Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited
Institutions
Edited by
Roy Alden Atwood
Updated October 24, 2013
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
Table of Contents
I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3
II. National Higher Education Associations ........................................................................................ 6
A. Council for Higher Education Accreditation
6
B. AACRAO, ACE and CHEA Joint Statement on Transfer
9
III. National Accreditor Transfer Policies .......................................................................................... 12
A. Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Transfer Policies (TRACS)
12
B. Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE)
13
C. Association of Theological Schools (ATS) Commission on Accrediting
14
IV. Regional Accreditor Transfer Policies .......................................................................................... 15
A. Middle States Commission on Higher Education
15
B. New England Association of Schools and Colleges
17
C. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission
20
D. Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (NWCCU)
22
E. Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges
25
F. Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC)
27
V. Model Student Handout on Transfer Issues ................................................................................ 30
VI. Model Letter to Institutions Denying TRACS Transfers.......................................................... 32
VII. Contact Information ......................................................................................34
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
I. Introduction
Roy Alden Atwood, Ph.D.
President, New Saint Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho
Purpose
The purpose of this Handbook is to provide TRACS-accredited college and university administrators and students with
resources for preparing transfer requests or responding to adverse accreditation-based decisions on transfers or graduate
admissions. The documents and resources below include transfer guidelines from the leading national higher education
associations, transfer policies from major national and regional accrediting agencies, a sample student handout explaining
the transfer process, a sample letter responding to adverse decisions, and contact information for key individuals and
agencies that should be informed whenever a substantive accreditation-based transfer or graduate admission problem
arises with non-TRACS institutions.
Accreditation-Based Transfer Problems
Historically, regional accrediting agencies dominated higher education accreditation, but since the 1970s institutional,
technological, and programmatic developments in higher education led to a need for great differentiation and specificity
between the types of institutions being certified through accreditation. Today the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA), the nation’s leading peer organization for quality assurance in higher education, recognizes at
least four major categories of accrediting bodies:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Regional Accrediting Organizations
National Faith-Related Accrediting Organizations (such as TRACS)
National Career-Related Accrediting Organizations, and
Programmatic Accrediting Organizations
(The complete Directory of CHEA Recognized Organizations 2012-2013 can be found here as a pdf file.)
CHEA’s Statement on Transfer and Seven Criteria for Transfer Decisions
The definitive standard on transfer policies for higher education institutions is CHEA’s Statement on Transfer in the Public
Interest (http://chea.org/pdf/transfer_state_02.pdf). It articulates the profession-wide consensus on the criteria for
evaluating a student’s academic work and credits for transfer across different accrediting agency lines. The CHEA
Statement identifies seven criteria that should inform any transfer decision made by a CHEA-recognized accredited
institutions. They are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The educational quality of the sending institution
The comparability of credit to be transferred to the receiving institution
The appropriateness and the applicability of the credit in relation to the programs offered by the receiving
institution
Balance in the use of accreditation status in transfer decisions, so that transfer decisions are not made solely
on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution, and that students receive reasonable explanations
about how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving institution
and how work is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements of the
receiving institution.
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5.
6.
7.
Consistency: The considerations that inform transfer decisions by institutions and accreditors should be
applied consistently in the context of changing student attendance patterns and emerging new providers of
higher education
Accountability for effective public communication means institutions and accreditors assure that students
and the public are fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices, and that
the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and efficiency.
A commitment to address innovation expects institutions and accreditors to be flexible and open in
considering alternative approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students.
Unfortunately, a number of U.S. Department of Education- and CHEA-recognized accredited institutions (including a
number of Christian colleges) have been slow, for whatever reason(s), to follow these criteria and to accept the growing
diversity in higher education institutions and accreditation. Though these regionally accredited institutions may be
members of CHEA, their transfer policies and practices often fail to comply with the standards set forth in CHEA’s
Statement on Transfer. This has resulted in an unfortunate accreditation-based form of discrimination that denies some
students the opportunity to transfer their credits from one U.S. Department of Education- and CHEA-recognized
accredited institution to another solely based on the source of accreditation of the sending institution. This ought not to be, but
sadly it still happens. Hence, the need for this handbook.
The Authority and Responsibility for Transfer Requests and Final Decisions
The final authority for all transfer decisions belongs rightfully and appropriately to the institution(s) receiving the credit.
This is important because in the final analysis each institution must be responsible for its own academic quality and
integrity. No institution should be compelled to accept students with inferior academic records or demonstrated
inabilities to meet the academic standards of the receiving institution. At the same time, the admission and transfer
standards of a receiving institution should be clear and publicly accessible to any potential transfer student or applicant.
It is also the responsibility of the sending institution to ensure that a student’s academic record is complete, clear and
consistent with commonly accepted academic standards. TRACS institutions should also make it clear to students who
may be considering to transfer or apply to graduate school (through an appropriate section in the Student Handbook or
a handout on transfer issues available from the Registrar [see V. Model Student Handout below]) that transferring credit
or admission to graduate school across accreditation lines (between a TRACS school and a regionally accredited
program, for example) can be problematic. The sending institution should also be prepared to help students navigate
those turbulent accreditation waters as much as possible. Direct communication between Registrars, Deans, and
Presidents can often help eliminate confusion, institutional and personal biases, and discrimination, and pave the way for
the student to achieve his or her academic goals and interests with a minimum of headaches or hassles.
Inter-institutional Understandings and Articulation Agreements
Whenever a TRACS institution has students or graduates applying to the same institutions year after year, it is wise for
the TRACS institution to seek some kind of inter-institutional understanding or articulation agreement with that
receiving institution. Such agreements, usually handled through the respective registrar offices, will formally recognize
the quality of the TRACS-accredited courses and degrees and simplify the work of the receiving institution’s admissions
staff and transfer evaluators. Best of all, such agreements greatly reduce the problems TRACS college alumni will face
when moving across accreditation lines. Even if an official articulation agreement may not be possible, it is wise for
TRACS-accredited institution’s registrars to develop a working, professional relationship with their peer registrars at the
receiving institutions most frequently sought out by their students.
A Suggested Process for Handling Accreditation-Based Transfer Problems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Confirm that your institution’s academic record-keeping and transcripts are consistent with commonly accepted
academic practices (see the AACRAO website, www.aacrao.org).
Keep records of all previous student transfers and graduate admission successes (these may be helpful to receiving
institutions concerned about the quality of your institution’s academic programs, course credits or degrees).
Develop professional relationships with registrars at institutions that have previously accepted transfer students
from your institution (or that you’d like to accept transfer students in the future). Maintain those over time.
Educate your students generally about accreditation issues, the politics of accreditation, and the challenges of the
transfer process (perhaps sharing this Handbook with them). Make it clear that they may not be able to transfer
credits successfully to certain institutions (for both legitimate and illegitimate reasons).
Fully inform students who are sending transcripts to non-TRACS institutions about the challenges they may face
(see Model Student Handout below) when they request transcripts to be sent to non-TRACS institutions.
Advise students to keep careful records of all correspondence and conversations regarding their transfer request or
graduate admission process. These records may be crucial in an appeal or in helping the student when trouble arises.
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7.
If a student encounters accreditation-related transfer or admissions trouble, make sure he or she notifies you
immediately and review the details of the communication between the student and the receiving institution.
8. If the decision to reject transfer credit or to deny admission appears to be based solely on the accreditation status of
your institution, then craft a letter or email (see Model Letter below) firmly pointing out the institution’s failure to
follow commonly accepted standards for transfer of credit or admissions and note that its adverse decision against
the student may constitute discriminatory behavior. Be sure to copy (a) the Vice President of CHEA, (b) the
President of TRACS, and (c) the executive of the receiving institution’s accrediting body.
9. Provide the student with copies of this correspondence and any additional documents or resources so they he/she
is fully equipped to discuss these matters intelligently with the receiving institution’s registrar or dean.
10. If the receiving institution relents and accepts the transfer credits or considers the student’s work as it should have
initially, according to commonly accepted academic standards, then thank the institution in writing. If the receiving
institution refuses to accept transfer credits or admit the student solely on the basis of the accreditation status of the
sending institution, then file a letter of protest with CHEA and the receiving institution’s accrediting body.
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
II. National Higher Education Associations
A. Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Statement to the Community: Transfer & the Public Interest
http://www.chea.org/pdf/transfer_state_02.pdf
I
n December 1998, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) convened a Committee on Transfer
and the Public Interest to examine the role of transfer in higher education. This committee attempted to define the
responsibilities of national, regional and specialized accreditors as they work with colleges and universities to assure
quality in a changing environment for transfer. This statement, the result of the committee’s efforts, is addressed to
institutions, accreditors and national higher education associations seeking to maintain and enhance conditions of
transfer for students. Transfer issues are not simple, new or easily resolved. This statement seeks to energize the ongoing
national conversation about transfer decision making, setting into motion a more open and accountable transfer process.
