CS 3.4.4 ACCEPTANCE OF ACADEMIC CREDIT

In a letter[1] dated July 11, 2017, Dr. Denise Young requested that Palo Alto College respond to concerns raised by unsolicited information received by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), as is stipulated by SACSCOC policy.  These concerns raised questions for the SACSCOC Board of Trustees regarding Palo Alto College’s autonomy and the College’s ongoing compliance with six standards of the Principles of Accreditation.This narrative responds to SACSCOC standard CS 3.4.4 (Acceptance of Academic Credit).  Specifically, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees asks that the College respond to the following:

• Verify that the coursework or credit recorded on the institution’s transcripts has been reviewed by the appropriate faculty in the discipline area for equivalency.

Statement of Compliance: Palo Alto College faculty have complete authority to determine course equivalencies and ensure academic quality for coursework recorded on the Palo Alto College transcript.  Palo Alto College is in compliance with this standard.  The case for compliance is structured as follows:

1. Palo Alto College utilizes a systemic process that incorporates national, state, and institutional guidelines published in the Palo Alto College Catalog, which are used to determine the inclusion of credit earned by both traditional and non-traditional means.
2. Palo Alto College ensures that discipline specific faculty review all transfer credit submitted for evaluation to determine course equivalencies when said credit does not yet have an affirmed equivalency.

A.  PROCESS FOR INCLUSION OF CREDIT

Palo Alto College polices for the evaluation, acceptance, and posting of transfer credit are published in the Transfer Credit Policy section of the College Catalog[2] which is available online to all students.  The Palo Alto College Catalog provides processes on both traditional and non-traditional transfer credit evaluation and its inclusion on the Palo Alto College transcript. 

1. Transferability of Coursework: SACSCOC and State Systems

Palo Alto College utilizes multiple tools for the review, evaluation, and acceptance of transfer coursework. Each of these systems has been approved by representative bodies of faculty members from both two year and four year institutions and are in alignment with all SACSCOC guidelines and standards as outlined in the Position Statement[3]. Palo Alto College abides by Texas Administrative Code, Transfer Policies and Resources, Title 19 Part I Chapter 4 Subchapter B, Rule 4.25[4] when reviewing transfer coursework.  Additionally, Palo Alto College utilizes the Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM)[5], which serves as the course guide inventory for all community colleges in Texas with regard to academic coursework. Palo Alto College also utilizes the Texas Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM)[6], which includes information on course credits and contact hour ranges. Additionally, THECB Guidelines for Instruction in Workforce Programs (GIPWE) Rule 9.93 (b)(1)(H)[7] states that a program must be “designed to be consistent with the standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and with the standards of other applicable accrediting agencies, and …in compliance with appropriate licensing authority requirements.” If the guidelines in this manual conflict with the program requirements of the SACSCOC, the SACSCOC requirements supersede these guidelines. 

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board[8] (THECB) also provides transfer policies as well as procedures to resolve transfer disputes codified online in the THECB Rules, Chapter 4, Subchapter B[9] and in the Palo Alto College Catalog, Transfer Dispute Resolution[10] section. PAC also utilizes the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS)[11], a cooperative of 135 colleges and universities that helps to facilitate the transfer of freshman and sophomore level coursework though a uniform set of course designations used to determine course equivalencies.

2.  International Student Coursework Evaluation

All students seeking transfer credit evaluation must submit a fully evaluated transcript reviewed by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services[12] (NACES). Additionally, foreign credential evaluation is further clarified in College Procedure S 20.0 International Students[13], which distills the admissions process for international students including evaluation of credit.  Students requesting foreign credentials evaluation for transfer credit must submit an official transcript and an official third party report/recommendation form from a NACES member that includes a translation, interpretation, and an evaluation of the transcript. Credit is awarded on the basis of the report as per equivalencies grounded in NACES standards such as those documented in this transcript example[14].

3.  Military Credit

Transfer work from military education is accepted based on the American Council on Education[15] (ACE) Guide.  Students must present an official copy of the Joint Services Transcript (JST) in order for their coursework to be considered as shown in this transcript example[16].

4.  Academic Quality

The term “official transcript of record” refers to the record of coursework transferred from other accredited colleges and universities to Palo Alto College. Official evaluation of college transfer coursework is completed during the first (1) semester of enrollment at the College.  The College accepts passing grades from accredited institutions and based on the SACSCOC statement on Transfer of Academic Credit[17], which allows for the acceptance of credit from designated accrediting bodies[18] recognized by the THECB on a case by case basis.  Passing at the College is defined as a grade of “D” or better.  Official transcripts from all institutions attended must be forwarded to the College. Transcripts that have been faxed will not be accepted. Transfer students are not allowed to disregard any part of their academic history and apply for admission on a partial college record. The Center for Student Information (CSI) is responsible for verifying an institution’s accreditation status and for processing transcript evaluation requests as articulated in the Palo Alto College and CSI Memorandum of Understanding[19]. These requirements and processes are the first part of ensuring the integrity of academic credit being transcripted on a student’s record.

