In this issue:

Electronic Transcripts
SIS Update: Automatic Conversion of Quarter School Credits
On-line Zebra Sheets
Transfer Credit Center Publications
The Best Resource For Transfer Course Information

SUMMER UPDATES

Summer is a busy time for all of us in the transfer arena. But we have managed to produce this supplement to The Transfer Times to let you know briefly about recent and proposed enhancements to our operations. We want to keep advisors and other members of the campus community apprised of improvements to the transfer credit information process. Look for our more comprehensive edition in the fall.

ELECTRONIC TRANSCRIPTS

The number of electronic transcripts is rising, especially from Maryland community colleges. Rather than paper copies, many schools send transcripts electronically through secure channels developed and maintained by the University of Maryland Systems Administration (UMS). In fact, UMS is moving toward electronic transmission (ET) of all transcripts. Institutions outside the state can opt to send transcripts this way as well, and many accept electronic transcripts from UMCP.

Electronic transcripts—when printed—appear on plain white paper and include a notation at the beginning or end indicating that they are official documents. Right now they are uploaded into our system periodically and appear in a student's transfer record without any on-campus keying. Since different institutions program their trans- missions in slightly different ways, we occasionally find an irregularity once the transfer credits are entered. We have seen students missing credit for a semester's work, and one student with no credit for courses graded "A".

UMS is working with College Park programmers to eliminate these technical difficulties in ET. Please inform us if you notice anything unusual in a student's record from a Maryland public school. If you provide us with the student's social security number, we will investigate the problem and get it corrected. Your feedback is appreciated.

SIS UPDATE: AUTOMATIC CONVERSION OF QUARTER SCHOOL CREDITS

Our programmers at Academic Data Services (ADS) have in development a program which will automatically convert quarter school credits to semester credits. Currently, recorders must manually enter the appropriate semester hour equivalency for quarter credits, a time-consuming process vulnerable to human error. The new system will increase the accuracy and efficiency of quarter school transfer credit evaluation.

We are seeking input from the advising community on whether to implement a "warning" screen, similar to the Confidential Information Screen, to alert advisors that a student has credit from one or more "non-standard" term/credit schools. That is, we would advise users when some credit is coming from quarter schools, schools on a unit system, or schools with non-standard grading. If you would prefer NOT to see such a cue, please send us email.

ON-LINE ZEBRA SHEETS

You may have noticed that the zebra sheets (attached to transfer students' transcripts) look a little different lately. We have discontinued use of the cumbersome triplicate form in favor of the on-line zebra sheet. Actually, the change occurred because of a delay at the printer—our customary form was out of stock, so we began printing on-line. We find the new forms more cost-effective, quicker to produce, and better for the environment. Further, college advisors can print timely editions of their students' on-line zebra sheets just before orientation if they wish, taking advantage of the latest entries in TCEQ.

In the past, many colleges reviewed the three-page zebra sheet and returned two copies to us. There is no need to return copies to us now as long as a copy is retained in the student's College file. If corrections are necessary, return a copy of the modified on-line zebra sheet to us.

We find the new version convenient and efficient, but we would like to know what you think. We hope you are using your capability to print them locally; if you have questions or concerns about the process, please call.

TRANSFER CREDIT CENTER PUBLICATIONS

We have developed two new publications this summer. First, for advisors: A Guide to the Transfer Credit Equivalency (TCEQ) and the Transfer Credit (TC) Screens in the Student Information System (SIS). This guide provides instructions on accessing transfer credit information on SIS, a useful reference for advisors of transfer students. It offers help on locating/reading the screens and understanding the codes as well as a key to abbreviations. We have included some tips and shortcuts to make your job a little easier, too!

Second, for students: A Guide to Transfer Credit Information on the World Wide Web. Designed to be mailed with a transfer student's preliminary credit evaluation, this brief guide provides students with information about our Web Page: www.tce.umd.edu. This site is designed to allow students to access information on course equivalencies from their previous institutions as they become available on TCEQ (data is downloaded nightly). We hope this service will reduce the number of panicky calls to Student Affairs Offices over the summer. We have included a description of our homepage links, including Transfer Course Look-up, Frequently Asked Questions about Transfer Credit, Records and Registration, Admission, and the Schedule of Classes.

For advisors, there is a link to University of Maryland System Schools general education requirements (under construction) as well as previous issues of The Transfer Times.

If you would like a copy (or more) of either of these publications, give us a call at X48260 or email to tcc@info.deans.umd.edu.

THE BEST RESOURCE FOR TRANSFER COURSE INFORMATION

Although we received an updated version of ARTSYS (the MDCC articulation system) in June, we suggest using the TCEQ screen in SIS to access transfer course information for Maryland schools. The ARTSYS program places certain demands on a computer system and its users, and some offices have had difficulty accessing it. Further, the ARTSYS program on some college and departmental computers is woefully outdated by the many changes in articulation that have taken place around the state within the last two years.

TCEQ provides course equivalencies for accredited institutions across the country, and our data is on-line so additions and changes appear on the screens immediately. If you customarily use ARTSYS for information on general education requirements at sending institutions, you may find the link on our Website homepage a helpful resource. Of course, you may always call us for help.

If you prefer to use ARTSYS, contact Mary Bell at X48256 to get a copy of the latest edition installed on your computer.

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