EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS POLICIES AWARDING ADVANCED STANDING

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1 EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS POLICIES AWARDING ADVANCED STANDING Policy Number: Last Reviewed: April 22, 2015 Responsible Department: Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs I. PURPOSE To establish procedures for granting and recording advanced placement/transfer credit. II. AUTHORITY The President has given the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs the responsibility and authority to establish and enforce the college s Awarding Advanced Standing Policy. III. APPLICABILITY This policy applies to all curriculum placed and enrolled students at the college. IV. PROCEDURES Students may seek advanced standing credit by (A) transferring credit earned at other regionally accredited colleges and universities; (B) receiving credit for courses and training completed in the military, criminal justice academies, technology certification programs, and health services certification programs; and (C) taking and achieving acceptable scores on standardized tests and examinations. To be eligible to apply for advanced credit, a student must be admitted to the College and officially placed in a curriculum and be currently enrolled. There is no limit on the number of credits that may be awarded through advanced credit, but advanced standing credits may not be used to fulfill the residency requirement for graduation. A minimum of 25 percent of the credits required for a degree or certificate must be earned at ESCC. All accepted advanced standing credits will be acknowledged and recorded on the student s permanent record, with the transferring agency or source of the credit identified. No grades, scores, or grade points will be recorded on the student s permanent record for credits earned through advanced standing procedures. 1

2 A. Credits Earned at Post-secondary Institutions Official transcripts are required. Only official transcripts will be evaluated. An official transcript is one that has the seal of the institution and the signature of an official of that institution. An official transcript must be received in a sealed envelope from the sending institution with no overt sign of having been opened or otherwise disturbed. Official transcripts may be mailed directly from the transferring institution to the Admissions and Records Office at ESCC or delivered in acceptable condition. Note: Official transcripts are not required from other Virginia Community College System (VCCS) institutions. Official transcripts are not required if students do not wish to transfer any credits to ESCC. 1. Registration before Transcripts are Evaluated: The evaluation of transcripts is intended as a service to students who are pursuing academic programs at ESCC. It is not intended as a means for credentialing students or providing documentation for job promotions. Students must be in a curriculum, enrolled in classes, and submit a Transfer Request Form to Admissions and Records. 2. Initiation of the Evaluation Process: The Registrar will perform an evaluation of all official transcripts upon receipt of the Transfer Request Form if the student is curriculum placed and enrolled in classes. Results will be posted to the student s myescc account within 30 working days. 3. Accreditation Required: Credit is transferable from colleges and universities that are accredited by the Commission on Colleges or the Commission on Higher Education of the regional accrediting associations. Credit also may be transferred from other accredited institutions if the credit is deemed to be college-level by the Registrar and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Transfer credit may be awarded from non-regionally accredited institutions with the approval of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Students requesting transfer credit from non-regionally accredited institutions must submit course syllabi and course descriptions for review by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and, at his/her discretion, appropriate department chairs and faculty in the discipline in question. Upon the approval of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, transfer credit will be awarded consistent with ESCC policies addressing the acceptance of transfer credit from regionally accredited institutions. 4. Course Specific Credit: All courses that are applicable in the student s curriculum will be transferred as closely to the VCCS course equivalents as possible. If this is not possible, elective credit may be given. The Registrar will determine if such elective credit may be applied in a student s specific curriculum. Courses that are not considered applicable in the student s curriculum may not be transferred by the 2