B. DISCIPLINE APPROPRIATE FACULTY DETERMINATION OF TRANSFER CREDIT

The mechanisms employed in the aforementioned sections are utilized when a course equivalency already exists and has been built in the appropriate equivalency tables. In those cases where an equivalency does not currently exist, discipline specific faculty leads in the appropriate subject area make a determination on approving an equivalency. This request for additional review can be completed via soft copy (electronically) or through hard copy and can be initiated by a faculty member, the student, an academic advisor, and/or the Office of Admissions and Records.  The process for additional review is structured as follows:

• A request for secondary review of transfer coursework is submitted utilizing an electronic request form or utilizing a hard copy form.
• The request is then forwarded to the discipline specific faculty lead for review with any supporting documentation available. Additional research may be conducted by the discipline specific faculty lead.
• The discipline specific faculty lead will then determine the most appropriate equivalency based on the relevant information provided or researched and approve or deny the equivalency. If the faculty lead does not approve the equivalency, then the course is not included on the student’s transcript.
• Once approval from the discipline specific faculty lead is communicated. Once CSI has been given approval to post credit to the students’ academic record, the coursework will be accurately reflected on the student transcript. Once CSI has been given apporval to post credit to the students' academic record, the coursework will be accurately reflected on the student transcript. Once CSI has been given apporval to post credit to the students' academic record, the coursework will be accurately reflected on the student transcript. Once CSI has been given approval to post credit to the students’ academic record, the coursework will be accurately reflected on the student transcript.
• The electronically approved notification goes directly to CSI for posting of credit onto the student’s academic record.
• The approved equivalency using the hard copy form is submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records. The documentation is then forwarded to CSI for posting of credit to the student’s academic record.
• Once CSI has been given approval to post credit to the students’ academic record, the coursework will be accurately reflected on the student transcript.

Transfer Credit Evaluation Example 1 (Electronic)[20]

Transfer Credit Evaluation Example 2 (Electronic)[21]

Transfer Credit Evaluation Example 3 (Hard Copy)[22]

Transfer Credit Evaluation Example 4 (Hard Copy)[23]

1. Intra-district Transfer Coursework

The Transcripts Standards Agreement[24] between Palo Alto College and CSI defines what information will be included on the Palo Alto College transcript and addresses, in particular, intra-district transfer credit. Section II, E of this document defines intra-district courses as transfer credit on the Palo Alto College transcript. Effective January 2017, all Palo Alto COllege transcripts were reconfigured for both current and former students. 

2.  Credit by Examination

In accordance with the Position Statement[25] of SACSCOC, Palo Alto College offers additional methods to earn academic credit.  Alternative methods include credit by examination in two different forms, 1) Internal Examinations for Credit Hours and 2) External Standardized Examinations. The College has established policies for both categories located in the Transfer Dispute Resolution section of the College Catalog.[26]  Internal examinations for credit hours require department approval and a comprehensive written examination to demonstrate proficiency of the course outcomes and content. External standardized examinations such as College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP), College Board Advanced Placement Exam (AP), and International Examination (IB) are also reviewed for acceptance of college credit and guidelines for the awarding of credit are outlined in the CLEP/AP/IB guidelines found in the College Catalog.[27] and the College's Assessment and Testing Center website[28]. The necessary scores for each content area and each exam that are required to award credit are regularly reviewed by discipline faculty on a yearly cycle. This review occurs in alignment with the review of the PAC College Catalog. Applicants must submit official scores as evidenced by the following credit reflected on the student’s Palo Alto College transcript[29] for the CLEP subject examinations. 

3.  Experiential Learning

The evaluation of credit by non-traditional means is based on the Position Statement[30] of SACSCOC for institutions to “ease the acceptance of transfer of academic credit while maintaining an acceptable level of academic quality.”  Palo Alto College acknowledges that students may have acquired course competencies through non-traditional means and course credit information is described in the Credit by Non-Traditional Means section of the College Catalog[31]. The catalog outlines the process by which a student may petition the corresponding technical department and/or dean for college level credit in alignment with prior work experience or training. A student must submit the Application for Work Experience Credit obtained in the department to which the student is petitioning.  Credit earned by non-traditional method will be annotated on the student’s transcript as equivalency credit (non-graded). 

Students may be awarded credit by evaluation of credentials when learning outcomes can be documented as equivalent to academic courses by the department that is being petitioned for course credit. As with all credit evaluation processes, this process ensures that faculty are responsible for evaluating a petitioning student’s documentation or assessing his/her knowledge to determine the student’s experiences and level of performance equivalent to academic courses within a corresponding area of study.