Transfer of Credit Policy

Purpose

McNeese State University recognizes the importance of providing students with information to facilitate transfer of credit, as well as maintaining academic quality and integrity with respect to awarding credit for course work completed at another institution. In accordance with SACSCOC requirements related to transfer credit, the University assumes responsibility for the academic quality of all course work and credit listed on the academic transcript.

Policy

The option to accept or award credit for academic work completed at another institution rests with the institution and academic department to which a student transfers. The evaluation process for determining transferability of academic credit begins with submission of an official transcript to the McNeese Office of the Registrar from the institution(s) where the credit was originally earned. An official credential evaluation of credit earned at institutions outside of the United States is required and is the responsibility of the student requesting evaluation of the credit for transfer. The Louisiana Board of Regents’ Master Course Articulation Matrix or articulation agreements between McNeese and other institutions may be referenced to determine transferability of course work for credit. Transfer of credit from institutions that do not hold institutional accreditation involve more in-depth review and documentation.

Evaluation Process to Determine Transferability of Course Work

1. The evaluation process to determine transferability of course work begins in the McNeese Office of the Registrar with an evaluation of the official academic transcript, or the official credential awarded by the institution(s) where the credit was earned.
2. Before specific course work is evaluated by the academic department for transferability, McNeese confirms the institution awarding the credit is accredited by an institutional accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDOE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
   1. The Office of the Registrar utilizes the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs at https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home to determine accreditation status of an institution.
   2. For higher education institutions outside the United States, the Office of the Registrar utilizes publications from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and NAFSA: Association of International Educators to determine if the institution holds an approved accreditation or education ministry status.
   3. If institutions are not institutionally accredited or recognized by appropriate governmental agencies, transfer credit may be approved upon thorough evaluation by the Office of the Registrar and faculty in the specific disciplines. Evaluation of the course includes, but may not be limited to, recommendations of state educational agencies in the states in which the institutions are located; course description; course level and rigor; course learning objectives and syllabus; textbook(s); exams and assignments; prerequisites; faculty credentials of the course instructor; and other related learning requirements.
3. Once the Office of the Registrar approves the institution related to the transfer request, the academic department that offers the course(s) determines if specific transferred courses will meet and be counted toward academic program requirements. Academic departments may require additional course-related documentation such as the course syllabus; textbook(s); exams and assignments; prerequisites; faculty credentials of the course instructor; and related learning requirements that may demonstrate the transferred course meets student learning objectives comparable to McNeese courses.
   1. The Office of the Registrar utilizes the Transfer Evaluation System (TES) to gather information about course descriptions if an academic department requests additional information.
      1. If a transferable course is deemed equivalent to a McNeese course with regard to content and level (lower-division vs. upper-division), the course credit is awarded with the appropriate McNeese subject code and course number.
      2. If a transferable course does not directly compare to a McNeese course, the course credit is awarded under the appropriate subject code and is listed on the student’s McNeese transcript in general format (e.g., MATH) and ‘XX’ course number (e.g., MATH 1XX for a freshman-level mathematics course).
      3. While a transferable course is under review by the academic department, the course will appear on the student’s transcript with the appropriate subject code and ‘–‘ as the course number (e.g., MATH 1– for a freshman-level mathematics course). Once the evaluation is finalized, the course will be updated with the appropriate designation.
   2. Requests for transfer of credit earned at institutions outside the U.S. are reviewed by the Office of the Registrar.
      1. After the Office of the Registrar determines the credit has been earned at an appropriately accredited or approved international school, student transcripts are reviewed for course-by-course credential evaluations.
      2. Courses approved for transfer from international institutions are applied to the student’s transcript as either lower-division (100-level) or upper-division (300-level) indirect credit as specified in the credential evaluation and with a grade of P (for courses where a grade equivalent to a U.S. grade of C was earned).
4. Acceptance of credit earned from an institution that does not hold institutional accreditation or from a vocational/technical college may occur if McNeese has an articulation agreement or if a comprehensive review of the transfer courses and instructor credentials determines transferability.
   1. To begin the process for evaluating transferability of course credit, the student must request evaluation of the credit and submit an original transcript from the institution that awarded the credit.
