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The Transfer Credit Center |
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| Transfer Times, Dateline: February 2002 |
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February 2002 Volume 8, Number 1
Transfer Credit Spring Numbers
Who to Contact for Transcription Error Problems Do you have a student transcript that needs to be posted? Is a course missing? Entered twice? Is a semester missing? Is the credit level, grade earned, or course title on a transfer student's record incorrect? Here's a current list of contacts in the Office of the Registrar who can help correct these discrepancies:
As always, the staff of the TCC stands ready to assist if needed. No, these aren't shirt sizes, at least not in the TCC database. For those of you encountering these CORE codes for the first time, remember that each stands for half of the corresponding CORE lab course. So a course that transfers in as GEOL100 may have an "XP" code because at UMCP, a student must take both GEOL100 and 110 to receive CORE Physical Science Lab credit. In such cases, at the discretion of the College advisor, a student may receive CORE PS credit; IF you wish such the designation to be changed to PS (in your student's record only), call us or send a message to tccinfo@deans.umd.edu. One caveat: if the student has taken the equivalent of GEOL110 (for example) at the sending institution and either withdrawn or earned a non-transferable grade, the CORE XP designation may also appear, but since NO lab course transfers without the corresponding lecture, that credit should be declared non-applicable (use the TranApp screen or call us if you need help on this). There have been more changes than usual to our articulation of these examinations; as you will see when you check our webcharts. As always, where the equivalency has become less favorable, the articulation will take place starting the fall following the current catalog year. In this way, students who would have used the current catalog to plan their high school programs will receive those equivalencies when they arrive here in 9208. High school guidance counselors appreciate that. However, where the equivalency has become more favorable to the student (e.g., when a new exam is recognized for credit), that change takes place immediately. The English department will no longer be awarding credit for any CLEP exam. Students who would have submitted a portfolio in support of their CLEP score are urged to contact the Freshman Writing office before applying for a Portfolio Exemption On the Hunt for Non-Transferable Coursework The TCC typically makes adjustments to students' records during their first semester on campus to accurately reflect late departmental evaluations whenever courses are deemed non-transferable because they are pre-collegiate, remedial/preparatory, vocational/technical, experiential or religious in nature. To ensure that all students are treated fairly, receiving the same evaluation for the same course, we have recently developed a BRIO query which audits all (incoming only--we will not adjust "old" evaluations without prior notification) student records simultaneously against late evaluations and marks them for adjustment. We piloted this tool in 0008 and have refined it considerably as an early measure against discrepancies that may show up in graduation audits. Colleges will still be able to grant exceptions for a course for an individual student based on circumstances (e.g., advisor error), but exceptions will now be noted in SIS by TCC to flag them against future credit adjustments. We will run these checks periodically during a student's first semester as late transcripts arrive and courses that need syllabi for evaluation are determined. As always, we appreciate your diligence in spotting possible non-transferable work, or other transfer credit problems. Update on International Credit Our foray into this arena is proceeding slowly. Presently we have over seven hundred courses evaluated from 98 foreign institutions. That is a tiny fraction of our domestic database, but we anticipate continuing growth as more international schools adopt the semester concept and standard course IDs, field a presence on the web, offer English as well as native language course descriptions online, etc. You can help, too, by forwarding any identifiable international course ID and title with your evaluation for a student. We are happy to put the evaluation directly in the student's record, but if it could stand for others as well, we would like to enter it in the database. USM Set for Major Review of College Park Recommended Transfer Programs It's that time again. Time to update your department's Recommended Transfer Programs (RTPs) on the ARTSYS website. Students (and advisors) at the community colleges depend on these pages to provide them with a roadmap for smooth transfer to various UM programs. Seth Kamen from the System office will be contacting several departments on campus during March and April to verify that the lower-level courses recommended on the ARTSYS website for prospective transfers to your programs are current and that the programs reflect any curricular changes made since the last update. If you have questions, give us a call. We know, we know. When was the last time you took a pop-quiz? Just humor us. The question is: Which of the students below is automatically exempt from having to take CORE classes here at U of M?
Student #1 - has a BA/BS from an out of state school The answer may surprise you. It's "none of the above." While a bachelor's degree from an out of state school or a Maryland private school never exempts a student from CORE here, there are only limited situations in which a degree from a Maryland 4 year institution does so. Under the 1996 statewide articulation agreements, receiving institutions may require up to 46 semester hours of general education work from all students. Students with degrees who come from schools requiring fewer than 46 credits (the College Park requirement) can and should be required to fill in any remaining gaps in their College Park curriculum up to our requirement of 46 semester hours. This rule also applies to College Park lower-level general education courses in cases where students have transferred with degrees from Maryland Community Colleges. If the sending institution requires fewer than 34 credits at the lower level (the College Park minimum), the student is required to complete the difference here at College Park. Many times, for example, this will mean that a student must complete a literature course or other requirement here. A complete list of Maryland public institutions is available online at http://www.tce.umd.edu/genedminimums.html. For additional details however, see COMAR Title 13B, Subtitle 06.04.E (pg. 10 in current undergraduate catalog) or give Glenn or Theresa a call. Degree Navigator (DN) has arrived, and TCC is working closely with its implementation. To ensure that all transfer coursework is seamlessly integrated into your students' online audits, be sure to report all equivalencies (including special exceptions you've granted) to TCC for inclusion in SIS. Once done, the online auditor will be able to automatically pick up those courses and include them in the proper places on your students' audits. In the future, DN will allow advisors to make exceptions online as well. If it happens that you are off-campus and want to find the TCC website quickly, use GOOGLE or nearly any other major search engine. Type "Transfer Credit Center" into the search field; the first hit should be our site. Proceed as usual. Permission to Enroll...or Not? It is up to you, departmental and college advisors, to allow or forbid a student to enroll in another institution and transfer credit back here. If you are using TCC to determine equivalencies, please be sure to note effective dates and footnotes such as "17" (also noted with a red "X" in AC column)--meaning "No Advance Permission." If you choose to allow a student to enroll in a course with a red "X," remember that the student's record will need to be adjusted manually once their transfer institution transcript is received. If you need guidance on when this exemption/adjustment is appropriate (for example, when the student is using the course as a lower-level elective, not a CORE or major requirement), give us a call. New to Campus? Want to learn more? If you'd like to learn more about the mission and work of the Transfer Credit Center, please feel free to contact tccinfo@deans.umd.edu with any questions you may have. If you'd like to set up a short transfer credit training session, please contact either Theresa at (301) 314-8413 or Glenn at (301) 314-8256 and we will be happy to set up a time to visit your office. Your Input (that's right, we need it.) Corrections are of course very important. We want a database that is 100% accurate, but with the numbers noted above, it is a struggle to keep it error free. We appreciate every complaint you make (REALLY!) and endeavor to correct any mistake within seconds of its report (although sometimes some research is necessary). Your suggestions for enhancement are equally important. Even though TCC must take its place in the programming priority list, please keep them coming!
Mitchell Building, University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 (301) 314-8385 or (301) 314-8240 tccinfo@deans.umd.edu |
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Copyright © 2008 The Universities of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A. Last Modified Wed Apr 03, 2002 21:04:40 |