appropriateness of credit are satisfied, however, the receiving institution should have reasonable confidence that students from accredited institutions are qualified to undertake the receiving institution's educational program. In its articulation and transfer policies, the institution should judge courses, programs and other learning experiences on their learning outcomes, and the existence of valid evaluation measures, including third-party expert review, and not on modes of delivery. Admissions and Degree Purposes At some institutions there may be differences between the acceptance of credit for admission purposes and the applicability of credit for degree purposes. A receiving institution may accept previous work, place a credit value on it, and enter it on the transcript. However, that previous work, because of its nature and not its inherent quality, may be determined to have no applicability to a specific degree to be pursued by the student. Institutions have a responsibility to make this distinction, and its implications, clear to students before they decide to enroll. This should be a matter of full disclosure, with the best interests of the student in mind. Institutions also should make every reasonable effort to reduce the gap between credits accepted and credits applied toward an educational credential. Additional Criteria for Transfer Decisions The following additional criteria are offered to assist institutions, accreditors and higher education associations in future transfer decisions. These criteria are intended to sustain academic quality in an environment of more varied transfer, assure consistency of transfer practice, and encourage appropriate accountability about transfer policy and practice. Balance in the Use of Accreditation Status in Transfer Decisions. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution. While acknowledging that accreditation is an important factor, receiving institutions ought to make clear their institutional reasons for

11 P a g e 11 accepting or not accepting credits that students seek to transfer. Students should have reasonable explanations about how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving institution and how work is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements of the receiving institution. Consistency. Institutions and accreditors need to reaffirm that the considerations that inform transfer decisions are applied consistently in the context of changing student attendance patterns (students likely to engage in more transfer) and emerging new providers of higher education (new sources of credits and experience to be evaluated). New providers and new attendance patterns increase the number and type of transfer issues that institutions will address-making consistency even more important in the future. Accountability for Effective Public Communication. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that students and the public are fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices. The public has a significant interest in higher education's effective management of transfer, especially in an environment of expanding access and mobility. Public funding is routinely provided to colleges and universities. This funding is accompanied by public expectations that the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and efficiency. Commitment to Address Innovation. Institutions and accreditors need to be flexible and open in considering alternative approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. Distance learning and other applications of technology generate alternative approaches to many functions of colleges and universities. Transfer is inevitably among these. Foreign Institutions In most cases, foreign institutions are chartered and authorized to grant degrees by their national governments, usually through a Ministry of Education or similar appropriate ministerial body. No other nation has a system comparable with voluntary accreditation as it exists in the United States. At an operational level, AACRAO's Office of International Education Services can assist institutions by providing general or specific guidelines on admission and placement of foreign students, or by providing evaluations of foreign educational credentials. Evaluation of Extra-Institutional and Experiential Learning for Purposes of Transfer and Award of Credit Transfer and award of credit policies should encompass educational accomplishment attained in extra-institutional settings. In deciding on the award of credit for extra-institutional learning, institutions will find the services of the American Council on Education's Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials helpful. One of the Center's functions is to operate and foster programs to determine credit equivalencies for various modes of extrainstitutional learning. The Center maintains evaluation programs for formal courses offered by the military and civilian organizations such as business, corporations, government agencies, training providers, institutes, and labor unions. Evaluation services are also available for examination programs, for occupations with validated job proficiency evaluation systems, and for correspondence courses offered by schools accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council. The results are published in a Guide series. Another resource is the General Educational Development (GED) Testing Program, which provides a means for assessing high school equivalency. For learning that has not been evaluated through the ACE evaluation processes, institutions are encouraged to explore the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) procedures and processes. Uses of This Statement Institutions are encouraged to use this statement as a basis for discussions in developing or reviewing institutional policies with regards to the transfer and award of credit. If the statement reflects an institution s policies, that institution may wish to use these guidelines to inform faculty, staff, and students. It is also recommended that accrediting bodies reflect the essential precepts of this statement in their criteria. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers [signed] 9/28/01(date) American Council on Education [signed] 9/28/01(date) Council for Higher Education Accreditation [signed] 9/28/01(date)

12 P a g e 12 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions III. National Accreditor Transfer Policies A. Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Transfer Policies (TRACS) Page II. C. - 5 Updated January 2013 INSTITUTION-WIDE POLICIES 10.7 Policy on nondiscrimination has been adopted which is based on biblical standards, including (but not necessarily limited to) race, sex, and national origin, that govern the admission of students and the selection, retention, and advancement of personnel Appropriate policies are adopted for each branch campus Policies are adopted for the evaluation of all employees Policy is adopted which ensures cooperation with TRACS in any complaint proceedings. ACADEMIC POLICIES Admissions policies for all programs are clearly specified, current, and in keeping with accepted practice. a. Undergraduate admission policies require applicants to have earned a high school diploma, or GED, or have other relevant experiences that indicate and support the student s ability to complete their academic objective. b. Admission policies include applicable residency requirements. c. Admission policies include general and special admission requirements. d. Admission policies require that all credit awarded by examination, on the basis of certificates, or by assessment of prior learning, are within the guidelines of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), and are documented in student files. Credit for prior learning is not awarded at the graduate level. e. Graduate admission policies require applicants to have earned an appropriate bachelor s or master s degrees and demonstrate they have the ability to complete their educational objective. f. Admission policies specify the exceptions to having earned the appropriate diploma or degree, including concurrent enrollment options for high school students in undergraduate programs and undergraduate students in graduate programs (ability-to-benefit).