3 Registrar. The Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs may subsequently recommend that such courses be transferred. Transfer courses accepted could affect financial aid eligibility. 5. Required Grades: Only courses with grades of C or higher will be accepted for transfer credit. Courses with grades of P (for a pass/fail course) or the designation Cr (for credit) will be accepted for transfer if the transcript indicates that credit hours were awarded. 6. Sequence Quarter Courses: Sequential quarter courses (two or three quarters) in which one or more grades of D were earned may be transferred as a sequence at full credit if the grades for the sequence average at least a grade of C. Failing grades will not be accepted for averaging. Grade averaging will be weighted by the credit hour value of the courses. 7. Natural Science Courses with Separate Labs: For courses with separate lecture and laboratory grades, a C average or higher must be earned in order for credit to be awarded. Failing grades are not accepted for averaging. If a student receives a grade of F in either the lecture or the laboratory, the course will not be accepted. Grade averaging will be weighted by the credit hour value of the courses. 8. Ten-Year Limit on Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Accounting, and Marketing credits: Transfer credit for natural science, mathematics, accounting, administrative support technology, advertising, and marketing courses taken more than ten years ago will not be awarded. The Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs may make exceptions to this policy. 9. Five-Year Limit on Information Technology and Computer Science credits: Transfer credit for information technology and computer science courses taken more than five years ago will not be awarded. The Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs may make exceptions to this policy. 10. SDV 100-College Success Skills: Credit for College Success Skills (SDV 100) (1 credit) will be granted to transfer students who have completed associate or bachelor s degrees. Students having 24 transferable semester credits denoted on their myescc account can appeal to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs for SDV 100 credit. 11. Physical Education: One credit of the physical education requirement will be granted for physical education courses taken at other institutions that have different methods of indicating completion of the physical education requirement. For example, some institutions do not award credit for physical education, simply indicating completion. 3

4 12. English on International Transcripts: International students presenting an evaluated transcript from a non-u.s. college or university that recommends credit for English composition may be awarded credit for ENG 111 if the student qualifies for ENG 111 on the institution s placement tests. 13. Time of Evaluation: The Registrar will complete the official review of a student s transcript once the student has completed a Transfer Credit Request Form and submitted the form to the Admissions and Records Office. Review will take place within 30 working days if the student is curriculum placed and enrolled. Other credits such as CLEP will be reviewed at the time they are officially received through the U.S. mail and posted to the student s account if the student is curriculum placed, currently enrolled in classes, and applicable to their degree program. In order to receive Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit, students are encouraged to ensure that official score reports are forwarded by the College Board and request credit through submission of the Transfer Credit Request form or via once they have been curriculum placed and enrolled. Students should complete the Transfer Credit Request Form to request AP scores be evaluated and awarded to the student s account if the student is curriculum placed and currently enrolled. B. Credits Earned in Non-traditional Education/Training Programs 1. Military-Related Experiences Credit will be granted for military service school courses and skills if the awarding of credit is recommended in the current edition of the American Council on Education publication, A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services and approved by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs of the student s chosen curriculum. The following information must be obtained: a. Full and correct title of course; b. Location of training; c. Length of course in weeks; d. Exact dates of attendance; and e. Branch of Service that gave the course Upon admission to the college, active duty service members and veterans may request official transcripts of their service connected course work through the Joint Services Transcript(JST) repository available to those who served in the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. Those who served in the Air Force will need to obtain transcripts through the Community College of the Air Force. In accordance with the guidelines set forth by the American Council on Education, as well as the recommendations of the appropriate division dean, credit will be awarded for 4

5 course work and occupations that are applicable to the curriculum. Transcripts may be obtained through the Joint Services Transcript website at Military service courses and skills should be equivalent to ESCC courses and will be used as the student s program determines. Military service credit in occupationaltechnical areas that is ten or more years old and is to be applied toward graduation in the occupational-technical area must be approved by the appropriate Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Students who have completed basic training, regardless of the date of military experience, may receive 2 PED elective credits. Air Force personnel, both active and veteran, must submit a CCAF (Community College of the Air Force) transcript. Transcripts may be obtained from CCAF/RRR, 130 West Maxwell Blvd., Maxwell Air Force Base, AL CCAF will not accept fax requests for transcripts. 2. Criminal Justice Academies Per the statewide agreement, ESCC will grant credit for the completion of training programs certified by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Graduates shall provide their official transcripts from the Department of Criminal Justice Services to certify successful completion. Credits will be awarded as follows: a. Law Enforcement Officer ADJ credits PED Electives 2 credits ADJ Electives 3 credits b. Corrections Officer ADJ credits PED Electives 2 credits c. Jailer ADJ credits PED Elective 1 credit 3. Virginia State Police Academy Per the statewide agreement, credits will be awarded as follows: ADJ credits ADJ credits ADJ credits ADJ Electives 6 credits 5

