Admissions

Transfer

Transfer Curricula
The following statement of policy was adopted by the Coordinating Board, Texas College and University System, on January 31, 1992. The following mandatory provisions regarding transfer of course credits pertain only to credits earned at a Texas public community college or university accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. (All provisions are to be considered together. For example, provision 1 is qualified by provision 5.)

1. A community college or university shall evaluate course credits presented by admissible transfer students on the same basis as if the credits had been earned at the receiving institution.

2. The content of a course as reflected in its description, not its source of funding, shall determine its transferability and applicability to a degree program.

3. No university shall be required to accept by transfer or toward a degree more than 66 semester hours, or one-half of the degree requirements if these constitute fewer than 66 hours, of credits earned by a student in a community college. In addition to the courses listed in the appropriate approved transfer curriculum, the university may count additional lower division courses in the student’s major to give the total of 66 hours. No university is required by this policy to accept more than 66 hours; however, the university may accept additional hours.

4. Any student transferring from a community college to a university shall have the same choice of catalog designating degree requirements as the student would have had if the dates of attendance at the university had been the same as the dates of attendance at the community college.

5. Each Texas public community college or university shall accept course credits earned by any student transferring from another accredited Texas public community college or university provided such credits are within the approved transfer curriculum of the student’s declared major field at the receiving institution. Each Texas public community college or university shall grant full value for transfer curriculum course credits toward degree requirements as they apply to the student’s declared major. Additional course credits may be accepted in transfer at the discretion of the receiving institution.

6. Since courses included in each transfer curriculum vary according to the major subject areas represented, a student should be advised to declare a major prior to attaining sophomore standing at a community college. The student shall be required to declare a major at the time a request is made for admission to a degree program at a university. Students should be advised that a change of major may result in loss of credits earned in the previous program.

7. A student shall not be required to complete an entire transfer curriculum for credits in individual courses to be transferable and applicable to a degree program.

8. Each Texas public community college or university should designate a member of its faculty or staff as its articulation officer. The articulation officer will be responsible for the dissemination of information relating to the transfer of credit and transfer curricula on his or her campus. The articulation officer will be responsible for coordinating the evaluation of transfer credit by advisors within the various academic units on his or her campus to ensure consistency. In the absence of the designation of an articulation officer, the institution’s admissions officer will be presumed to fill this role.

9. Any difference in interpretation regarding application of these general provisions which arises between a Texas public community college and a university in regard to transfer of credit should be resolved by conference between appropriate representatives of the involved schools with their articulation officers serving as facilitators. If a difference in interpretation cannot be resolved, either institution may request the Coordinating Board staff to mediate, and if necessary, to appoint a committee consisting of equal numbers of community college and university representatives to recommend a solution to the Commissioner of Higher Education.

10. When approved by the Coordinating Board, the transfer curriculum for each subject area shall be published individually and disseminated with these general provisions by the Coordinating Board to the chief academic officer, articulation officer, registrar, and other appropriate administrators of higher education in Texas.

11. Institutions are encouraged to assist the Coordinating Board staff in developing course tables for each transfer curriculum. Articulation officers at the universities will be the contacts for the Coordinating Board staff in obtaining the numbers of equivalent courses for each transfer curriculum and in periodic updating of such tables.

12. Each transfer curriculum shall include a general description of every course in that curriculum. The Coordinating Board shall provide for the review and revision of each curriculum as needed or at least every five years.

13. Any community college or university choosing to grant credit for courses taken by non-traditional modes shall evaluate and validate the learning according to policy established at the receiving institution. Examples of non-traditional modes include:
    a. national examination
    b. institutional examination taken in lieu of course enrollment
    c. course taken at non-degree granting institution (e.g., military)
    d. work experience or
    e. life experience
The specific nature of this credit shall be so indicated on the student’s transcript. The total amount of non-traditional credit accepted, if any, shall be entirely controlled by the receiving institution.

14. Institutions which establish institution-wide enrollment ceilings or specific program enrollment controls may be exempted from certain of these general provisions by the Commissioner of Higher Education upon adequate justification.

Transfer Credit to WTC
Any class being transferred in by an institution of higher education and any courses transcripted from consortia institutions will be examined by the registrar and reviewed by, and the final decision made by, the Curriculum Committee to ensure they meet the requirements of Western Texas College and the principles of accreditation of The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Students on academic or disciplinary suspension from the last college or university attended will be considered for admission to Western Texas College on an individual basis only. Credit for courses in which a passing grade (“D” or better if the student’s overall grade average is “C” or better) has been earned may be transferred to Western Texas College from any college accredited through one of the regional accrediting associations of the Association of Colleges and Schools. College policy is NOT to transfer credits received from any U.S. institution not so accredited.  Grades of “D” will not transfer to WTC in English Composition, ENGL 1301, ENGL 1302.  Developmental, remedial or any other non-degree credit course cannot be used for transfer or in determining the 2.0 (“C”) transfer average. Coursework completed at a college outside the United States will be considered for transfer on an individual basis. A course-by-course evaluation of a transferred transcript will be completed by the Registrar in consultation with the curriculum committee. Students are required to submit an official transcript from each school previously attended. A student’s transcript will have a “hold” placed on it until all transcripts from each school previously attended are received. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure all transcripts have been received in the Registrar’s office. A WTC transcript will not be issued if a student’s file is not complete or has a “hold” placed on it.

Transfer Dispute Resolution for Lower Division Courses
If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, that institution shall give written notice to the student and other institution that the transfer of the course credit is denied.

The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with Board rules and/or guidelines.

If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the institution at which the credit was earned within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of the denial, the institution that denies the transfer of the course credit shall notify the Commissioner of its denial and the reason for the denial.

The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner’s designee shall make the final determination about a dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.