13 P a g e 13 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions B. Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) From Frequently Asked Questions N o institution is forced to accept credits from another regardless of accreditation or lack thereof. It is always the prerogative of the receiving institution to determine whether and which credit will transfer. That said, colleges should not practice discrimination or engage in arbitrary practices. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), in conjunction with the 19 recognized institutional accreditors that included ABHE, developed a framework for meeting transfer of credit responsibilities in 2000 entitled A Statement to the Community: Transfer and the Public Interest. This statement was the result of CHEA s concern that the accredited status of a program or institution assist, not hinder, students in the transfer process. CHEA s work on accreditation and transfer is based on three important considerations: Accredited status of an institution is an important, but not the sole factor, to consider in transfer of credit decisions. Considering transfer requests serves students and the public. The public interest and students are best served when institutions commit to at least consideration of transfer requests, not rejecting such requests out of hand. Accepting transfer credits is the responsibility and prerogative of institutions. The CHEA Statement offered four criteria that accrediting organizations and institutions are asked to consider as decisions are made about transfer of credit and academic quality. These criteria are: Balance in the use of accreditation status in transfer decisions: Institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer decisions are not make solely on source of accreditation of a sending program or institution. Consistency: Institutions and accreditors need to reaffirm that the considerations that inform transfer decisions are applied consistently. Accountability for effective public communication: Institutions and accreditors need to assure that students and the public are fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices. Communication to address innovation: Institutions and accreditors need to be flexible and open in considering alternative approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. The Statement goes on to say that the transfer framework is offered as an advisory document for accrediting agencies and institutions. CHEA and the accrediting organizations believe that efforts to strengthen transfer would be most successful if approached in a collegial manner; the framework does not constitute an accreditation or recognition standard. If you believe that you or someone you know has been treated unfairly in regard to transfer credit, you are welcome to solicit our help in seeking fair consideration of your work.

14 P a g e 14 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions C. Association of Theological Schools (ATS) Commission on Accrediting Educational and Degree Program Standards 2012 ES.7 Academic guidelines: admission, transfer of credits, shared credit in degree programs &advanced standing ES.7.1 Admission While each degree program a theological school offers should have particular admission requirements, all master s-level programs share the following common requirements: ES Students must possess a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by a US agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or approved by a Canadian provincial quality assurance agency, or the demonstrated educational equivalent of a North American baccalaureate degree. ES Educational equivalency for a baccalaureate degree shall be determined by the institution. The institution shall demonstrate that its means for determining equivalency requires formal postsecondary education consisting of general and specialized studies comparable to the baccalaureate degree. ES Exceptions to the baccalaureate degree requirement are noted in the Commission standards for individual degrees. ES Persons admitted without possession of the baccalaureate degree or its educational equivalent shall possess the knowledge, academic skill, and ability necessary for postbaccalaureate studies. Admission of such applicants should be restricted to persons with life experience that has prepared them for theological study at the graduate level. An institution admitting persons without a baccalaureate degree or its educational equivalent shall demonstrate that its process and criteria for evaluating academic ability are educationally appropriate and rigorous. ES When an institution permits undergraduate students to enroll in its postbaccalaureate courses, the institution must differentiate course requirements and student learning outcomes for postbaccalaureate or undergraduate credit. ES.7.2 Transfer of credits ES A theological school has the right and responsibility to determine if it will accept credits for work completed at other institutions toward the degrees it grants. ES If an institution determines that it will accept transfer credits, it should ensure that courses in which the credits were earned were eligible for graduate credit in the institution at which they were taken and, preferably, were completed at an institution accredited by a recognized accrediting body. ES Two-thirds of the credits required in a Board-approved degree may be granted on the basis of transfer credits, subject to the limitation in ES

15 P a g e 15 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions IV. Regional Accreditor Transfer Policies A. Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Transfer Credit, Prior Learning, and Articulation T he Commission s requirements with respect to transfer and articulation are governed by Standards 8 (Student Admissions) and 11 (Educational Offerings) of Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education. Assessing experiential learning for credit is addressed in Standard 13 (Related Educational Activities). Although admission standards are the responsibility and prerogative of the institution, the Commission is required to confirm for the U.S. Department of Education certain aspects of an institution s transfer of credit policies. The Commission standards and policies apply to transfer of credit between institutions within or outside a university system; transfer of credits earned at foreign institutions or earned in U.S. sponsored programs abroad; transfer of credits earned in non-traditional formats or through co-op or other extra-institutional learning; transfer of credits from nonregionally accredited institutions; transfer of advanced placement credit, tech-prep credits, and credit based on exams; credit for experiential and other forms of learning. Requirements In accordance with 34 CFR , the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, in its role as a federally recognized accreditor must confirm than an institution has transfer of credit policies that: Are publicly disclosed in accordance with section (a)(11) included below; and Include a statement of the criteria established by the institution regarding the transfer of credit earned at another institution of higher education. Section Institutional information. (a) Institutional information that the institution must make readily available to enrolled and prospective students under this subpart includes, but is not limited to.. (11) A description of the transfer of credit policies established by the institution which must include a statement of the institution s current transfer of credit policies that includes, at a minimum (i) Any established criteria the institution uses regarding the transfer of credit earned at another institution; and (ii) A list of institutions with which the institution has established an articulation agreement. General Principles Although the extent to which transfer, articulation, and experiential learning issues apply to each institution will vary, the following usually characterize effective policies for transfer and experiential learning and their implementation. Transfer and experiential learning decisions are student-centered, striving for appropriate balance among fairness, consistency, flexibility, good educational practice, and academic program integrity. They address the needs of a student who has changed institutions or objectives, or has learned in non-traditional formats.