“Transfer” as used here refers to the movement of students from one college, university or other education provider to
another and to the process by which credits representing educational experiences, courses, degrees or credentials are
accepted or not accepted by a receiving institution. The classic form of transfer is vertical transfer, which is to say
movement from a two-year college to a four-year college.
Why Examine Transfer at This Time?
Higher education is experiencing a significant change in how students attend college and who provides higher education.
Both can have profound effects on students and their opportunities to transfer successfully. The challenge is to make
transfer as efficient and effective as possible for those students who have had courses or educational experiences
comparable to those offered for credit by the receiving institution. Sound transfer policy and practice, maintaining
institutional and accrediting standards, is part of higher education’s commitment to students.
Transfer in higher education is more varied and pervasive now than it used to be. In addition to vertical transfer,
students now pursue horizontal transfer as they move from one two-year college to another or from one four-year
institution to another. Many students now attend more than one institution at a time, and accordingly face issues not
previously seen when they seek to transfer credits. Online courses and courses taken in other countries pose yet another
set of issues.
Even more students will seek transfer as “new providers” of higher education (e.g., virtual institutions and corporate
providers) and distance learning programs offered by traditional providers increase their enrollments. Accreditors and
the colleges will have to find new and better ways to meet the need for transfer services.
Among the key indicators of these changes:
• the majority of 1996 baccalaureate graduates attended at least two colleges and universities;
• many students taking distance learning courses are enrolled in another institution different from the distance
learning providers;
• students attending corporate universities and certain unaccredited institutions are seeking to transfer their
coursework to accredited institutions;
• increasing numbers of virtual institutions and corporate providers are forming partnerships with traditional
providers to offer courses and programs; and
Page |7
•
increasing numbers of students are enrolling in foreign institutions and seeking to transfer credits into
American colleges and universities.
Finally, proposals for innovative practices pose new ways to manage credit accumulation and transfer(e.g., third-party
verification of transfer credits, electronic storage of and instant access to transfer credits for purposes of review). As
these new methods of managing transfer transactions gain prominence, they may well influence how transfer decisions
are made.
All of these indicators suggest that higher education is changing in ways that make transfer more important to more
students and at the same time more complex.
Making Transfer Decisions: Roles and Responsibilities to Assure Quality
Institutions, accreditors and national higher education associations play significant roles and sustain important
responsibilities in the transfer process. Each has responsibilities with regard to quality assurance and fairness.
The Role and Responsibilities of Institutions. Colleges and universities are ultimately responsible for decisions about
the admission of transfer students and the acceptance or non-acceptance of credits earned elsewhere. Typically,
academic faculty and student affairs professionals (working within the framework of faculty rules and standards)
determine the transferability of courses and programs. Institutions must balance responsiveness to students’ preferences
about transfer with institutional commitment to the value and quality of degrees or other credentials.
The Role and Responsibilities of Accreditors. Institutional (national and regional) accreditors have policies and
standards that, in turn, call on institutions and programs to develop and maintain clear transfer policy and practices.
Accreditors have expectations, for example, that degree requirements for native students be consistent with those that
apply to transfer students. Specialized (programmatic) accreditors often have policies or standards to address transfer,
with particular attention to admissions practices and assuring equitable treatment for transfer students.
Accreditors are responsible for assuring that institutional transfer practices are consistent with accreditation standards
and policies on transfer. They are responsible for maintaining effective communication among accrediting organizations
as a means to meet students’ needs in the transfer process while also sustaining quality.
The Role and Responsibilities of National Higher Education Associations. For many years, institutions and
accreditors have based their scrutiny of transfer primarily on three criteria contained in the 1978 Joint Statement on
Transfer and Award of Academic Credit developed by three national higher education associations. These criteria are:
• the educational quality of the sending institution;
• the comparability of credit to be transferred to the receiving institution; and
• the appropriateness and the applicability of the credit in relation to the programs offered by the receiving
institution.
National higher education associations lead the ongoing national conversation about transfer. They work with agencies
of the federal government to address transfer issues that reach the level of national public policy, and they provide a
national voice for assuring that students are well served by transfer practices that meet students’ needs while also
sustaining the quality of the system itself.
Criteria for Transfer Decisions
CHEA believes that the three criteria of quality, comparability, and appropriateness and applicability offered in the 1978
Joint Statement remain central to assuring quality in transfer decision-making. The following additional criteria expand
this list and are offered to assist institutions, accreditors and higher education associations in future transfer decisions.
These criteria are intended to sustain academic quality in an environment of more varied transfer, assure consistency of
transfer practice and encourage appropriate accountability about transfer policy and practice.
Balance in the Use of Accreditation Status in Transfer Decisions. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer
decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution. While acknowledging
that accreditation is an important factor, CHEA believes that receiving institutions ought to make clear their institutional
reasons for accepting or not accepting credits that students seek to transfer. Students should have reasonable
explanations about how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving
institution and how work is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements of the
receiving institution.
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Consistency. Institutions and accreditors need to reaffirm that the considerations that inform transfer decisions are applied
consistently in the context of changing student attendance patterns (students likely to engage in more transfer) and
emerging new providers of higher education (new sources of credits and experience to be evaluated). New providers and
new attendance patterns increase the number and type of transfer issues that institutions will address—making
consistency even more important in the future.
Accountability for Effective Public Communication. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that students and the public are
fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices. The public has a significant interest in
higher education’s effective management of transfer, especially in an environment of expanding access and mobility.
Public funding is routinely provided to colleges and universities. This funding is accompanied by public expectations that
the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and efficiency.
Commitment to Address Innovation. Institutions and accreditors need to be flexible and open in considering alternative
approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. Distance learning and other applications
of technology generate alternative approaches to many functions of colleges and universities. Transfer is inevitably
among these.
Finally, CHEA is committed to working with other national higher education associations to convene a group of higher
education leaders to address emerging issues for transfer and to develop additional tools and sound practices that can
assist institutions as they manage transfer. This national conversation should include attention to how higher education’s
future will differ from its past and, above all, our responsibilities to students in an increasingly mobile, fast-paced and
international environment.
Approved by CHEA Board of Directors, September 25, 2000
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
B. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions
Officers (AACRAO), American Council on Education (ACE) and
the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit
http://tcp.aacrao.org/misc/joint_statement.php
T
he following set of guidelines has been developed by the three national associations whose member institutions
are directly involved in the transfer and award of academic credit: the American Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Officers, the American Council on Education, and the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation. The need for such a statement came from an awareness of the growing complexity of transfer policies and
practices, which have been brought about, in part, by the changing nature of postsecondary education. With increasing
frequency, students are pursuing their education in a variety of institutional and extrainstitutional settings. Social equity
and the intelligent use of resources require that validated learning be recognized wherever it takes place.
The statement is thus intended to serve as a guide for institutions developing or reviewing policies dealing with transfer,
acceptance and award of credit. "Transfer" as used here refers to the movement of students from one college, university
or other education provider to another and to the process by which credits representing educational experiences,
courses, degrees or credentials that are awarded by an education provider are accepted or not accepted by a receiving
institution.
Basic Assumptions
This statement is directed to institutions of postsecondary education and others concerned with the transfer of academic
credit among institutions and the award of academic credit for learning that takes place at another institution or
education provider. Basic to this statement is the principle that each institution is responsible for determining its own
policies and practices with regard to the transfer, acceptance, and award of credit. Institutions are encouraged to review
their policies and practices periodically to assure that they accomplish the institutions' objectives and that they function
in a manner that is fair and equitable to students. General statements of policy such as this one or others referred to,
should be used as guides, not as substitutes, for institutional policies and practices.
Transfer and award of credit is a concept that increasingly involves transfer between dissimilar institutions and curricula
and recognition of extra-institutional learning, as well as transfer between institutions and curricula with similar
characteristics. As their personal circumstances and educational objectives change, students seek to have their learning,
wherever and however attained, recognized by institutions where they enroll for further study. It is important for reasons
of social equity and educational effectiveness for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive policies and
procedures for acceptance of such learning experiences, as well as for the transfer of credits earned at another
institution. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum consideration for the individual student who has
changed institutions or objectives. It is the receiving institution's responsibility to provide reasonable and definitive
policies and procedures for determining a student's knowledge in required subject areas. All sending institutions have a
responsibility to furnish transcripts and other documents necessary for a receiving institution to judge the quality and
quantity of the student's work. Institutions also have a responsibility to advise the student that the work reflected on the
transcript may or may not be accepted by a receiving institution as bearing the same (or any) credits as those awarded by
the provider institution, or that the credits awarded will be applicable to the academic credential the student is pursuing.
