Last published: 6/30/2022 |
Operating Policy and Procedure
HSC OP: 77.17, Core & Transfer Compliance Policy
PURPOSE: The purpose of the Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to establish core and transfer compliance requirements in accordance with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed on May 1 every year (EY) by the Registrar, with recommendation for revisions forwarded to the Associate Provost for Student Affairs and the Executive Student Affairs Workgroup (ESAW), with final review by the Academics Council and approval by the Provost.
POLICY/PROCEDURE:
1. Overview.
The intention of this policy is to maintain best practices in applying transfer credits and to ensure the academic integrity of 外网天堂 academic programs. (TEC 51.968) requires all Texas public colleges and universities adopt a policy regarding the awarding of academic credit to entering students who have completed a post-secondary level program while still in high school. Those programs include Advanced Placement (AP) courses, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD). require all institutions of higher education to award course credit toward a degree for students鈥 completion of certain military training.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires that 鈥淭he institution publishes policies for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit not originating from the institution. The institution ensures (a) the academic quality of any credit or coursework recorded on its transcript, (b) an approval process with oversight by persons academically qualified to make the necessary judgments, and (c) the credit awarded is comparable to a designated credit experience and is consistent with the institution鈥檚 mission.鈥 ()
The THECB has provided a with additional information on Texas Core requirements.
2. Institutional Policy.
a. 外网天堂 does not offer lower division core curriculum courses but does follow Texas Core Curriculum as set forth by the THECB. General education requirements completed at a private or out-of-state institution may not be equivalent to the required Texas Core Curriculum, and may not excuse a student from not completing the Texas Core Curriculum. In accordance with , no institution or institutional representative may approve course substitutions or waivers of the institution鈥檚 core curriculum requirements. The student is responsible for completing the core requirements at another institution prior to beginning the program of study at 外网天堂 as follows:
Texas Core Curriculum Requirements:
*Course | Credits |
---|---|
Communication (010) | 6 credit hours |
Mathematics (020) | 3 credit hours |
Life and Physical Sciences (030) | 6 credit hours |
Language, Philosophy and Culture (040) | 3 credit hours |
Creative Arts (050) | 3 credit hours |
American History (060) | 6 credit hours |
Government/Political Science (070) | 6 credit hours |
Total Core Curriculum Requirements: | 42 credit hours |
*Course numbers listed are based on the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS). Check with your academic institution to verify the course number that corresponds with the TCCNS number.
A student鈥檚 official transcript from another Texas public college or university must be notated as Texas Core Curriculum complete so that no additional Texas Core Curriculum requirements will be imposed.
Texas Core Curriculum requirements are only applicable when an undergraduate degree is being pursued or conferred at 外网天堂. Graduate or doctoral degrees being pursued or conferred at 外网天堂 do not follow Texas Core Curriculum requirements, therefore, that requirement does not require verification. In the case where a baccalaureate degree is required for admission, Texas Core Curriculum does not need to be verified. For example, a baccalaureate degree from an out-of-state institution would be accepted even though that institution does not require Texas Core Curriculum completion.
b. For all degrees awarded, and in accordance with accreditation guidelines under The Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), a minimum of 25% of the baccalaureate coursework () and a minimum of 33% of graduate coursework () must be taken at the 外网天堂 to receive a degree from the institution. The minimum applies to all baccalaureate coursework including courses taken the first two years of college.
3. General Rules and Regulations.
a. The program in which the student is applying for, prior to admission, will complete evaluation of core and transfer credits.
b. All official documents submitted to 外网天堂 become property of the University and will not be returned or copied for the applicant.
c. Any accepted applicant seeking credit at 外网天堂 through any means must have met all admissions requirements including, but not limited to, assessment scores, minimum GPAs, submission of previous transcripts, pre-requisites, and the Texas Core curriculum. (See 2a)
d. The total number of semester credit hours awarded for credit may vary depending upon the student鈥檚 program of study. (See 2b)
e. Credit granted will be reflected on the student鈥檚 official transcript with a specific course number or a general subject prefix from 外网天堂. Transfer work applied to a student鈥檚 degree program is noted as credit only on the 外网天堂 transcript. Grades from prior institutions are not calculated into the overall GPA for 外网天堂.
f. All students admitted to 外网天堂 must provide a final transcript of all previous work at other institutions directly to their appropriate school, no later than the last day of the first term in which they are enrolled. Transcripts submitted to third party application services will be considered official as long as they come through a verification provider.
4. Transfer Credit
Transfer students must submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions regardless of whether or not transfer credit is assigned or desired as a condition of admission.
a. The student's transfer course work from college-level courses must have been earned at an institution whose course content and learning outcomes are comparable with current 外网天堂 courses required in the student's program of study. Schools will submit a transfer request form to the Office of the Registrar for courses they determine meet their course requirements. Please contact the 外网天堂 School Official for specific degree program requirements of transfer coursework and minimum grade requirements. In accordance with accreditation requirements, no more than seventy-five percent of the total credit hours of the required course work may be applied from transfer credit.
1) Transfer credit will be awarded on a semester credit hour scale in all instances, including courses transferred in on a quarter-hour scale. Credit transferred in on a quarter-hour scale will be converted to semester credit hours by multiplying the number of quarter hours by two-thirds (or .67). The remaining fraction of the semester credit hour will be rounded to the nearest whole number from the tenth鈥檚 position of the decimal.
2) Students should be prepared to obtain and provide supporting documentation for previous coursework, including course descriptions, syllabi, catalogs or any other documentation deemed appropriate by the School Official.
3) Core and/or transfer course evaluation forms will be submitted for processing by the school to the Office of the Registrar by the 12th class day of the term in which the student is admitted. At this time, the forms will be compared to what has been entered in the student information system and adjustments will be made to ensure accuracy and consistency.
4) Core and transfer courses will be entered into the student information system at the time of admittance. Adjustments will continue to occur throughout a student鈥檚 attendance at 外网天堂 as updated transcripts are received.
b. Transfer of Courses from Texas Public Institutions: When applicable, the Office of the Registrar will use the to perform transfer of credit for courses offered by regionally accredited state institutions.
c. 外网天堂 currently does not award academic credit for coursework taken on a non-credit basis.
d. and states the following steps can be taken to dispute transfer credit for lower-division courses:
1) If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied, and shall include in that notice the reasons for denying the credit. Attached to the written notice shall be the procedures for resolution of transfer disputes for lower-division courses as outlined in this section, accompanied by clear instructions outlining the procedure for appealing the decision to the .
2) A student who receives notice as specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection may dispute the denial of credit by contacting a school official at either the sending or the receiving institution.
3) The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with the THECB rules and guidelines.
4) If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the sending institution may notify the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner of Higher Education in writing of the request for transfer dispute resolution. The institution that denies the course credit for transfer shall also notify the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner of Higher Education in writing of its denial and the reasons for the denial.
5. Second degree programs
Where a student has already earned a bachelor degree, the school will ensure that the equivalent of 42 Texas core hours are complete to be considered core compliant.
Any student who does not show core complete on their transcript for their previous degree will have their courses evaluated by the program in which they are applying to determine if any previous course work would fulfill the core curriculum requirements for 外网天堂.
6. Foreign Transcripts
For any foreign transcripts, a foreign transcript evaluation must be submitted in lieu of the official transcript. Accepted courses on foreign transcript evaluations must be supported with proper documentation (i.e. course syllabus or catalog description) to justify equivalency. As schools identify evaluations from new providers, they will collaborate with the Office of the Registrar to determine institutional acceptance of the service provider.