   2. Each course petitioned for transfer is reviewed by the appropriate department head and/or faculty. The review includes an evaluation of the course description, detailed course syllabus and learning objectives, exams and assignments, textbook(s), and credentials of the faculty member teaching the course at the time credit was earned.
      1. The faculty member’s credentials must meet the requirements in McNeese’s Faculty Appointment and Credentialing Policy.
   3. If the department head recommends the petitioned course for transfer, the college dean reviews the recommendation and, if in agreement, submits the recommendation to the provost and vice president for academic affairs, who makes the final judgment as to the acceptability of the petitioned course.
   4. If approved, the Office of the Registrar is notified and transfer credit may be awarded.
      1. The Office of the Registrar verifies the instructor of record and his/her credentials before awarding credit. Copies of instructor credentials for transfer credit purposes are archived in the Office of the Registrar.
5. Applicability of transfer credit to a McNeese degree program is determined by the academic department and college.
6. Transfer articulation agreements exist between McNeese State University and other colleges and universities in Louisiana which outline the correlation between McNeese courses and courses from other institutions. McNeese follows the Louisiana Board of Regents master course articulation matrix, located at https://www.laregents.edu/.
7. Completion of the Associate of Arts/Science Louisiana Transfer (AALT/ASLT) degree from a two-year institution in Louisiana guarantees that a student has met all lower-division general education requirements at the receiving Louisiana public university.
   1. Graduates transferring with the AALT or ASLT will have junior status.
   2. Courses or GPA requirements for specific majors, departments, or schools may not be automatically satisfied by an AALT/ASLT degree.
8. General guidelines followed for awarding of transfer credit:
   1. Course work transferred from an institution which awards credit in quarter hours is converted to semester hours.
   2. Transfer credit grades are interpreted according to McNeese’s Grading System Policy. Grade designations of ‘+’ and ‘-’ are not recognized; only the letter grade is posted.
   3. The GPA for transfer students is computed in the same manner as the GPA for McNeese students; however, incomplete grades for transfer courses are computed in the overall GPA if included in the GPA at the transferring institution.
   4. To calculate the overall GPA, all hours pursued and total quality points earned for both institutional and transfer course work are used.
   5. Transfer course credit that indicates the course has been successfully completed and passed from institutions outside the U.S. is awarded with a grade of P (Pass).
   6. If transfer courses were repeated for credit, or if the course is repeated for credit at McNeese, only the last grade earned may be applied to a degree.
   7. Lower-division courses (100- and 200-level) do not transfer as upper-division courses (300- and 400-level). In cases where a lower-division transfer course is equated to an upper-division McNeese course on a recognized or official course articulation guide, the lower-division transfer course may not be used when computing the number of upper-division course credits required at McNeese for degree completion.
   8. Vocational/technical courses are not considered for transfer unless a comprehensive review indicates collegiate-level learning objectives taught by appropriately credentialed faculty are evident and the course is equivalent to a McNeese course in content, learning outcomes, and collegiate-level rigor. 
   9. Credit for remedial or developmental courses is not awarded, except in cases of cross-enrollment with an approved community college; however, remedial course credit is not applicable to any degree program.
   10. Credit is not awarded for transfer courses that do not count toward a degree at McNeese nor at the institution where completed.
   11. Credits earned while under suspension from McNeese or another college or university are not usually accepted for credit at McNeese; however, credit earned from a community college while under suspension from McNeese or another University of Louisiana System institution may be accepted at McNeese provided grades of C or higher are earned in each of the courses to be transferred.
9. Transfer credit for graduate course work may be awarded, in individual cases, upon recommendation of a student’s major professor and department head and approval of the executive director of the Doré School of Graduate Studies.
   1. A maximum of one-third of the credit hours required for the graduate degree may be transferred from another institutionally accredited college or university provided that:
      1. The grade in each course accepted is B or better;
      2. Each course is comparable to a required course in the McNeese degree program; and
      3. The credit has been earned within six calendar years from the date the student is first enrolled in the program at McNeese.

Appealing Transfer Credit Decisions

A student who feels that the evaluation of transfer credit is incorrect should proceed as follows:

1. Consult the Office of the Registrar to try to resolve the difference.
2. If the problem is not resolved, the student may file a written appeal with the Office of the Registrar.
3. The Office of the Registrar forwards the course description(s) along with a request for a recommendation to the head of the department in which the subject is taught. If needed, other materials such as syllabi, exams, and/or faculty credentials may be reviewed to determine if course content and objectives are comparable to the course expectations at McNeese.
4. If the issue is not resolved and the student wishes to pursue the appeal, the written appeal is routed to the academic college dean for a decision.
5. If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the final level of appeal is with the provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the Academic Catalog and the University Policies webpage.