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Inter-Institutional Transfer of Credit
Transfer of credit from one institution to another involves at least three considerations:
(1) the educational quality of the learning experience which the student transfers;
(2) the comparability of the nature, content, and level of the learning experience to that offered by the receiving
institution; and
(3) the appropriateness and applicability of the learning experience to the programs offered by the receiving
institution, in light of the student's educational goals.
Accredited Institutions
Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets
certain minimum standards. Users of accreditation are urged to give careful attention to the accreditation conferred by
accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA has a formal process
of recognition which requires that all accrediting bodies so recognized must meet the same standards. Under these
standards, CHEA has recognized a number of accrediting bodies, including:
(1) regional accrediting commissions (which historically accredited the more traditional colleges and universities
but which now accredit proprietary, vocational-technical, distance learning providers, and single-purpose
institutions as well);
(2) national accrediting bodies that accredit various kinds of specialized institutions, including distance learning
providers and freestanding professional schools; and
(3) professional organizations that accredit programs within multipurpose institutions.
Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are organized and in their statements of scope and mission, all
accrediting bodies that meet CHEA’s standards for recognition function to ensure that the institutions or programs they
accredit have met generally accepted minimum standards for accreditation.
Accreditation thus affords reason for confidence in an institution's or a program's purposes, in the appropriateness of its
resources and plans for carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these
things can be judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability, but does not guarantee, that students have met acceptable
standards of educational accomplishment.
Comparability and Applicability
Comparability of the nature, content, and level of transfer credit and the appropriateness and applicability of the credit
earned to programs offered by the receiving institution are as important in the evaluation process as the accreditation
status of the institution at which the transfer credit was awarded. Since accreditation does not address these questions,
this information must be obtained from catalogues and other materials and from direct contact between knowledgeable
and experienced faculty and staff at both the receiving and sending institutions. When such considerations as
comparability and appropriateness of credit are satisfied, however, the receiving institution should have reasonable
confidence that students from accredited institutions are qualified to undertake the receiving institution's educational
program. In its articulation and transfer policies, the institution should judge courses, programs and other learning
experiences on their learning outcomes, and the existence of valid evaluation measures, including third-party expert
review, and not on modes of delivery.
Admissions and Degree Purposes
At some institutions there may be differences between the acceptance of credit for admission purposes and the
applicability of credit for degree purposes. A receiving institution may accept previous work, place a credit value on it,
and enter it on the transcript. However, that previous work, because of its nature and not its inherent quality, may be
determined to have no applicability to a specific degree to be pursued by the student. Institutions have a responsibility to
make this distinction, and its implications, clear to students before they decide to enroll. This should be a matter of full
disclosure, with the best interests of the student in mind. Institutions also should make every reasonable effort to reduce
the gap between credits accepted and credits applied toward an educational credential.
Additional Criteria for Transfer Decisions
The following additional criteria are offered to assist institutions, accreditors and higher education associations in future
transfer decisions. These criteria are intended to sustain academic quality in an environment of more varied transfer,
assure consistency of transfer practice, and encourage appropriate accountability about transfer policy and practice.
Balance in the Use of Accreditation Status in Transfer Decisions. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer
decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution. While acknowledging
that accreditation is an important factor, receiving institutions ought to make clear their institutional reasons for
P a g e | 11
accepting or not accepting credits that students seek to transfer. Students should have reasonable explanations about
how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving institution and how work
is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements of the receiving institution.
Consistency. Institutions and accreditors need to reaffirm that the considerations that inform transfer decisions are applied
consistently in the context of changing student attendance patterns (students likely to engage in more transfer) and
emerging new providers of higher education (new sources of credits and experience to be evaluated). New providers and
new attendance patterns increase the number and type of transfer issues that institutions will address-making consistency
even more important in the future.
Accountability for Effective Public Communication. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that students and the public are
fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices. The public has a significant interest in
higher education's effective management of transfer, especially in an environment of expanding access and mobility.
Public funding is routinely provided to colleges and universities. This funding is accompanied by public expectations that
the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and efficiency.
Commitment to Address Innovation. Institutions and accreditors need to be flexible and open in considering alternative
approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. Distance learning and other applications
of technology generate alternative approaches to many functions of colleges and universities. Transfer is inevitably
among these.
Foreign Institutions
In most cases, foreign institutions are chartered and authorized to grant degrees by their national governments, usually
through a Ministry of Education or similar appropriate ministerial body. No other nation has a system comparable with
voluntary accreditation as it exists in the United States. At an operational level, AACRAO's Office of International
Education Services can assist institutions by providing general or specific guidelines on admission and placement of
foreign students, or by providing evaluations of foreign educational credentials.
Evaluation of Extra-Institutional and Experiential Learning for Purposes of Transfer and Award of Credit
Transfer and award of credit policies should encompass educational accomplishment attained in extra-institutional
settings. In deciding on the award of credit for extra-institutional learning, institutions will find the services of the
American Council on Education's Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials helpful. One of the Center's
functions is to operate and foster programs to determine credit equivalencies for various modes of extrainstitutional
learning. The Center maintains evaluation programs for formal courses offered by the military and civilian organizations
such as business, corporations, government agencies, training providers, institutes, and labor unions. Evaluation services
are also available for examination programs, for occupations with validated job proficiency evaluation systems, and for
correspondence courses offered by schools accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council. The results are
published in a Guide series. Another resource is the General Educational Development (GED) Testing Program, which
provides a means for assessing high school equivalency.
For learning that has not been evaluated through the ACE evaluation processes, institutions are encouraged to explore
the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) procedures and processes.
Uses of This Statement
Institutions are encouraged to use this statement as a basis for discussions in developing or reviewing institutional
policies with regards to the transfer and award of credit. If the statement reflects an institution’s policies, that institution
may wish to use these guidelines to inform faculty, staff, and students. It is also recommended that accrediting bodies
reflect the essential precepts of this statement in their criteria.
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
American Council on Education
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
[signed]
[signed]
[signed]
9/28/01(date)
9/28/01(date)
9/28/01(date)
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
III. National Accreditor Transfer Policies
A. Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
Transfer Policies (TRACS)
http://tracs.org/documents/2013AccredManual_002.pdf
Page II. C. - 5
Updated January 2013
INSTITUTION-WIDE POLICIES
10.7 Policy on nondiscrimination has been adopted which is based on biblical standards, including (but not
necessarily limited to) race, sex, and national origin, that govern the admission of students and the
selection, retention, and advancement of personnel.
10.8 Appropriate policies are adopted for each branch campus.
10.9 Policies are adopted for the evaluation of all employees.
10.10 Policy is adopted which ensures cooperation with TRACS in any complaint proceedings.
ACADEMIC POLICIES
10.11 Admissions policies for all programs are clearly specified, current, and in keeping with accepted practice.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Undergraduate admission policies require applicants to have earned a high school diploma, or GED, or
have other relevant experiences that indicate and support the student’s ability to complete their
academic objective.
Admission policies include applicable residency requirements.
Admission policies include general and special admission requirements.
Admission policies require that all credit awarded by examination, on the basis of certificates, or by
assessment of prior learning, are within the guidelines of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
(CAEL), and are documented in student files. Credit for prior learning is not awarded at the graduate level.
Graduate admission policies require applicants to have earned an appropriate bachelor’s or master’s
degrees and demonstrate they have the ability to complete their educational objective.
Admission policies specify the exceptions to having earned the appropriate diploma or degree, including
concurrent enrollment options for high school students in undergraduate programs and undergraduate
students in graduate programs (ability-to-benefit).
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
B. Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE)
http://www.abhe.org
From “Frequently Asked Questions”
N
o institution is forced to accept credits from another – regardless of accreditation or lack thereof. It is always
the prerogative of the receiving institution to determine whether and which credit will transfer. That said,
colleges should not practice discrimination or engage in arbitrary practices.
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), in conjunction with the 19 recognized institutional
accreditors that included ABHE, developed a framework for meeting transfer of credit responsibilities in 2000 entitled A
Statement to the Community: Transfer and the Public Interest. This statement was the result of CHEA’s concern that
the accredited status of a program or institution assist, not hinder, students in the transfer process.
CHEA’s work on accreditation and transfer is based on three important considerations:
Accredited status of an institution is an important, but not the sole factor, to consider in transfer of credit decisions.
Considering transfer requests serves students and the public. The public interest and students are best served when
institutions commit to at least consideration of transfer requests, not rejecting such requests out of hand. Accepting
transfer credits is the responsibility and prerogative of institutions.
The CHEA Statement offered four criteria that accrediting organizations and institutions are asked to consider as
decisions are made about transfer of credit and academic quality. These criteria are:
Balance in the use of accreditation status in transfer decisions: Institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer decisions
are not make solely on source of accreditation of a sending program or institution.
Consistency: Institutions and accreditors need to reaffirm that the considerations that inform transfer decisions are applied
consistently.
