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 process for determining transferability of academic credit begins with submission of an official transcript to the McNeese Office of Registrar from the institution(s) where the credit was originally earned. An official credential evaluation is required for institutions outside of the United States. The option to accept or award credit for academic work completed at another institution rests with the institution to which a student transfers. In many instances the Louisiana Board of Regents’ Master Course Articulation Matrix or articulation agreements between McNeese and other institutions may determine transferability of course work for credit. Transfer of credit from institutions that do not hold appropriate institutional accreditation involve more in-depth review. Academic credit granted for transferable course work may or may not be applied toward degree completion, since this is determined by the student’s academic department and college.

Evaluation Process to Determine Transferability of Course Work

1. The evaluation process to determine transferability of course work begins in the McNeese Registrar’s Office with a review of the official academic transcript, or the official credential evaluation when necessary, provided by the institution(s) where the credit was earned.
2. Before specific course work is evaluated for transferability, McNeese determines if the institution awarding the credit is accredited by an institutional accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDOE). Transfer credit is awarded for academic credit earned at an institution accredited by a recognized USDOE institutional accreditor or at an institution outside the U.S. recognized by the appropriate ministry of education or agency.
   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 schools outside the United States, the Office of the Registrar confers with the Office of International Programs and utilizes publications from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
   3. If institutions are not institutionally accredited or recognized by appropriate governmental agencies, credit may be approved upon thorough evaluation by the Registrar’s Office 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; learning objectives and syllabus; textbook(s); exams and assignments; prerequisites; faculty credentials of the course instructor; and other related learning requirements.
3. Once institutional accreditation is verified, determination of course transferability includes review of the course description by academic department heads or appropriate faculty to determine if course content and objectives are comparable to the course expectations at McNeese. If needed, other appropriate documentation, which may include the syllabus; textbook(s); exams and assignments; prerequisites; faculty credentials of the course instructor; and other related learning requirements are reviewed.
   1. The Office of the Registrar utilizes the Transfer Evaluation System (TES) to manage the process of identifying course descriptions for transfer course work and requesting a review of the course work by academic department heads or faculty in the appropriate disciplines.
      1. If a transferable course directly compares 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 academic department heads or faculty, 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 as indicated in 3.a.i. or 3.a.ii.
   2. Requests for transfer of credit earned at institutions outside the U.S. are reviewed by the Office of the Registrar.
      1. The Office of International Programs provides copies of student transcripts and course-by-course credential evaluations.
      2. Courses approved for transfer are applied to the student’s transcript as either lower-division (100-level) or upper-division (300-level) indirect credit (as outlined in 3.a.ii.) 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 this process, the student must request evaluation of the credit.
   2. Each course petitioned for transfer is reviewed by the appropriate department head. 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 must meet the SACSCOC faculty credentialing criteria and the McNeese credentialing regulations.
   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 and enrollment management, 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 http://www.regents.la.gov.
7. Completion of the Associate of Arts/Science Louisiana Transfer (AALT/ASLT) degree from a two-year institution 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. 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 grading policy. Grade designations of ‘+’ and ‘-’ are not recognized.
   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 credit from institutions outside the U.S. is awarded with a grade of P (Pass).
   6. If courses are repeated for credit, 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 rare cases where a lower-division transfer course is equated to an upper-division McNeese course on a 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. 
   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 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 dean of Graduate School.
   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. Course descriptions are then forwarded, 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 and enrollment management.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the Academic Advisory Council, Administrative Advisory Council, the University Policies webpage, and the Academic Catalog.