How to Win Friends and Influence Transfer Credit Policy

Lee Furbeck, Ph.D.University of Kansas

2013 AACRAO Transfer Conference

Transfer Credit Policies

• Does your institution have clear policies in place for all situations?

• Is everyone at your institution who should be aware of the policies?

• Does everyone consistently adhere to the policies?• Are your policies actual policies or practices?• Are your policies accessible and easy to find?• Can prospective students and advisors from other

institutions easily understand your policies?

Policy Creation and Approval• Where are transfer credit policies created and approved? – Governmental bodies– System level– Institutional level– Academic units within the institution– Non-academic units within the institution– It depends…– Staff in the cubicles– Who knows where they came from!– Policies? What policies?

A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR TRANSFER CREDIT POLICIES

Many of us inherited existing policies. Some of us have implemented new policies. Others may suspect that policies need to be created or changed. Here’s your chance to see how you institution’s policies (or lack thereof) compare to others.

What makes a transcript official?

A. Issued to the studentB. Faxed from the schoolC. Faxed from the studentD. Mailed from the schoolE. Printed from the

school Web portalF. Electronic transcriptG. Hand-delivered in a

sealed envelope A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

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Do you require official transcripts from each school attended?

A. Yes, all of themB. Only those attended

after high schoolC. Only those where

credit was earnedD. NoE. VariesF. Unsure/No policy A. B. C. D. E. F.

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What is your policy on accreditation?

A. Not a deciding factor by itself

B. Must be accreditedC. Must be regionally

accreditedD. Courses from non-

accredited schools must be appealed

E. OtherF. Unsure/No policy A. B. C. D. E. F.

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AACRAO’s Transfer Credit PracticesAvailable at aacrao.org for members and in hard copy. Updated annually.

What grades are acceptable for transfer credit?

A. C or higher onlyB. C- or higher onlyC. All passing gradesD. Pass/CreditE. Pass/Credit if C/C-

or betterF. VariesG. Unsure/no policy A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

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What is your policy on mode of delivery?

A. On-ground or hybrid courses only

B. On-ground courses only

C. On-ground courses for labs

D. Not a factorE. VariesF. Unsure/No policy A. B. C. D. E. F.

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What is your policy on time limits for transfer work?

A. No limitsB. 10 yearsC. 5 yearsD. Time limit only for

select coursesE. Varies by majorF. Unsure/No policy

A. B. C. D. E. F.

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COURSE REPEATS

There is such variety in how schools calculate grades and credits earned when repeat coursework is involved. It deserves its own section!

Repeated transfer course – same school. What counts?

A. Cum GPA on transcriptB. First instanceC. Last instanceD. Best gradeE. Most hoursF. Most beneficialG. Average gradesH. Other formulaI. VariesJ. Unsure/No policy A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J.

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Repeated course – different sources. What counts?

A. First instanceB. Last instanceC. Best gradeD. Most hoursE. Most beneficialF. Average gradesG. Other formulaH. VariesI. Unsure/No policy

A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I.

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Repeated course – one instance at your school. What counts?

A. Your institution’s courseB. First instanceC. Last instanceD. Best gradeE. Most hoursF. Most beneficialG. Average gradesH. Other formulaI. VariesJ. Unsure/No policy A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J.

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NON-TRADITIONAL CREDIT

How are you handling the growing number of sources of transfer credit?

Do you award credit for…A. Advanced PlacementB. International BaccalaureateC. CLEPD. DANTESE. Departmental exams (your

school)F. Departmental exams

(elsewhere)G. High school coursesH. “Double Dipping” A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.

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Do you award credit for…

A. Work experienceB. Life experienceC. Job-training

certificationD. Military trainingE. MOOC’sF. Non-Institutional

coursesG. Other A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

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A FEW SUMMARY QUESTIONS TO ASK AS WE NEAR THE END

Did you find yourself answering “unsure” or “varies” a lot? Are your students frequently surprised? If so, you may need to overhaul of your transfer credit policies!

Are your policies well-defined and easy to interpret?

A. Absolutely!B. Most of themC. It’s a toss upD. Uh, maybe someE. No, they aren’t

Absolutely!

Most of th

em

It’s a to

ss up

Uh, mayb

e some

No, they aren’t

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Are your policies transfer-friendly?

A. YesB. Most of themC. Some yes, some noD. Not so muchE. Definitely not

Yes

Most of th

em

Some yes, s

ome no

Not so m

uch

Definitely not

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Transfer-Friendly Policies

• Easy to find• Easy to understand• Consistent amongst

units• Consistently enforced• Fair• Appeal-able

Without Them…

• Students take longer to earn a degree• Students may become disheartened and drop

out before earning a credential or degree• Debt levels rise as student takes more courses• Additional federal funding is required• Courses are repeated unnecessarily• Legislators and Boards intervene

Forum for High-Level Discussion about Transfer?

A. YesB. Kind ofC. NoD. Unsure

Yes

Kind of No

Unsure

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Making the Case for a Council

• Poor relationships between sending/receiving institutions

• Fewer students transferring successfully• Increased transfer activity or reliance on transfer

students to meet goals• Areas for growth• Lack of communication among units• Lack of or much variation in policies• Legislative mandates (or threat of)

Articulation Coordination CouncilChargeThe purpose of the Council is to enhance programmatic and institutional

articulation between Iowa State University and institutions and programs that are significant or potentially significant sources of transfer students to Iowa State University with primary focus on Iowa Community Colleges.

The Council's membership is to include representatives from-– Admissions– Provost Division– Student Affairs– Each Academic College (approximately half should be faculty members)– Faculty Senate– GSB (preferably a transfer student)

Transfer and Articulation Policy Council

Charge• The purpose of the Council is to enhance the transfer

experience by enhancing relationships with sending institutions and ensuring clear and just evaluation of transfer work.

The Council's membership is to include representatives from-– Admissions– Provost Division– Enrollment Management– Each Professional School and the College– Transfer Student Association

Discussion and Next Steps• How do statewide transfer systems impact transfer credit policy?• How do articulation agreements impact transfer credit policy?• What metrics do you use to measure the extent to which your

policies are transfer-friendly?• Is being transfer-friendly a priority on your campus?• Do you have a central location online and/or on-ground for

transfer credit policies?• Is your institution likely to steer students away from schools not

transfer-friendly?• What next steps do you plan to take as a result of this

discussion?

Thanks for sharing!

Lee F. Furbecklfurbeck@ku.edu