Accountability for effective public communication: Institutions and accreditors need to assure that students and the public are
fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices.
Communication to address innovation: Institutions and accreditors need to be flexible and open in considering alternative
approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students.
The Statement goes on to say that the transfer framework is offered as an advisory document for accrediting agencies
and institutions. CHEA and the accrediting organizations believe that efforts to strengthen transfer would be most
successful if approached in a collegial manner; the framework does not constitute an accreditation or recognition
standard. If you believe that you or someone you know has been treated unfairly in regard to transfer credit, you are
welcome to solicit our help in seeking fair consideration of your work.
P a g e | 14
Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
C. Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
Commission on Accrediting
http://www.ats.edu; http://ats.edu/Accrediting/Documents/DegreeProgramStandards.pdf
Educational and Degree Program Standards 2012
ES.7 Academic guidelines: admission, transfer of credits, shared credit in degree programs &advanced standing
ES.7.1 Admission
While each degree program a theological school offers should have particular admission requirements, all master’s-level
programs share the following common requirements:
ES.7.1.1 Students must possess a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by a US agency
recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or approved by a Canadian provincial quality assurance
agency, or the demonstrated educational equivalent of a North American baccalaureate degree.
ES.7.1.2 Educational equivalency for a baccalaureate degree shall be determined by the institution. The institution shall
demonstrate that its means for determining equivalency requires formal postsecondary education consisting of general
and specialized studies comparable to the baccalaureate degree.
ES.7.1.3 Exceptions to the baccalaureate degree requirement are noted in the Commission standards for individual
degrees.
ES.7.1.4 Persons admitted without possession of the baccalaureate degree or its educational equivalent shall possess the
knowledge, academic skill, and ability necessary for postbaccalaureate studies. Admission of such applicants should be
restricted to persons with life experience that has prepared them for theological study at the graduate level. An
institution admitting persons without a baccalaureate degree or its educational equivalent shall demonstrate that its
process and criteria for evaluating academic ability are educationally appropriate and rigorous.
ES.7.1.5 When an institution permits undergraduate students to enroll in its postbaccalaureate courses, the institution
must differentiate course requirements and student learning outcomes for postbaccalaureate or undergraduate credit.
ES.7.2 Transfer of credits
ES.7.2.1 A theological school has the right and responsibility to determine if it will accept credits for work completed at
other institutions toward the degrees it grants.
ES.7.2.2 If an institution determines that it will accept transfer credits, it should ensure that courses in which the credits
were earned were eligible for graduate credit in the institution at which they were taken and, preferably, were completed
at an institution accredited by a recognized accrediting body.
ES.7.2.3 Two-thirds of the credits required in a Board-approved degree may be granted on the basis of transfer credits,
subject to the limitation in ES.7.3.1.
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
IV. Regional Accreditor Transfer Policies
A. Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
http://www.msche.org/
Transfer Credit, Prior Learning, and Articulation
T
he Commission’s requirements with respect to transfer and articulation are governed by Standards 8 (Student
Admissions) and 11 (Educational Offerings) of Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education. Assessing
experiential learning for credit is addressed in Standard 13 (Related Educational Activities). Although admission
standards are the responsibility and prerogative of the institution, the Commission is required to confirm for the U.S.
Department of Education certain aspects of an institution’s transfer of credit policies.
The Commission standards and policies apply to transfer of credit between institutions within or outside a university
system; transfer of credits earned at foreign institutions or earned in U.S. sponsored programs abroad; transfer of credits
earned in non-traditional formats or through co-op or other extra-institutional learning; transfer of credits from nonregionally accredited institutions; transfer of advanced placement credit, tech-prep credits, and credit based on exams;
credit for experiential and other forms of learning.
Requirements
In accordance with 34 CFR 602.24, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, in its role as a federally
recognized accreditor must confirm than an institution has transfer of credit policies that:

Are publicly disclosed in accordance with section 668.43(a)(11) included below; and

Include a statement of the criteria established by the institution regarding the transfer of credit earned at
another institution of higher education.
Section 668.43 Institutional information.
(a) Institutional information that the institution must make readily available to enrolled and prospective students under
this subpart includes, but is not limited to—…..
(11) A description of the transfer of credit policies established by the institution which must include a statement of the
institution’s current transfer of credit policies that includes, at a minimum–
(i) Any established criteria the institution uses regarding the transfer of credit earned at another institution; and
(ii) A list of institutions with which the institution has established an articulation agreement.
General Principles
Although the extent to which transfer, articulation, and experiential learning issues apply to each institution will vary, the
following usually characterize effective policies for transfer and experiential learning and their implementation.
 Transfer and experiential learning decisions are student-centered, striving for appropriate balance among fairness,
consistency, flexibility, good educational practice, and academic program integrity. They address the needs of a
student who has changed institutions or objectives, or has learned in non-traditional formats.
P a g e | 16











Institutional mission and goals guide the formulation of policies and procedures for transfer and experiential
learning. The basic principles of the institution regarding credit for prior learning are clear.
Courses, programs, and other learning experiences are judged on their learning outcomes, using valid evaluation
measures, including third-party review by appropriately qualified reviewers and recommendations from
organizations experienced with such evaluations (e.g., ACE, CAEL).
The acceptance or denial of transfer credit is not determined exclusively on the basis of the accreditation of the
sending institution or the mode of delivery, but, rather, will consider course equivalencies, including expected
learning outcomes, with those of the receiving institution’s curricula and standards. (Characteristics of Excellence,
Standard 11)
Communication of the policies and procedures–written and oral, formal and informal–is clear and effective. It is
clear how credit for prior learning and transfer will be recorded on transcripts.
It is clear how college level learning is defined for the granting of credit for transfer of prior learning or advanced
placement secondary learning, and it is clear that credit is awarded for learning, not experience.
It is clear what degree requirements may or may not be met by prior or experiential learning. Specific general
education core course requirements are addressed
Outcomes assessment measures are directed towards evaluating institutional effectiveness and strengthening the
public policy and educational environment for transfer students. Good outcomes data on the success of transfer
students or students receiving credit for experiential learning is used, and multiple measures are used to assess the
overall student experiences at the receiving institution.
Faculty participate in the creation, review and implementation of transfer and experiential learning
policies/procedures, and they advise both incoming and outgoing transfer students and experiential learning
students.
Evaluations of transcripts and experiential learning are conducted in a timely manner in order to be informative in
academic advising and decision-making. Appropriate counseling (including any impact on financial aid eligibility) by
well-informed faculty and others, and other support services are available.
Students are advised when the transferability of learning credits to other institutions may present difficulties.
The institution has provisions for periodic re-evaluation of transfer of credit, prior learning, and articulation policies
and procedures.
Version: 1110
P a g e | 17
Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
B. New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
http://cihe.neasc.org/
Transfer and Award of Academic Credit
T
his statement is directed to institutions of postsecondary education and others concerned with the transfer of academic
credit among institutions and award of academic credit for extra-institutional learning. Basic to this statement is the
principle that each institution is responsible for determining its own policies and practices with regard to the transfer
and award of credit. Institutions are encouraged to review their policies and practices periodically to ensure that they
accomplish the institution’s objectives and that they function in a manner that is fair and equitable to students. Any
statements, this one or others referred to, should be used as guides, not as substitutes, for institutional policies and practices.
Transfer of credit is a concept that now involves transfer between dissimilar institutions and curricula and recognition of extrainstitutional learning, as well as transfer between institutions and curricula of similar characteristics. As their personal
circumstances and educational objectives change, students seek to have their learning, wherever and however attained,
recognized by institutions where they enroll for further study. It is important for reasons of social equity and educational
effectiveness, as well as the wise use of resources, for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive policies and
procedures for acceptance of transfer credit and to ensure that these policies are easily available to students and prospective
students. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum consideration for the individual student who has changed
institutions or objectives.
It is the receiving institution’s responsibility to provide reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for determining a
student’s knowledge in required subject areas. It is the sending institution’s responsibility to provide information on courses
and methods of assessment in sufficient detail to serve as the basis for transfer evaluation. All institutions have a responsibility
to furnish transcripts and other documents necessary for a receiving institution to judge the quality and quantity of the work.
Institutions also have a responsibility to advise the students that the work reflected on the transcript may or may not be
accepted by a receiving institution.
Both sending and receiving institutions have a responsibility to provide information to the public on academic factors that can
be involved in transfer of credit decisions (e.g., existing course equivalencies, articulation agreements, grades, comparability,
course level and content, course applicability toward a major or degree, and course or program prerequisites). Institutions also
have a responsibility to provide information to the public on the specific steps that must be taken when attempting transfer of
credits, including deadlines, material to be sent to receiving institutions, and obtaining needed assistance from sending and
receiving institutions.
