COMPLIANCE AUDIT REPORTS

Section 3: Comprehensive Standard 3.4.4

The institution has a defined and published policy for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit for transfer, experiential learning, advanced placement, and professional certificates that is consistent with its mission and ensures that course work and learning outcomes are at the collegiate level and comparable to the institution’s own degree programs. The institution assumes responsibility for the academic quality of any course work or credit recorded on the institution’s transcript.

Statement of Compliance: Dyersburg State Community College is in compliance with Comprehensive Standard 3.4.4.

Rationale for Judgment of Compliance:

Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) awards credit for courses taken at other institutions (transfer credit), experiential learning, advanced placement examinations, and professional certificates. The awarding of such credit is consistent with DSCC’s mission statement [Ref 1] that “the College provides leadership in public service activities, work force development projects, and educational collaborations designed to cultivate integrity and self-worth, to embrace lifelong learning, to promote diversity, and to improve the community at large by producing educated and productive members of society.  Moreover, to improve the quality of life in the communities served, the College is strongly committed to developing and promoting civic and cultural opportunities, as well as economic and community development initiatives through partnerships with business and industry.”

The policies discussed below are published in the Academic Affairs and Regulations section of the 2006-2007 DSCC Catalog and Student Handbook [Ref 2] and conform to the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) policy for admissions which, in part, states the following concerning transfer students: “Institutions must develop policy and publish criteria regarding the awarding for transfer credit for collegiate and non-collegiate institutions, credit for examination, military and other formal training, and experiential learning. Such policies and procedures must, as a minimum, be consistent with national standards of good practice and the requirements of appropriate accrediting bodies” [Ref 3]. Additionally, these policies adhere to TBR Guideline A-030, which addresses articulation between community colleges and universities [Ref 4].

DSCC conforms to all of the categories listed in this standard for which it accepts credit.

Transfer Credit
DSCC accepts transfer credit from colleges and universities based upon the educational quality of the institution; the comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit to DSCC offerings; and the appropriateness and applicability of the credit hours to the student’s program at DSCC [Ref 5]. 

DSCC grants credit from institutions that are accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting associations for colleges and universities and uses the Higher Education Directory [Ref 6] to determine the accreditation of institutions. Transfer students seeking credit from a non-regionally accredited institution of higher learning (after Fall 1999) may receive credit only after review and approval by the appropriate academic dean. An Application for Acceptance of Credit Earned at Higher Education Institutions [Ref 7] is required for each course for which credit is requested.

Credit for international course work is in accordance with the International Academic Credentials Handbook [Ref 8], published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).

Degree-seeking applicants for admission who have enrolled for classes at another institution of higher education, regardless of whether they wish to receive credit for it, must submit a complete official transcript to the Office of Admissions and Records as required in the TBR policy for admissions [Ref 9]. As an open admissions institution, however, DSCC does permit a student to begin classes before all official transcripts have been received. Official transcripts must be in the Office of Admissions and Records by the end of the student’s first term of enrollment as published in the Requirements for Admission section of the annual catalog and student handbook [Ref 10].

Additional Means of Earning Credit
As outlined in the annual catalog and student handbook [Ref 11], DSCC awards credit through the following examination programs:

·         Advanced Placement (AP)

·         College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

·         Certified Professional Secretary (CPS)

·         Departmental examinations (select departments under limited conditions)

·         Tech Prep articulation (21 articulated DSCC courses)

Credit for external examination programs conforms to the recommendations of established organizations, including The College Board and The American Council on Education. Minimum score requirements and amount of credit comply with their recommendations.

As stated in the annual catalog and student handbook [Ref 12], DSCC will award credit for Experiential Learning under the following conditions:

A student who receives permission in advance from the dean of the academic division from which credit is desired may request up to 24 semester hours of college credit through the portfolio process using Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) guidelines [Ref 13]. Eligibility for credit under this policy requires that the student must have completed all developmental studies courses and 12 semester hours of college level classes with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

Authored by Mr. J Dan Gullett in coordination with the SACS Leadership Team

Documentation: