STATEWIDE AGREEMENT ON TRANSFER AND ARTICULATION
(REVISED 10/2002)

PREFACE

     On May 2, 1996, the Commission on Higher Education approved unanimously the statewide agreement on transfer and articulation.  That policy 
follows this preface in the form of the Regulations and Procedures for Transfer.  Minor changes have occurred in the document since its approval.  These changes 
(e.g., the enhancement of the list of universally transferable courses at public institutions from 72 in 1996 to 74 in 1997 and 86 in 2002) are reflected 
in the document as it appears here.  

     The policy that was approved on May 2, 1996,  also incorporated decisions made by the Commission in 1995 as part of the Commission's implementation of the 
South Carolina School-to-Work Act.  Although the text of the 1996 policy that follows makes reference to documents related to these decisions, these earlier 
documents have not been printed here since in some cases they are redundant and in other cases they were superseded by events or by the 1996 policy of the 
Commission.  Copies of the documents approved in 1995 that were incorporated into the 1996 policy are, however, still available by contacting the Commission by
mail, telephone, or fax at the addresses listed on the Home Page.

    

Section 10-C of the South Carolina School-to-Work Transition Act (1994) stipulates that the Council of College and University Presidents and the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, operating through the Commission on Higher Education, will develop better articulation of associate and baccalaureate degree programs. To comply with this requirement, the Commission upon the advice of the Council of Presidents established a Transfer Articulation Policy Committee composed of four-year institutions' vice presidents for academic affairs and the Associate Director for Instruction of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. The principal outcomes derived from the work of that committee and accepted by the Commission on Higher Education on July 6, 1995, were:

* An expanded list of 86 courses which will transfer to four-year public institutions of South Carolina from the two-year public institutions;

* A statewide policy document on good practices in transfer to be followed by all public institutions of higher education in the State of South Carolina, which was accepted in principle by the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs and the Commission;

* Six task forces on statewide transfer agreements, each based in a discipline or broad area of the baccalaureate curriculum.

In 1995 the General Assembly passed Act 137 which stipulated further that the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education "notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, will have the following additional duties and functions with regard to the various public institutions of higher education." These duties and responsibilities include the Commission's responsibility "to establish procedures for the transferability of courses at the undergraduate level between two-year and four-year institutions or schools." This same provision is repeated in the legislation developed from the Report of the Joint Legislative Study Committee, which was formed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor as Act 359 of 1996.

Act 137 directs the Commission to adopt procedures for the transfer of courses from all two-year public to all four-year public institutions of higher education in South Carolina. Proposed procedures are listed below. Unless otherwise stated, these procedures became effective immediately upon approval by the Commission and were to be fully implemented, unless otherwise stated, by September 1, 1997.

1. The Statewide Articulation Agreement of 86 courses approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for transfer from two- to four-year public institutions (See Appendix A) will be applicable to all public institutions, including two-year institutions and institutions within the same system. In instances where an institution does not have synonymous courses to ones on this list, it will identify comparable courses or course categories for acceptance of general education courses on the statewide list.

2. All four-year public institutions will issue annually in August a transfer guide covering at least the following items:

A. The definition of a transfer student and requirements for admission both to the institution and, if more selective, requirements for admission to particular programs.

B. Limitations placed by the institution or its programs for acceptance of standardized examinations (e.g., SAT, ACT) taken more than a given time ago, for academic coursework taken elsewhere, for coursework repeated due to failure, for coursework taken at another institution while the student is academically suspended at his/her home institution, and so forth.

C. Institutional and, if more selective, programmatic maximums of course credits allowable in transfer.

D. Institutional procedures used to calculate student applicants' GPAs for transfer admission. Such procedures will describe how nonstandard grades (withdrawal, withdrawal failing, repeated course, etc.) are evaluated; and they will also describe whether all coursework taken prior to transfer or just coursework deemed appropriate to the student's intended four-year program of study is calculated for purposes of admission to the institution and/or programmatic major.

E. Lists of all courses accepted from each technical college (including the 86 courses in the Statewide Articulation Agreement) and the course equivalencies (including "free elective" category) found at the home institution for the courses accepted.

F. Lists of all articulation agreements with any public South Carolina two-year or other institution of higher education, together with information about how interested parties can access these agreements.

G. Lists of the institution's Transfer Officer(s) personnel together with telephone and FAX numbers, office address, and e-mail address.

H. Institutional policies related to "academic bankruptcy" (i.e., removing an entire transcript or parts thereof from a failed or underachieving record after a period of years has passed) so that re-entry into the four-year institution with course credit earned in the interim elsewhere is done without regard to the student's earlier record.

I. "Residency requirements" for the minimum number of hours required to be earned at the institution for the degree.

3. Coursework (individual courses, transfer blocks, statewide agreements) covered within these procedures will be transferable if the student has completed the coursework with a "C" grade (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above, but transfer of grades does not relieve the student of the obligation to meet any G.P.A. requirements or other admissions requirements of the institution or program to which application has been made.

A. Any four-year institution which has institutional or programmatic admissions requirements for transfer students with cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) higher than 2.0 on a 4.0 scale will apply such entrance requirements equally to transfer students from regionally accredited South Carolina public institutions regardless of whether students are transferring from a four-year or two-year institution.

B. Any multi-campus institution or system will certify by letter to the Commission that all coursework at all of its campuses applicable to a particular degree program of study is fully acceptable in transfer to meet degree requirements in the same degree program at any other of its campuses.

4. Any coursework (individual courses, transfer blocks, statewide agreements) covered within these procedures will be transferable to any public institution without any additional fee and without any further encumbrance such as a "validation examination," "placement examination/instrument," "verification instrument," or any other stricture, notwithstanding any institutional or system policy, procedure, or regulation to the contrary.

5. The following Transfer Blocks/Statewide Agreements taken at any two-year public institution in South Carolina will be accepted in their totality toward meeting baccalaureate degree requirements at all four-year public institutions in relevant four-year degree programs, as follows:

* Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: Established curriculum block of 46-48 semester hours

* Business Administration: Established curriculum block of 46-51 semester hours

* Engineering: Established curriculum block of 33 semester hours

* Science and Mathematics: Established curriculum block of 51-53 semester hours

* Teacher Education: Established curriculum block of 38-39 semester hours for Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education students only. Secondary education majors and students seeking certification who are not majoring in teacher education should consult the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences or the Math and Science transfer blocks, as relevant, to assure transferability of coursework.

* Nursing: By statewide agreement, at least 60 semester hours will be accepted by any public four-year institution toward the baccalaureate completion program (BSN) from graduates of any South Carolina public associate degree program in nursing (ADN), provided that the program is accredited by the National League of Nursing and that the graduate has successfully passed the National Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and is a currently licensed Registered Nurse

(For complete texts and information about these statewide transfer blocks/agreements, see Appendix B.)

6. Any "unique" academic program not specifically or by extension covered by one of the statewide transfer blocks/agreements listed in #4 above must either create its own transfer block of 35 or more credit hours with the approval of CHE staff or will adopt either the Arts/Social Science/Humanities or the Science/Mathematics block. The institution at which such program is located will inform the staff of the CHE and every institutional president and vice president for academic affairs about this decision.

7. Any student who has completed either an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree program at any public two-year South Carolina institution which contains within it the total coursework found in either the Arts/Social Sciences/Humanities Transfer Block or the Math/Science Transfer Block will automatically be entitled to junior-level status or its equivalent at whatever public senior institution to which the student might have been admitted. (Note: As agreed by the Committee on Academic Affairs, junior status applies only to campus activities such as priority order for registration for courses, residence hall assignments, parking, athletic event tickets, etc. and not in calculating academic degree credits.)

8. All applicable recommendations found in the Commission's report to the General Assembly on the School-to-Work Act (approved by the Commission and transmitted to the General Assembly on July 6, 1995) are hereby incorporated into the procedures for transfer of coursework among two- and four-year institutions.

9. The policy paper entitled State Policy on Transfer and Articulation, as amended to reflect changes in the numbers of transfer blocks and other Commission action since July 6, 1995, is hereby adopted as the statewide policy for institutional good practice in the sending and receiving of all course credits to be transferred. (Contact the Division of Academic Affairs for copies of this report.)

10. All claims from any public two- or four-year institution challenging the effective preparation of any other public institution's coursework for transfer purposes will be evaluated and appropriate measures will be taken to reassure that the quality of the coursework has been reviewed and approved on a timely basis by sending and receiving institutions alike. This process of formal review will occur every four years through the staff of the Commission on Higher Education, beginning with the approval of these procedures.

11. The staff of the Commission on Higher Education will print and distribute copies of these Procedures upon their acceptance by the Commission. The staff will also place this document and the Appendices on the Commission's Home Page on the Internet under the title "Transfer Policies."

12. By September 1 of each year, all public four-year institutions will place the following materials on their internet websites:

A. A copy of this entire document.

B. A copy of the institution’s transfer guide.

13. By September 1 of each year, the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education will place the following materials on its internet website:

A. A copy of this entire document.

B. Provide to the Commission staff in format suitable for placing on the Commission's website a list of all articulation agreements that each of the sixteen technical colleges has with public and other four-year institutions of higher education, together with information about how interested parties can access those agreements.

14. Each two-year and four-year public institutional catalog will contain a section entitled "Transfer: State Policies and Procedures." Such section at a minimum will:

A. Publish these procedures in their entirety (except Appendices)

B. Designate a chief Transfer Officer at the institution who will:

--provide information and other appropriate support for students considering transfer and recent transfers

--serve as a clearinghouse for information on issues of transfer in the State of South Carolina

--provide definitive institutional rulings on transfer questions for the institution's students under these procedures

--work closely with feeder institutions to assure ease in transfer for their students

C. Designate other programmatic Transfer Officer(s) as the size of the institution and the variety of its programs might warrant

                              D. Refer interested parties to the institutional Transfer Guide

E. Refer interested parties to institutional and Commission on Higher Education's websites for further information regarding transfer.

15. In recognition of its widespread acceptance and use throughout the United States, SPEEDE/EXPRESS should be adopted by all public institutions and systems as the standard for electronic transmission of all student transfer data.

16. In conjunction with the colleges and universities, develop and implement a statewide Transfer Equivalency Database at the earliest opportunity.

(As an electronic counseling guide, this computerized, on-line instrument will allow students and advisors to access all degree requirements for every major at every public four-year institution in South Carolina. Also, the Database will allow students to obtain a better understanding of institutional programs and program requirements and select their transfer courses accordingly, especially when the student knows the institution and the major to which he/she is transferring.)

17. Adopt a common statewide course numbering system for common freshman and sophomore courses of the technical colleges, two-year regional campuses of the University of South Carolina, and the senior institutions.

18. Adopt common course titles and descriptions for common freshman and sophomore courses of the technical colleges, two-year regional campuses of the University of South Carolina, and the senior institutions. The Commission will convene statewide disciplinary groups to engage in formal dialogue for these purposes.

(A common course numbering system and common course titles and descriptions for lower-division coursework at all public institutions in the state can help reduce confusion among students about the equivalency of their two-year coursework with lower-division coursework at the four-year level. To this end, a common system leaves no doubt about the comparability of content, credit, and purpose among the lower-division courses at all public colleges and universities in South Carolina. It would also help eliminate institutional disagreement over the transferability of much lower-division coursework, thus clearing a path for easier movement between the technical colleges and senior institutions.)

Revised 9/2002                                

GENERAL EDUCATION TRANSFER BLOCK FOR
EARLY CHILDHOOD,

ENG 101 3 Credits

ENG 102 3 Credits
English Composition II

Total Credits: 6

Natural Sciences

BIO 101 4
Biological Science I

AND

CHM 110 4
College Chemistry I

0R

PHY 201
Physics I

Total Credits: 8

*Mathematics

MAT 130 2 credits
Elementary Calculus

OR

Mat 140 4 Credits
Analytical geometry and Calculus I

Total Credit: 3-4

Humanities

ENG 208 3 Credits
World Literature I

OR

ENG 209 3 Credits
World Literature II

HIS 101 3 Credits
Western Civilization to 1689

H1S 102 3 Credits

Total Credits: 9

Fine Arts

ART 101 3 Credits
Art History and Appreciation

MUS 105
Music Appreciation

Total Credits: 6

Choose 2 of 3:

PSC 201 3 Credits
American Government

PSY 201 3 Credits
Introduction to Psychology

SOC 101 3 Credits
Introduction to Sociology

Total Credits: 6

1. These courses are guaranteed to transfer into either the general education component or the objective component of each baccalaureate early childhood, elementary, or special education program at each public senior institution in South Carolina. Moreover, all courses are guaranteed to count toward graduation in these majors without increasing the number of credit hours to degree.