Inter-institutional Transfer of Credit
The accredited status of an institution is an important, but not the sole factor, to consider in transfer of credit decisions.
Transfer of credit from one institution to another involves at least three considerations:
1. the educational quality of the institution from which the student transfers;
2. the comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit earned to that offered by the receiving institution; and
3. the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned to the programs offered by the receiving institution, in light of
the student’s educational goals.
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Accredited Institutions
Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets certain
minimum standards. Users of accreditation are urged to give careful attention to the accreditation conferred by accrediting
bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Both
bodies have formal processes of recognition which require that any accrediting body so recognized must meet specified
standards or criteria. Both the Department of Education and CHEA have recognized a number of accrediting bodies,
including:
1. regional accrediting Commissions (which historically accredited the more traditional colleges and universities but which
now accredit proprietary, vocational-technical, and single-purpose institutions as well);
2. national accrediting bodies that accredit various kinds of specialized institutions; and
3. certain professional organizations that accredit free-standing professional schools, in addition to programs within multipurpose institutions. (CHEA annually publishes a list of recognized accrediting bodies, as well as a directory of
institutions accredited by these organizations.)
Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are organized and in their statements of scope and mission, all recognized
accrediting bodies function to assure that the institutions or programs they accredit have met generally accepted minimum
standards for accreditation.
Accreditation affords reason for confidence in an institution’s or a program’s purposes, in the appropriateness of its resources
and plans for carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these things can be
judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability but does not guarantee that students have met acceptable standards of
educational accomplishment.
Comparability and Applicability
Comparability of the nature, content, and level of transfer credit and the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned
to programs offered by the receiving institution are as important in the evaluation process as the accreditation status of the
institution at which the transfer credit was awarded. Since accreditation does not address these questions, this information
must be obtained from catalogues or other materials and from direct contact between knowledgeable and experienced faculty
and staff at both the receiving and sending institutions. When such considerations as comparability and appropriateness of
credit are satisfied, however, the receiving institution should have reasonable confidence that students from accredited
institutions are qualified to undertake the receiving institution’s educational program.
Admissions and Degree Purposes
At some institutions there may be differences between the acceptance of credit for admission purposes and the applicability of
credit for degree purposes. A receiving institution may accept previous work, place a credit value on it, and enter it on
the transcript. However, that previous work, because of its nature and not its inherent quality, may be determined to have no
applicability to a specific degree to be pursued by the student.
Institutions have a responsibility to make this distinction, and its implications, clear to students before they decide to enroll.
This should be a matter of full disclosure, with the best interests of the student in mind. Institutions also should make every
reasonable effort to reduce the gap between credits accepted and credits applied toward an educational credential.
Unaccredited Institutions
Institutions of postsecondary education that are not accredited by the Department of Education or CHEA-recognized
accrediting bodies may lack that status for reasons unrelated to questions of quality. Such institutions, however, cannot provide
a reliable, third-party assurance that they meet or exceed minimum standards. That being the case, students transferring from
such institutions may encounter special problems in gaining acceptance and transferring credits to accredited institutions.
Institutions admitting students from unaccredited institutions should take special steps to validate credits previously earned.
Foreign Institutions
In most cases, foreign institutions are chartered and authorized by their national governments, usually through a ministry of
education. Although this provides for standardization within a country, it does not produce useful information about
comparability from one country to another. Equivalency or placement recommendations are to be evaluated in terms of the
program and policies of the individual receiving institution.
Validation of Extra-institutional and Experiential Learning for Transfer Purposes
Transfer-of-credit policies should encompass educational accomplishment attained in extra-institutional settings as well as at
accredited postsecondary institutions. In deciding on the award of credit for extra-institutional learning, institutions will find
the services of the American Council on Education’s Office of Educational Credit helpful. One of the Office’s functions is to
operate and foster programs to determine credit equivalencies for various modes of extra-institutional learning. The Office
maintains evaluation programs for formally structured courses offered by the military and civilian non-collegiate sponsors such
as business, corporations, government agencies, and labor unions. Evaluation services are also available for examination
P a g e | 19
programs, for occupations with validated job proficiency evaluation systems, and for correspondence courses offered by
schools accredited by the National Home Study Council. The results are published in a Guide series.
Another resource is the General Education Development (GED) Testing Program, which provides a means for assessing high
school equivalency. For learning that has not been validated through the ACE formal credit recommendation process or
through credit-by-examination programs, institutions are urged to explore the Council for Advancement of Experiential
Learning (CAEL) procedures and processes. Pertinent CAEL publications designed for this purpose are available.
Uses of This Statement
Institutions are encouraged to use this statement as a basis for discussions in developing or reviewing institutional policies with
regard to transfer. If the statement reflects an institution’s policies, that institution might want to use this publication to inform
faculty, staff, and students.
1980, April, 2004
P a g e | 20
Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
C. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Higher Learning Commission
http://www.ncahlc.org/
Policy and Good Practices on Transfer of Credit (Policy I.C.6)
E
ach institution determines its own policies and procedures for accepting transfer credits, including credits from
ac- credited and non-accredited institutions, from non-U.S. institutions, and from institutions that grant credit
for experiential learning and for adult learner programs. An institution’s periodic review of its transfer policies
and procedures should include evaluation of their clarity to those who administer them, to the students who follow
them, and to employers and other stakeholders. It should also include the consistency of their interpretation and
application throughout the institution, and their responsiveness to new types of learning opportunities outside
institutions of higher education.
The following excerpt from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) publication, “A Statement to the Community:
Transfer and the Public Interest,” November 2000, supplements the Commission’s policy on transfer. The full text of the “Statement” is
available from CHEA, www.chea.org.
Making Transfer Decisions: Roles and Responsibilities to Assure Quality
Institutions, accreditors and national higher education associations play significant roles and sustain important
responsibilities in the transfer process. Each has responsibilities with regard to quality assurance and fairness.
The Role and Responsibilities of Institutions. Colleges and universities are ultimately responsible for decisions about the
admission of transfer students and the acceptance or non-acceptance of credits earned elsewhere. Typically, academic
faculty and student affairs professionals (working within the framework of faculty rules and standards) determine the
transferability of courses and programs. Institutions must balance responsiveness to students’ preferences about transfer
with institutional commitment to the value and quality of degrees or other credentials.
The Role and Responsibilities of Accreditors. Institutional (national and regional) accreditors have policies and standards that,
in turn, call on institutions and programs to develop and maintain clear transfer policy and practices. Accreditors have
expectations, for example, that degree requirements for native students be consistent with those that apply to transfer
students. Specialized (programmatic) accreditors often have policies or standards to address transfer, with particular
attention to admission practices and assuring equitable treatment for transfer students.
Accreditors are responsible for assuring that institutional transfer practices are consistent with accreditation standards
and policies on transfer. They are responsible for maintaining effective communication among accrediting organizations
as a means to meet students’ needs in the transfer process while also sustaining quality.
The Role and Responsibilities of National Higher Education Associations. For many years, institutions and accreditors have based
their scrutiny of transfer primarily on three criteria contained in the 1978 Joint Statement on Transfer and Award of
Academic Credit developed by three national higher education associations. These criteria are:


the educational quality of the sending institution;
the comparability of credit to be transferred to the receiving institutions; and
P a g e | 21

the appropriateness and the applicability of the credit in relation to the programs offered by the receiving
institution.
National higher education associations lead the ongoing national conversation about transfer. They work with agencies
of the federal government to address transfer issues that reach the level of national public policy, and they provide a
national voice for assuring that students are well served by transfer practices that meet students’ needs while also
sustaining the quality of the system itself.
Criteria for Transfer Decisions
CHEA believes that the three criteria of quality, comparability, and appropriateness and applicability offered in the 1978
Joint Statement remain central to assuring quality in transfer decision-making. The following additional criteria expand
this list and are offered to assist institutions, accreditors and higher education associations in future transfer decisions.
These criteria are intended to sustain academic quality in an environment of more varied transfer, assure consistency of
transfer practice and encourage appropriate accountability about transfer policy and practice.
Balance in the Use of Accreditation Status in Transfer Decisions. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer
decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution. While acknowledging
that accreditation is an important factor, CHEA believes that receiving institutions ought to make clear their institutional
reasons for accepting or not accepting credits that students seek to transfer. Students should have reasonable
explanations about how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving
institution and how work is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements of the
receiving institution.
Consistency. Institutions and accreditors need to reaffirm that the considerations that inform transfer decisions are applied
consistently in the context of changing student attendance patterns (students likely to engage in more transfer) and
emerging new providers of higher education (new sources of credit and experience to be evaluated). New providers and
new attendance patterns increase the number and type of transfer issues that institutions will address—making
consistency even more important in the future.
Accountability for Effective Public Communication. Institutions and accreditors need to assure that students and the public are
fully and accurately informed about their respective transfer policies and practices. The public has a significant interest in
higher education’s effective management of transfer, especially in an environment of expanding access and mobility.
Public funding is routinely provided to colleges and universities. This funding is accompanied by public expectations that
the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and efficiency.
Commitment to Address Innovation. Institutions and accreditors need to be flexible and open in considering alternative
approaches to managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. Distance learning and other applications
of technology generate alternative approaches to many functions of colleges and universities. Transfer is inevitable
among these.
Finally, CHEA is committed to working with other national higher education associations to convene a group of higher
education leaders to address emerging issues for transfer and to develop additional tools and sound practices that can
assist institutions as they manage transfer. This national conversation should include attention to how higher education’s
future will differ from its past and, above all, our responsibilities to students in an increasingly mobile, fast-paced and
international environment.
Approved by CHEA Board of Directors, September 25, 2000.
Endorsed by the Board of Trustees of The Higher Learning Commission, November 10, 2000.
The Higher Learning Commission / NCA
P a g e | 22
Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
D. Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (NWCCU)
http://www.nwccu.org/
Transfer and Award of Academic Credit (Policy 2.5)
T
his statement is directed to institutions of higher education and others concerned with the transfer of academic
credit among institutions and award of academic credit for extra-institutional learning. Basic to this statement is
the principle that each institution is responsible for determining its own policies and practices with regard to the
transfer and award of credit. Institutions are urged to review their policies and practices periodically to ensure that they
accomplish the institution’s goals and that they function in a manner that is fair and equitable to students. Any
statements, this one or others referred to, should be used as guides, not as substitutes, for institutional policies and
practices.
Transfer of credit is a concept that now involves transfer between dissimilar institutions and curricula and recognition of
extra-institutional learning, as well as transfer between institutions and curricula of similar characteristics. As their
personal circumstances and educational objectives change, students seek to have their learning, wherever and however
attained, recognized by institutions where they enroll for further study. It is important for reasons of social equity and
educational effectiveness, as well as for the wise use of resources, for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive
policies and procedures for acceptance of transfer of credit. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum
consideration for the individual student who has changed institutions or objectives. It is the receiving institution’s
responsibility to provide reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for determining a student’s knowledge in
required subject areas. All institutions have a responsibility to furnish transcripts and other documents necessary for a
receiving institution to judge the quality and quantity of the work. Institutions also have the responsibility to advise the
students that the work reflected on the transcript may or may not be accepted by a receiving institution.
Interinstitutional Transfer of Credit. Transfer of credit from one institution to another involves at least three
considerations:
1. The educational quality of the institution from which the student transfers.
2. The comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit earned to that offered by the receiving institution.
3. The appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned to the programs offered by the receiving institution,
in light of the student’s educational goals.
Accredited Institutions. Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic
indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards. Users of accreditation are urged to give careful attention
to the accreditation conferred by accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA). CHEA has a formal process of recognition which requires that any accrediting body so recognized must meet
the same standards. Under these standards CHEA has recognized a number of accrediting bodies, including:
1. Regional accrediting commissions which accredit total institutions.
2. Certain national accrediting bodies that accredit various kinds of specialized institutions.
3. Certain specialized organizations that accredit free-standing professional schools, in addition to programs
within multi-purpose institutions.
The American Council on Education annually publishes for CHEA a list of recognized accrediting bodies, as well as a
directory of institutions accredited by these organizations. . . .
P a g e | 23
Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are organized and in their statements of scope and mission, all
accrediting bodies that meet CHEA’s standards for recognition function to ensure that the institutions or programs they
accredit have met generally accepted minimum standards for accreditation.
Accreditation affords reason for confidence in an institution’s or a program’s purposes, in the appropriateness of its
resources and plans for carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these
things can be judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability but does not guarantee that students have met acceptable
standards of educational accomplishment.
Comparability and Applicability. Comparability of the nature, content, and level of transfer credit and the
appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned in programs offered by the receiving institution are as important in
the evaluation process as the accreditation status of the institution at which the transfer credit was awarded. Since
accreditation does not address these questions, this information must be obtained from catalogs and other materials and
from direct contact between knowledgeable and experienced faculty and staff at both the receiving and sending
institutions. When such considerations as comparability and appropriateness of credit are satisfied, however, the
receiving institution should have reasonable confidence that students from accredited institutions are qualified to
undertake the receiving institution’s educational program.
Admissions and Degree Purposes. At some institutions there may be differences between the acceptance of credit for
admission purposes and the applicability of credit for degree purposes. A receiving institution may accept previous work,
place a credit value on it, and enter it on the transcript. However, that previous work, because of its nature and not its
inherent quality, may be determined to have no applicability to a specific degree to be pursued by the student.
Institutions have a responsibility to make this distinction and its implications clear to students before they enroll. This
should be a matter of full disclosure, with the best interests of the student in mind. Institutions also should make every
reasonable effort to reduce the gap between credits accepted and credits applied toward an educational credential.
Unaccredited Institutions. Higher education Institutions that are not accredited by CHEA-recognized accrediting
bodies may lack that status for reasons unrelated to questions of quality. Such institutions, however, cannot provide a
reliable, third-party assurance that they meet or exceed minimum standards. That being the case, students transferring
from such institutions may encounter special problems in gaining admission and in transferring credits to accredited
institutions. Institutions admitting students from unaccredited institutions should take special steps to validate credits
previously earned.
Foreign Institutions. In most cases, foreign institutions are chartered and authorized by their national governments,
usually through a ministry of education or head of state. Although this provides for standardization within a country, it
does not produce useful information about comparability from one country to another. Two organizations assist
institutions by providing information or guidelines on admissions and course placement of international students: the
Foreign Educational Credential Service of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
(AACRAO) and the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA) Association of International Educators.
Equivalency or placement recommendations are to be evaluated in terms of programs and policies of the individual
receiving institution.
Validation of Extra-Institutional and Experiential Learning for Transfer Purposes. Transfer-of-credit policies
should encompass educational accomplishment attained in extra-institutional settings as well as at accredited higher
education institutions. In deciding on the award of credit for extra-institutional learning, institutions will find the services
of the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) helpful. One of the
Office’s functions is to operate and foster programs to determine credit equivalencies for various modes of extrainstitutional learning. CREDIT maintains evaluation programs for formally structured courses offered by the military
and civilian non-collegiate sponsors such as business, corporations, government agencies, and labor unions. Evaluation
services are also available for examination programs for occupations with validated job proficiency evaluation systems,
and for correspondence courses offered by schools accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council. The
results are published in a Guide series. Another resource is the General Education Development (GED) Testing
Program, which provides a means for assessing high school equivalency.
For learning that has not been validated through the ACE formal credit recommendation process or through credit-byexamination programs, institutions are urged to explore the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
procedures and processes. Pertinent CAEL publications designed for this purpose are available. (See Policy 2.3 Credit for
Prior Experiential Learning).
P a g e | 24
Uses of this Statement. This statement has been endorsed by the national associations most concerned with practices
in the area of transfer and award of credit – the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers,
the American Council on Education/Commission on Adult Learning and Educational Credentials, and the Council for
Higher Education Accreditation.
Institutions are encouraged to use this statement as a basis for discussions in developing or reviewing institutional
policies with regard to transfer. If the statement reflects an institution’s policies, that institution might want to use this
publication to inform faculty, staff, and students.
Adopted 1977
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
E. Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS)
Commission on Colleges
http://www.sacs.org/
Transfer of Academic Credit
A Position Statement
he Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the regional accrediting body for
the eleven southeastern states, recognizes that issues surrounding transfer of academic credit continue to generate
debate nationally. The debate touches on questions of accountability, access, and equity in the higher education
community. The Commission encourages its member institutions to review their transfer policies and procedures with a view
toward making transfer of credit easier for students while continuing to honor their obligation to maintain academic quality
and integrity. Institutions participating in self-regulatory, non- governmental accreditation are responsible to the public for
establishing transfer processes that address both views.
T
Transfer of academic credit is a public policy issue for several reasons: (1) an increase in student mobility, (2) the proliferation
of distance learning programs and common acceptance of their legitimacy, (3) the economics of expending public money
twice for the same course, and (4) consumer protection from expending private money twice for the same course.
The Commission supports institutional autonomy in determining its own standards for transfer of academic credit while
also encouraging institutions not to impose artificial impediments or meaningless requirements on the transfer process.
Many systems and institutions have taken positive action such as negotiating articulation agreements, common course
listings, common core curricular, and automatic acceptance of credit arrangements to facilitate the transfer of academic
credit. These kinds of proactive approaches, involving qualified faculty in the decisions, ease the way toward resolving
transfer of credit problems while maintaining curricular coherence and academic and institutional integrity.
