West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 135 - Community And Technical College Education › Title 135 - LEGISLATIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE EDUCATION › Series 135-17 - Transferability of Credits and Grades at West Virginia Public Colleges and Universities › Section 135-17-3 - Transfer Guidelines

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
3.1. It is
				the policy of the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College
				Education (Council) and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
				(Commission) that the transfer of credits among public institutions of higher
				education and with West Virginia private institutions will be completed
				consistent with appropriate and legitimate academic program integrity.
				Institutional practice is to ensure that students may transfer and apply toward
				the requirements for a degree the maximum number of credits earned at an
				institution that is accredited by a regional, national, programmatic or other
				accredited body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education with no
				additional requirements or as few requirements to repeat courses or to take
				additional courses above those required by a native student to complete the
				degree, as is consistent with sound academic policy.
3.2. To this end, the following policy
				guidelines are hereby promulgated:
3.2.a.
				Undergraduate level credits and grades earned at any public or private
				post-secondary institution in West Virginia shall generally be transferable to
				any other such institution. Use of grades for institutional purposes, such as,
				without limitation, criteria for academic probation, recognition for graduation
				with honors or other institutional purposes, shall be subject to the policy of
				the receiving institution.
3.2.b.
				Each post-secondary institution, both private and public, must make the course
				objectives for every credit-bearing course available to the public. These
				course objectives may be posted on an easily accessible location on the
				institution's web site or may be made available through college catalog or
				other easily accessible format.
3.2.c. Institutions shall use a 70 percent
				standard for determining if the earned course credit is equivalent to the
				receiving institution's comparable course. That, if 70 percent of the learning
				objectives are in alignment, then the receiving institution must accept the
				course credit.
3.2.d. Once the
				receiving institution has reviewed the course objectives of the course
				requested for alignment and transfer, the receiving institution must notify the
				student of the course credits awarded. If requested transfer course credit is
				not awarded, the receiving institution must provide clear and specific details
				to the student and sending institution in regard to:
3.2.d.1. The changes to the course curriculum
				that are needed to achieve 70 percent alignment;
3.2.d.2. Reason(s) that the receiving
				institution has denied course credit transfer;
3.2.d.3. Additional information or actions,
				if any, necessary to permit the transfer;
3.2.d.4. Information about resubmitting a
				course credit transfer request that has been denied.
3.2.d.5. The institutional process for
				transfer appeal and the process for appealing the decision to the Joint
				Recommending Committee for Transfer and Articulation
3.2.e. Each post-secondary institution, both
				public and private, shall establish an appeals process for the denial of
				transfer credit. At the completion of the second-to-final stage of the appeals
				process, the student may request review by an outside committee. The Council
				and the Commission shall establish a Joint Recommending Committee for Transfer
				and Articulation and establish procedures for operation. With private
				institution committee representation on the Committee, this committee hears
				such appeals and sends a recommendation to the president of the institution.
				The president or his or her designee at the institution issues the final
				decision. Each institution is required to publish procedures for appeal of
				denial of transfer credit in all appropriate catalogs and webpages. In an
				instance where an institution has not developed a transfer appeals process, the
				student may appeal directly to the Joint Recommending Committee for Transfer
				and Articulation.
3.2.f. Provided
				all other provisions of this rule are met, at least 60 and no more than 72
				hours of credits and grades completed at public or private post-secondary
				institutions in West Virginia and, if applicable, validated through a West
				Virginia community and technical college, shall be transferable to any public
				or private baccalaureate degree-granting institution in West Virginia. Course
				credit earned at any public or private baccalaureate degree-granting
				institution, may be forwarded directly to another baccalaureate degree-granting
				institution for review, validation, and award of transfer credit. Exceptions to
				the 72 hour transfer limitmay be made by the chief academic officer of the
				baccalaureate institution receiving the credits and grades.
3.2.g. With the exception of those enrolling
				in specialized four-year programs which have demonstrable and bona fide
				externally imposed requirements making such a goal impossible, students
				completing two-year associate degrees at public institutions in West Virginia
				shall generally, upon transfer to a baccalaureate-level degree-granting
				institution, have junior level status and be able to graduate with the same
				number of total credit hours as a non-transfer student at the same institution
				and in the same program. An exception may exist in any instance where the
				associate degree is a technical type designed for occupational/career purposes
				and the general education component is substantially of a markedly different
				nature than that required for a student at the same two-year institution
				enrolled in a college transfer associate degree program, or where requirements
				of the major have not been met.
3.2.h. In an effort to meet the needs of
				students enrolled in occupational/career associate degree programs at West
				Virginia public community and technical colleges who seek to complete
				baccalaureate-level education, the public baccalaureate institutions are
				encouraged to provide opportunities for students to enroll in applied
				baccalaureate-completion programs.
3.2.i. The Council and the Commission
				recognize the Regents Bachelor of Arts degree program as a degree completion
				program that serves graduates of the Board of Governors Associate in Applied
				Science degree program.
3.2.j. Each
				institution with baccalaureate-completion programs is encouraged to make full
				utilization of distance education, including on-line courses, to provide
				transferring students with associate degree credits the maximum opportunities
				to complete a baccalaureate degree.
3.2.k. In response to the statutory charge
				that undergraduate core coursework completed at a state institution is
				transferable as general studies credit to all other state institutions of
				higher education in West Virginia for credit with the grade earned, the Council
				and the Commission maintains a core coursework transfer agreement. The core
				coursework transfer agreement lists the general studies courses at each
				institution which have been approved for inclusion in the agreement and is
				updated annually. Under the terms of the agreement, a student may transfer up
				to thirty five credit hours of undergraduate coursework in the areas of English
				composition, communications and literature, fine arts appreciation,
				mathematics, natural science, and social science as general studies credits.
				The agreement establishes hours of coursework acceptable for transfer that will
				count toward fulfillment of general studies requirements. Since coursework is
				generally transferable among institutions in the state colleges and
				universities, a student could conceivably transfer more than thirty five hours
				of general studies credit from one institution to another that are provided for
				in this agreement. Each institution is to create internal processes to
				guarantee that courses listed on the Core Coursework Transfer Agreement, up to
				the 35 credit hour limit, are accepted at the receiving institution as general
				studies credit. Once an incoming student's general studies requirements have
				been fulfilled, or the maximum credit limit reached, the institution is to make
				a good faith effort to accept additional incoming credits listed on the Core
				Coursework Transfer Agreement. Any private post-secondary institution which
				wishes to participate in this core coursework transfer agreement may do so as
				the agreement is updated annually in the spring of each year.
3.2.l. There shall be developed and
				maintained specific detailed articulation agreements between appropriate public
				and private institutions in West Virginia. Information on articulation
				agreements between private post-secondary institutions, community and technical
				colleges and baccalaureate institutions in West Virginia, including specific
				courses that are part of the agreement, must be published in official campus
				materials and widely disseminated to students.
3.2.m. While each institution is encouraged
				to maintain high quality standards in its undergraduate transfer policy, it is
				also the expectation that each institution will be flexible in the
				establishment of any residence requirement. With the advent of instructional
				communications technology, particularly web-based instruction, and the emerging
				pattern of many students completing credits from a number of institutions,
				institutions may wish to eliminate or curtail substantially the imposition of a
				residency requirement for credits completed at the degree-granting institution.
				An institution may maintain, however, requirements for an appropriate minimum
				grade point average on previous work attempted and the grade point average for
				admission to a particular program.
3.2.n. Credits for graduate coursework at the
				master's level earned at a regionally accredited institution are generally
				transferable to a West Virginia college or university authorized to offer
				master's degree programs. The receiving institution may limit transfer credits
				to twelve hours and to those credits that meet master's degree program
				requirements.
3.2.o. Each West
				Virginia public and private post-secondary institution shall file its policy on
				transfer of academic credits including the appeals process with the
				Chancellor's office.