6 PED Electives 2 credits 4. Health Services Experiences a. Emergency Medical Technician Certification Evidence of current certification, such as the EMT certification card, must be presented to Admissions and Records to receive the following: EMT-Basic, Virginia EMS credits EMS credit EMT-Enhanced, Virginia EMS credits EMS credit EMT-Intermediate, Virginia EMS credits EMS credits EMS credits EMS credits EMS credit EMS credit b. First Aid and CPR Certifications Evidence of current certification, such as a First Aid or CPR card, must be presented to Admissions and Records to receive the following: First Aid and CPR Cards HLT credits CPR Card HLT credit First Aid Card HLT Elective 1 credit CPR for Healthcare Providers and First Aid Cards HLT credits CPR and AED Defibrillator Cards HLT credit 6

7 HLT Elective 1 credit NOTE: Online CPR/First Aid cards/documentation are not accepted at Eastern Shore Community College. 5. Child Care Credentials a. Child Development Associate Credential Students who present the Child Development Associate Credential will be awarded 6 credits. Students must present their credentials to the program head of the Early Childhood Development Program. The program head will forward the credential with a letter specifying which CHD courses are to be awarded to the Admissions and Records Office. b. Early Childhood Care Certification Evidence of minimum scores of 75% on the written and 80% on the performance tests of the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOTCI) must be submitted to Admissions and Records to receive the following: CHD credits CHD credits Note: In order to receive this credit, a student must enroll in the Early Childhood Development Program at Eastern Shore Community College within three years of taking the NOCTI. 6. IT Industry Certifications A+ Certification: ITN 101 (3 credits) MCSE Certification (2003 or higher): ITN 112 (3 credits) MOS Certification-Proficient Level-Word 2007: AST 132 (1 credit) MOS Certification-Proficient Level-Excel 2007: ITE 141 (1 credit) MOS Certification-Proficient Level-Access 2007: ITE 151 (1 credit) MOS Certification-Proficient Level-PowerPoint 2007: AST 147 (1 credit) MOS Certification-Expert Level-Word 2007: AST 134 (1 credit) C. Credits Earned in Standardized Examinations 1. Advanced Placement Examination Program (AP) The College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) administers advanced placement examinations that enable high school students to complete college-level courses while still in high school, to demonstrate college-level achievements through examinations, and to receive college course credit when they matriculate at an 7

8 institution of higher learning. AP credit is only awarded to students who are enrolled in classes at ESCC and are curriculum-placed. For evaluation, students must have official AP score reports from ETS forwarded to the Admissions and Records Office at ESCC. College credit will be awarded for minimum scores of 3 on the following examinations: Examination Course Equivalent Credit Art History ART Art Studio 2D ART Art Studio 3D ART Art Studio: Drawing ART Art Studio: General ART Art Studio Photo PHT Biology BIO Chemistry CHM Chinese language and Culture CHI Computer Science AB CSC Economics, Macro ECO Economics, Micro ECO English Language & Composition ENG Environmental Science ENV French Language FRE French Literature FRE German GER Government & Politics/Comparative PLS Government & Politics/U.S. PLS History, U.S. HIS History, European HIS History, World HIS Human Geography GEO Japanese language and Culture JPN Latin/Literature or Virgil LAT Mathematics (Calculus AB) MTH Mathematics (Calculus BC) MTH Music Theory MUS Physics B PHY Physics C/Mechanics PHY Physics C/Electricity & Magnetism PHY Psychology PSY Spanish Language SPA Spanish Literature SPA or SPA Statistics MTH College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) 8

9 CLEP is a national program of credit-by-examination that offers students the opportunity to document their existing knowledge for 100 and 200 level collegiate courses. Eastern Shore Community College accepts most of the CLEP offered exams, and uses the American Council on Education recommended minimum score of 50 for most tests when awarding CLEP credit. For higher level courses, the minimum score may be higher and will be noted. CLEP credit is awarded only to students who are enrolled in classes at ESCC and who are curriculum-placed and who have submitted an official CLEP transcript to the Admissions and Records Office. CLEP examinations taken at Eastern Shore Community College do not count toward the 25 percent coursework (see Experiential Learning). Award of credit through advanced standing shall be given, to the extent possible, to courses listed in the current ESCC Catalog. In certain instances, advanced standing credit may be awarded for courses listed in the Virginia Community College System Master Course Guide. The college reserves the right to decline the acceptance of courses that do not match the curriculum requirements of the students program of study and/or cannot be used as an elective. CLEP examinations are administered at Eastern Shore Community College by the Testing Center. CLEP examinations are not administered at Eastern Shore during the last two weeks of a semester or during the final examination period. Exam Title Minimum Score Eastern Shore Equivalent Course(s) Credits Awarded American Government 50 PLS 211 & PLS American Literature 50 ENG 214 & Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 50 ENG 251 & Biology 50 BIO 101 & Calculus 50 MTH Chemistry 50 CHM 111 & College Algebra 50 MTH College Composition 50 ENG 111 & ENG College Mathematics 50 MTH 151 & MTH English Literature 50 ENG 243 & Financial Accounting 50 ACC French Language 50 FRE 101 & French Language 59 FRE 101 & 102 and FRE 201 & German Language 50 GER 101 & German Language 60 GER 101 & 102 and GER 201 & History of the US I: Colonization to 50 HIS History of the US II: 1865 to Present 50 HIS Human Growth and Development 50 PSY Humanities 50 HUM 201 & HUM Information Systems & Computer 50 ITE

10 Applications Introductory Business Law 50 BUS Introductory Psychology 50 PSY Introductory Sociology 50 SOC Precalculus 50 MTH 163 & MTH Principles of Macroeconomics 50 ECO Principles of Management 50 BUS Principles of Marketing 50 MKT Principles of Microeconomics 50 ECO Spanish Language 50 SPA 101 & Spanish Language 63 SPA 101 & 102 and SPA 201 & Western Civilization I: Ancient Near 50 HIS East to 1648 Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present 50 HIS Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES) ESCC awards specific course credit for acceptable scores, as recommended by the American Council on Educations, on DANTES college-level examinations as reported by DANTES. Several types of examinations are reported: end of course examinations for correspondence, extension courses from regionally accredited colleges and universities, College-Level Tests of General Educational Development given prior to 1960, and General Examination of the College-Level Examination Program. Also, college course credits may be granted for tests administered by the United States Armed Forces Institutes (USAFI) prior to June 1, Scores at the 40th percentile and above are accepted by ESCC. Scores at the 20th percentile and above are accepted for DANTES exams taken prior to September A complete listing of current and prior tests and recommended scores may be found in ACE s 2004 Guide to Educational Credit by Examination. 4. International Baccalaureate (IB) Students completing the Higher Level exams for International Baccalaureate may be granted advanced standing credit for these exams if a score of 5 or above is achieved. IB Examination Score of 5 Scores of 6 & 7 Art Design ART 131, 3 cr. ART , 6 cr. Biology BIO 101, 4 cr. BIO , 8 cr. Chemistry CHM 111, 4 cr. CHM , 8 cr. Computing Studies CSC 201, 4 cr. CSC , 8 cr. English A1 ENG 111, 3 cr. ENG , 6 cr. English B ENG 111, 3 cr. ENG 111, 3 cr. French A1 or B FRE , no cr. FRE , 6 cr. German A1 or B GER , no cr. GER , 6 cr. Geography GEO 220, 3 cr. GEO 205, 220, 7 cr. History HIS 101, 3 cr. HIS , 6 cr. 10

11 V. SANCTIONS History of the Americas (only if 5, 6, or 7) HIS Elective, 6 cr. Mathematics MTH 173, 5 cr. MTH , 10 cr. Students must have an official report of exam scores sent from the International Baccalaureate Organization to the registrar at their campus. The college considers violation of this Policy to be a serious offense. Violations of this policy will be referred to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs for enforcement and sanctions. VI. INTERPRETATION The authority to interpret this policy rests with the President, and is generally delegated to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Approved: Linda Thomas-Glover, President Date 11