The accreditation standards of this Commission require member institutions to analyze credit accepted for transfer in
terms of level, content, quality, comparability, and degree program relevance. The accreditation standards
do not mandate that institutions accept transfer credit only from regionally accredited institutions. When an institution
relies on another institution’s regional accreditation as an indicator for acceptability of credit, it should not be the only
criterion used for acceptability nor should it be represented as a requirement of this accreditation agency, which it is not.
Maintaining academic quality and integrity remains the primary responsibility of each institution accredited by the
Commission on Colleges. This position paper should not be interpreted as supporting any idea that would undermine
that responsibility or as impinging on the institution’s right to establish and enforce its own policies. At the same time,
the Commission encourages member institutions to consider ways in which they might ease the acceptance of transfer of
academic credit while maintaining an acceptable level of academic quality reflecting their unique missions.
Approved: Commission on Colleges, June 2003
P a g e | 26
And this important note from the SACS website (accessed Nov. 21, 2012): http://sacscoc.org/FAQsanswers.asp#q19
TRANSFER OF CREDITS
Will my credits transfer or enable me to attend graduate school? The acceptance of transfer credit is the
responsibility of the receiving institution and/or graduate school. Students should check with potential receiving
institutions and/or graduate schools well in advance to determine the answer to this question.
The accreditation standards of this Commission require accredited institutions to analyze credit accepted for
transfer in terms of level, content, quality, comparability and degree-program relevance. (For more information,
please see Collaborative Academic Arrangements: Policy and Procedures)
The Commission’s accreditation standards do not mandate that institutions accept transfer credit only
from regionally accredited institutions.(emphasis added)
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Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
F. Western Association of Schools &Colleges (WASC) Accrediting
Commission for Senior Colleges & Universities
http://www.wasc.org/
Transfer of Credit Policy
T
he Commission recognizes that each institution is responsible for determining its own policies and practices with
regard to the transfer and award of credit. Institutions are encouraged to review their policies and practices
periodically to ensure that they accomplish the institution’s objectives and that they function in a manner that is
fair and equitable to students. As part of its review for candidacy, initial accreditation, or reaffirmation of accreditation,
WASC will confirm that the institution has publicly disclosed its transfer of credit policies, including a statement of the
criteria it has established regarding the acceptance of credit earned at another institution of higher education. The
following principles and criteria should be considered by an institution as it formulates its policies on acceptance of
transfer credit.
Transfer of credit is a concept that involves transfer between dissimilar institutions and curricula and recognition of
extra-institutional learning, as well as transfer between institutions and curricula of similar characteristics. As their
personal circumstances and educational objectives change, students seek to have their learning, wherever and however
attained, recognized by institutions where they enroll for further study. It is important, for reasons of social equity and
educational effectiveness, as well as for the wise use of resources, for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive
policies and procedures for acceptance of transfer of credit. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum
consideration for the individual student who has changed institutions or objectives. It is the receiving institution’s
responsibility to provide reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for determining a student’s knowledge in
required subject areas. All institutions have a responsibility to furnish transcripts and other documents necessary for a
receiving institution to judge the quality and quantity of a student’s work. Institutions also have a responsibility to advise
students that the work reflected on the transcript may or may not be accepted by a receiving institution.
Accredited Institutions
Accreditation speaks primarily to the quality of the institution from which the student transfers, serving as the basic
indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards. In reviewing the accreditation status of an institution,
special attention should be paid to whether the accrediting agency has received recognition from the Council for Higher
Education Accreditation (CHEA). Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are organized and in their
statements of scope and mission, all accrediting bodies that meet CHEA’s standards for recognition function to ensure
that the institutions or programs they accredit have met generally accepted minimum standards for accreditation.
Accreditation affords reason for confidence in an institution’s or a program’s purposes, in the appropriateness of its
resources and plans for carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these
things can be judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability, but does not guarantee, that students have met applicable
standards of educational accomplishment.
Criteria for Transfer Decisions
Policy and practice for the evaluation and award of transfer credit emanate from an institution’s decision that a student
applicant is qualified to successfully engage the receiving institution’s curriculum and benefit from its educational
purposes and programs.
P a g e | 28
1. Comparability and Applicability: Comparability of the nature, content, quality, and level of transfer credit, and
the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned, to programs offered by the receiving institution are as
important in the evaluation process as the accreditation status of the institution at which the transfer credit was awarded.
Since accreditation does not address these questions, this information must be obtained from catalogs, course syllabi,
and other materials, and from direct contact between knowledgeable, experienced faculty and staff at both the receiving
and sending institutions.
2. Balance in the Use of Accreditation Status in Transfer Decisions: Institutions of postsecondary education that are
not accredited by CHEA-recognized accrediting bodies may lack that status for reasons unrelated to questions of academic
quality. Such unaccredited institutions, however, cannot provide a reliable, third-party assurance that they meet or exceed
minimum standards. It is therefore incumbent on the receiving institution to take special steps to validate credits that have
been previously earned at unaccredited programs or institutions. Acceptance of transfer credit should not be made solely on
the accreditation status of an institution. This is just one of the factors to be considered in evaluation of transfer credit. After
review of the student transcript and any related documentation, if feasible, the receiving institution, upon request, may
provide reasonable explanation to student applicants about why work is or is not accepted for credit.
3. Consistency: Policies and practices that inform transfer decisions are to be applied consistently. This principle
becomes even more important in the context of two national trends; that of changing student attendance patterns
reflecting higher incidence of transfer rates, and emerging new providers of higher education, with attendant new
sources of credits and experience to be evaluated.
4. Accountability for Effective Public Communication: Full and accurate disclosure of transfer policies and practices is
important in ensuring the public that the transfer process is built on a strong commitment to fairness and effectiveness.
5. Commitment to Address Innovation: Institutions need to be flexible and open in considering alternative approaches to
managing transfer when these approaches will benefit students. Distance learning and other applications of technology generate
alternative approaches to many functions of colleges and universities, including transfer policy and practice.
6. Applicability of Credit for Degree Purposes: At some institutions, there may be differences between the
acceptance of credit for admission purposes and the applicability of credit for degree purposes. A receiving institution
may accept previous work, place credit value on it, and enter it on the transcript. However, that previous work, because
of its nature and not its inherent quality, may be determined to have no applicability to a specific degree to be pursued
by the student at the receiving institution. Institutions have a responsibility to make this distinction, and its implications,
clear to students before they decide to enroll. This should be a matter of full disclosure, with the best interests of the
student in mind. Institutions also should make every reasonable effort to reduce the gap between credits accepted and
credits applied toward an educational credential.
7. Evaluation of Credit from Foreign Institutions: In most cases, foreign institutions are chartered and authorized by
their national governments, usually through a ministry of education. Although this provides for standardization within a
country, it does not produce useful information about comparability from one country to another. No other nation has a
system comparable to voluntary accreditation. The Division of Higher Education of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is engaged in a project to develop international compacts for the acceptance
of educational credentials. At the operational level, four organizations—the Council on International Educational Exchange
(CIEE), the National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Student Credentials (CEC), NAFSA: Association of International
Educators, and the National Liaison Committee on Foreign Student Admissions (NLC)—often can assist institutions by
providing general guidelines for admission and placement of foreign students. Equivalency or placement recommendations
are to be evaluated in terms of the programs and policies of the individual receiving institution.
8. Validation of Extra-Institutional and Experiential Learning: Transfer of credit policies should encompass
educational accomplishment attained in extra-institutional settings as well as at accredited postsecondary institutions. In
deciding upon the award of credit for extra-institutional learning, institutions may find the services of the American Council
on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service helpful. One of the service’s functions is to operate and foster
programs to determine credit equivalencies for various modes of extra-institutional learning. The service maintains evaluation
programs for formally structured courses offered by the military and civilian non-collegiate sponsors such as business,
corporations, government agencies, and labor unions. Evaluation services are also available for examination programs for
occupations with validated job proficiency evaluation systems, and for correspondence courses offered by schools accredited
by the National Home Study Council. The results are published in a guide series. Another resource is the General Education
Development (GED) Testing Program, which provides a means for assessing high school equivalency. For learning that has
not been validated through the ACE formal credit recommendation process or through credit-by-examination programs,
P a g e | 29
institutions may wish to explore the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) procedures and processes.
Pertinent CAEL publications designed for this purpose are available.
Use of This Statement
This policy draws upon two advisory statements issued by CHEA, which are available on its website at www.chea.org, and
were approved by each of the regional accrediting Commissions, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers, the American Council on Education/Commission on Educational Credit, and the Council on
Post-secondary Accreditation. Institutions are encouraged to use this Statement as a basis for discussions in developing
or reviewing institutional policies with regard to transfer.
Revised and adopted by the Commission, 11/06/2009
P a g e | 30
Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
V. Model Student Handout on Transfer Issues
Advice to Students Considering Transferring to Other Institutions
1.
All questions of transfer are rightfully and appropriately determined by the institution(s) receiving the credit.
xxx College students considering transferring to another institution should inquire of the potential receiving
institution as soon as possible to determine if that institution has accepted, will accept, or will consider
accepting credits previously earned at xxx College.
2.
No student from any institution should assume automatic transferability of their credits to another institution.
Transfer policies vary between institutions. Most will not accept credits which were earned with low grades.
Certain classes, such as religion or biblical studies, may not transfer to state institutions. Be aware that some
courses may be accepted for transfer, but not actually count toward graduation requirements or meet core
curriculum or general education requirements. Pay very careful attention to these kinds of details and distinctions.
3.
You should get any official transfer decisions in writing and not depend on phone conversations alone. Always
ask for clarification and documentation. Do not assume that the person you are talking to or emailing to has
the authority to make final academic decisions on behalf of the receiving institution. Get official decisions in
writing. Such documentation could be crucial, especially if you later need to appeal a transfer decision.
4.
xxx College is nationally accredited, but most colleges and universities are regionally accredited. This
distinction has caused problems for transfer students in the past. Many regionally accredited college admission
offices will initially say they do not accept nationally accredited program credits, but that is not always true or
the whole story. Carefully check the receiving institution’s published transfer policies on its website or on-line
catalog. If you receive mixed signals or find conflicting information, communicate directly with the registrar of
the institution for confirmation of the institution’s official transfer policies. If a state institution resides in a
state which has a state-wide “regional only” policy, then the receiving individual institutions may have little or
no flexibility. However, if it is not a statewide policy, then the individual institutions may have more flexibility
or potential for flexibility.
5.
xxx College’s national accrediting body, the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
(TRACS), is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA), the same two bodies that recognize all regional accrediting bodies.
6.
All CHEA-recognized institutions are supposed to follow the CHEA Statement on Transfer and the Public Interest
(http://www.chea.org/pdf/transfer_state_02.pdf), which states explicitly that institutions and accreditors
should NOT use accreditation as the sole reason for acceptance or denial. The CHEA statement expects
institutions to make sure that “decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending
program or institution.” In other words, the question of transferability should be based on the student's
record and academic performance first. According to CHEA, the source of accreditation of the sending
institution may be considered a legitimate part of a transfer or admissions decision, but it should not be the sole
or first reason for rejection.
7.
Each of the six regional accrediting bodies has its own specific policies on transfer that clearly affirm the
CHEA statement for handling transfer credit issues. Check the appropriate regional accreditor website and
make sure that your receiving institution follows its own regional accreditor’s published policies correctly.
P a g e | 31
8.
If you believe that you are being unfairly treated regarding transfer of credit, please contact the Registrar’s
Office immediately (xxx-xxx-xxxx, ext. xxxx; [email protected]). xxx College will then inform
a. Dr. Paul Boatner, President of TRACS ([email protected])
b. Dr. Jan Friis, Vice President of CHEA ([email protected])
c. The executive officer of the relevant regional accreditation body
9.
Please notify the College Registrar (xxx-xxx-xxxx, ext. xxx; [email protected]) anytime you encounter any
difficulties or accreditation-based discrimination when seeking admission or transfer of credits to any other
nationally or regionally accredited institutions.
P a g e | 32
Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
VI. Model Letter to Institutions That Deny
Transfer Credits from TRACS Students
Dear Registrar,
I have been informed by [student] that his/her academic credits earned at *** College have not been accepted for transfer
because our institution is not regionally accredited, but nationally accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges
and Schools. According to the letter [student] received and which he/she forwarded to me, the sole justification your
institution provided for denial of transfer credit was the accreditation status of ***College.
While I respect your university’s right to establish its own admission standards and transfer of credit policies, and to deny
acceptance of transfer credits for a variety of legitimate reasons, I would submit that denial of credits solely on the basis of
their source of accreditation is contrary to generally accepted professional practices within higher education and thus
illegitimate. It specifically violates the professional standards established by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA), of which your institution is a member, in its Statement on Transfer and the Public Interest. Worse, it may constitute an
unlawful form of faith-based discrimination against [student]. I therefore ask you to carefully reconsider this decision.
The CHEA Statement on Transfer and the Public Interest (http://www.chea.org/pdf/transfer_state_02.pdf), which all CHEArecognized members (including the regionals and faith-based national accreditors) are expected to follow, explicitly states that
institutions and accreditors should NOT use accreditation status as the sole basis for acceptance or denial of transfer credit.
The CHEA Statement declares unequivocally “decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending
program or institution.”
Your own regional accreditation body, [North Central Higher Education Commission], affirms this CHEA
statement on transfers and affirms that quality and fairness in transfer of credit decisions must include
Balance in the use of accreditation status in transfer decisions, so that transfer decisions are not made solely on
the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution, and that students receive reasonable explanations
about how work offered for credit is or is not of sufficient quality when compared with the receiving
institution and how work is or is not comparable with curricula and standards to meet degree requirements
of the receiving institution.
To invoke a regional-only policy grounds for rejection of transfer credit without exception with respect to a student from
*** College, which possesses accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for
Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)—the same two bodies which recognize your regional accreditor—would be
contrary to generally accepted professional practice, unfair, and discriminatory. Moreover, if your institution has made
any exceptions to its purported “regional accreditation only” policy in prior admissions or transfer of credit decisions, then
denial of admission or transfer of credit to [student] now solely on the basis of the source of accreditation of his/her
sending institution would be arbitrary and discriminatory.
Most importantly, [student] is a gifted and capable student who will not only benefit from study at your institution, but
contribute significantly and positively to the program he/she hopes to enter and to your institution’s academic culture.
It will be your loss, if you refuse [student] admission. So please reconsider your previous decision for the benefit of all
involved.
P a g e | 33
On behalf of [student] and ****College, I ask you to carefully reconsider your decision not to accept [student’s]
academic work for transfer/graduate admission solely on the basis of our USDE and CHEA-recognized accreditation
status.
Sincerely,
Name
President/Dean/Registrar [as appropriate]
cc:
Dr. Jan Friis, Vice President, CHEA
Dr. XxxxXxxxxx, Executive Director, Relevant Regional Accrediting Agency
Mr. XxxxXxxxxx, Esq., ***College Legal Counsel
Dr. Paul Boatner, President, TRACS
P a g e | 34
Transfer of Credit
Handbook
For TRACS-Accredited Institutions
VII. Contact Information
TRACS
ACE
Dr. Paul Boatner
President
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges
and Schools
15935 Forest Road
Forest, VA 24551
[email protected]
Phone:(434) 525-9539
www.tracs.org
Office of the President
American Council on Education
One Dupont Circle, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 939-9300
[email protected]
202-939-9300
www.acenet.edu
CHEA
ABHE
Dr. Jan Friis
Vice President for Government Affairs
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20036
[email protected]
Phone: (202) 955-6126
www.chea.org
Dr. Ralph E. Enlow, Jr.
President
Association for Biblical Higher Education
5850 T G Lee Blvd, Suite 130
Orlando FL 32822
[email protected]
Phone: 407-207-0808
www.abhe.org
AACRAO
Michael Reilly
Executive Director
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036
[email protected]
Phone: (202) 293-9161
www.aacrao.org
ATS
Daniel O. Aleshire
Executive Director
Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. &
Canada-Commission on Accrediting
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1110
[email protected]
Phone: (412) 788-6505
http://www.ats.edu
P a g e | 35
MSCHE
SACS
Dr. Elizabeth H. Sibolski
President
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West
Philadelphia, PA 19104
[email protected]
Phone: (267) 284–5000
www.msche.org
Belle S. Wheelan, Ph.D.
President
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, GA 30033
Phone: (404) 679-4500 ext. 4504
www.sacscoc.org
Complaint Procedures:
http://sacscoc.org/pdf/081705/complaintpolicy.pdf
NEASC-CIHE
Dr. Barbara E. Brittingham
President/Director of the Commission
New England Association of Schools and CollegesCommission on Institutions of Higher Education
209 Burlington Rd, Suite 201
Bedford, MA 01730-1433
[email protected]
Phone: (781) 541-5447
http://cihe.neasc.org
WASC
Ralph A. Wolff
President
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100
Alameda, CA 94501
[email protected]
Phone: (510) 748-9001ext. 321
www.wascsenior.org
NCA-HLC
Sylvia Manning
President
North Central Association of Colleges and SchoolsHigher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
[email protected]
Phone: (800) 621-7440x102’
www.ncahlc.org
U.S. Department of Education
David A. Bergeron
(Acting)Assistant Secretary
Office of Postsecondary Education
U.S. Department of Education
1990 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 219-7011
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/index.html
NWCCU
Dr. Sandra E. Elman
President
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052
[email protected]
Phone: (425) 558-4224
www.nwccu.org