16 P a g e 16 Institutional mission and goals guide the formulation of policies and procedures for transfer and experiential learning. The basic principles of the institution regarding credit for prior learning are clear. Courses, programs, and other learning experiences are judged on their learning outcomes, using valid evaluation measures, including third-party review by appropriately qualified reviewers and recommendations from organizations experienced with such evaluations (e.g., ACE, CAEL). The acceptance or denial of transfer credit is not determined exclusively on the basis of the accreditation of the sending institution or the mode of delivery, but, rather, will consider course equivalencies, including expected learning outcomes, with those of the receiving institution s curricula and standards. (Characteristics of Excellence, Standard 11) Communication of the policies and procedures written and oral, formal and informal is clear and effective. It is clear how credit for prior learning and transfer will be recorded on transcripts. It is clear how college level learning is defined for the granting of credit for transfer of prior learning or advanced placement secondary learning, and it is clear that credit is awarded for learning, not experience. It is clear what degree requirements may or may not be met by prior or experiential learning. Specific general education core course requirements are addressed Outcomes assessment measures are directed towards evaluating institutional effectiveness and strengthening the public policy and educational environment for transfer students. Good outcomes data on the success of transfer students or students receiving credit for experiential learning is used, and multiple measures are used to assess the overall student experiences at the receiving institution. Faculty participate in the creation, review and implementation of transfer and experiential learning policies/procedures, and they advise both incoming and outgoing transfer students and experiential learning students. Evaluations of transcripts and experiential learning are conducted in a timely manner in order to be informative in academic advising and decision-making. Appropriate counseling (including any impact on financial aid eligibility) by well-informed faculty and others, and other support services are available. Students are advised when the transferability of learning credits to other institutions may present difficulties. The institution has provisions for periodic re-evaluation of transfer of credit, prior learning, and articulation policies and procedures. Version: 1110

17 P a g e 17 Transfer of Credit Handbook For TRACS-Accredited Institutions B. New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education Transfer and Award of Academic Credit T his statement is directed to institutions of postsecondary education and others concerned with the transfer of academic credit among institutions and award of academic credit for extra-institutional learning. Basic to this statement is the principle that each institution is responsible for determining its own policies and practices with regard to the transfer and award of credit. Institutions are encouraged to review their policies and practices periodically to ensure that they accomplish the institution s objectives and that they function in a manner that is fair and equitable to students. Any statements, this one or others referred to, should be used as guides, not as substitutes, for institutional policies and practices. Transfer of credit is a concept that now involves transfer between dissimilar institutions and curricula and recognition of extrainstitutional learning, as well as transfer between institutions and curricula of similar characteristics. As their personal circumstances and educational objectives change, students seek to have their learning, wherever and however attained, recognized by institutions where they enroll for further study. It is important for reasons of social equity and educational effectiveness, as well as the wise use of resources, for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for acceptance of transfer credit and to ensure that these policies are easily available to students and prospective students. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum consideration for the individual student who has changed institutions or objectives. It is the receiving institution s responsibility to provide reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for determining a student s knowledge in required subject areas. It is the sending institution s responsibility to provide information on courses and methods of assessment in sufficient detail to serve as the basis for transfer evaluation. All institutions have a responsibility to furnish transcripts and other documents necessary for a receiving institution to judge the quality and quantity of the work. Institutions also have a responsibility to advise the students that the work reflected on the transcript may or may not be accepted by a receiving institution. Both sending and receiving institutions have a responsibility to provide information to the public on academic factors that can be involved in transfer of credit decisions (e.g., existing course equivalencies, articulation agreements, grades, comparability, course level and content, course applicability toward a major or degree, and course or program prerequisites). Institutions also have a responsibility to provide information to the public on the specific steps that must be taken when attempting transfer of credits, including deadlines, material to be sent to receiving institutions, and obtaining needed assistance from sending and receiving institutions. Inter-institutional Transfer of Credit The accredited status of an institution is an important, but not the sole factor, to consider in transfer of credit decisions. Transfer of credit from one institution to another involves at least three considerations: 1. the educational quality of the institution from which the student transfers; 2. the comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit earned to that offered by the receiving institution; and 3. the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned to the programs offered by the receiving institution, in light of the student s educational goals.