Is This Credit Legit

1
Is This Credit Legit?

• An Introduction to the Art and Science of
  Evaluating Transfer Credit
• James Patton
• Assistant Registrar for Operations
• Furman University
• Greenville, SC

2
Establishing Legitimacy

• Checking Accreditation
• Evaluating Courses
• Reviewing Evaluations

3
Accreditation

• accreditation   (?-kred'i-ta'sh?n)   
  n.  The act of accrediting or the state of being
  accredited, especially the granting of approval
  to an institution of learning by an official
  review board after the school has met specific
  requirements.
• quick and easy way to establish if a school is
  legitimate
• Regional accreditation versus National
  accreditation
• For more information visit this site
  http//www.elearners.com/guide-to-online-education
  /regional-and-national-accreditation.asp
• The quickest, easiest way but not the only way

4
Regional Accrediting Bodies

• Middle States Association of Colleges and
  Schools, Middle States Commission on Higher
  Education (MSCHE)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges,
  Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
  (NEASC-CIHE)
• North Central Association of Colleges and
  Schools, The Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  (NWCCU)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges,
  Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior
  Colleges (WASC-ACCJC)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges,
  Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and
  Universities (WASC-ACSCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,
  Commission on Colleges (SACS)

5
Which School is not Regionally Accredited?

• Bob Jones University
• King College
• Lenoir-Rhyne University
• Furman University
• DeVry University

6
Tools for Determining Accreditation

• Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary
  Education
• School website
• Regional accreditation website
• www.collegesource.org
• Remember, Accreditation is an easy way to judge
  legitimacy, but not the only way

7
Evaluating Courses

• Course descriptions
• We need them, how do we find them?
• Search schools website
• Different layouts can make process confusing
• Contact the school directly
• Have to wait for a response
• Software Licensing (CollegeSource.org, etc.)
• Easy, but can be expensive
• The Student
• The onus is on the student

8
Comparing Course Descriptions

• Greenville Technical College
• SOC-101 Introduction to Sociology (3-0-3) This
  course emphasizes the fundamental concepts and
  principles of sociology including culture,
  socialization, interaction, social groups and
  stratification, effects of population growth, and
  technology in society and social institutions.
• Furman University
• SOC-101 Introduction to Sociology
• Introduction to the sociological perspective on
  human behavior, including an analysis of theory,
  research methods, culture, society, personality,
  the socialization process, social institutions
  and social change. 4 credits)

9
Tricks of the Trade

• Major versus non-major science courses
• Course number
• Course title
• Example Physics versus University Physics
• Prerequisite information
• Is Calculus required?
• Course description
• Sometimes specified in the description

10
Common Issues in Evaluating Courses

• Ive read the description, and Im still not
  sure
• Track down a syllabus
• Contact Academic departments
• What is this credit?
• Semester hours versus quarter hours
• (quarter hours) x 2/3 semester hours
• International systems
• Find a conversion chart (grades and credits)

11
Evaluation Review

• Accreditation is established
• Courses appear to be legitimate
• Established specific equivalencies
• Have a professional member of staff review your
  evaluations!
• Second opinion
• Gravitas
• Not an island

12
Strange Situations

• International Schools
• Different grading and credit systems
• Language barrier/time difference
• More information
• http//www.aacrao.org/publications/catalog/interna
  tional.cfm
• Unaccredited Institutions
• Dealing with displeased customers
• Importance of review
• Get confirmation from academic departments
• Schools that no longer exist
• Onus on the student

13
Questions?
14
Contact Information

• James Patton, Assistant Registrar for Operations
• Furman University, Greenville, SC
• james.patton_at_furman.edu (e-mail)
• [phone] (phone)
• [phone] (fax)