*2. Students majoring in secondary education should consult the Arts and Humanities or Science and Mathematics Block, depending on their majors. Students who major in a field outside education but who desire teacher certification should consult the transfer block related to their majors (i.e., Arts and Humanities or Sciences and Mathematics) to ensure transferability of courses from the technical colleges.

3. Winthrop requires MAT 122, Finite College Mathematics.

Recommendations

1. ADN programs will adopt by 2000 a maximum of a 68 semester credit hour ADN degree.

 

                    2. BSN programs will adopt by 2000 a maximum of a 128 semester credit hour BSN degree.

3. The ADN program will explore options to increase the number of transferable nursing courses between public NLN accredited ADN programs in South Carolina.

 

4. The ADN to ADN, BSN to BSN, and ADN to BSN Transfer Models will be implemented by Fall, 1997 at the latest.

 

5. The Council of Deans and Directors of Nursing Education of the State of South Carolina should assume the ongoing responsibility to review and update the BSN to BSN, the ADN to ADN and the ADN to BSN Nursing Guides.

 

6. The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education will retain on file for public access a record of transferable nursing courses.

 

7. The Council of Deans and Directors of Nursing Education of the State of South Carolina should review and monitor the outcomes of the Transfer Model and report to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education at five-year intervals.

 

8. Degree-granting institutions are strongly encouraged to evaluate general education requirements for transfer students to ensure maximum flexibility in term of a)total general credit required, and b) transfer credit that will meet general requirements by the degree granting institution.

Associate Degree in Nursing to Associate Degree in Nursing Transfer Model

 

The purpose of the guidelines is to facilitate the progression of students in good standing who need to transfer between public Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs in South Carolina. Students in ADN programs who seek to transfer must meet the admission requirements of the institution to which they are applying. Students in this category will be awarded transfer credit for 16 TO 18 semester hours of nursing courses credit and have the credit count toward the ADN degree. Residency Requirements of the degree-granting institution must be met to earn a degree from that institution.

 

Due to accreditation standards and space limitations, the number of openings available to transfer students is small. Students must contact the nursing program to which they seek transfer as early as possible to determine space availability, eligibility, and program requirements. Course scheduling and full-time or part-time status will influence the time required to complete the ADN program.

 

General education courses will transferred based on the State Board of Technical and Comprehensive Education’s Catalog of Approved Courses (CAC). Flexibility in the maximum number of credits allowed for transfer and the acceptance of course work to meet other general education requirements are expected by the receiving institution.

 

Guidelines

 

Eligibility Matriculated students who transfer from a NLN accredited ADN program to another NLN accredited ADN program in South Carolina public institutions.

 

Transfer Mechanism: Credit for successfully completed nursing courses in a South Carolina public NLN accredited ADN program will transfer to another NLN accredited ADN program in South Carolina and will apply toward an Associate Degree in nursing. Students not meeting this criterion or any other criteria may be offered other transfer/validation options at the discretion of the receiving institution. Nursing courses that are transferable include but are not limited:

 

Fundamentals of Nursing Maternity Nursing (Childbearing Family)

Mental Health (Psychiatric Nursing) Pediatric Nursing (Care of Children)

 

General education courses that are identified in the CAC are transferable. All transfer credit must meet transfer requirements of the degree-granting institution.

 

Policies: In instances of course credit hour variance, transfer credit may be used to meet requirements(s) in that course, but adjustments in total credit required may be made as appropriate by the degree-granting institution. Each student must achieve by enrollment or transfer the minimum number of credit hours required by the degree-granting institution. Students must meet residency requirements of the degree-granting institution in order to earn a degree from that institution.

 

Evaluation: Review and monitoring of the outcomes of this Transfer Model will be delegated to the Council of Deans and Directors of Nursing Education of the State of South Carolina and reported to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education at five-year intervals.

 

December 7, 1995 Transfer Articulation Task Force

The purpose of the guidelines is to facilitate the progression of students in good standing who need to transfer between public Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in South Carolina. Students in BSN programs who seek to transfer must meet the admission requirements of the institution to which they are applying. Students in this category will be awarded transfer credit for all successfully completed BSN nursing courses and have the credit count toward the BSN degree. The Nursing Course Transfer Guide (see attachment A) will determine transferability. Residency requirements of the degree-granting institution must be met to earn a degree from that institution.

Due to accreditation standards and space limitations, the number of openings available to transfer students is small. Students must contact the nursing program to which they seek transfer as early as possible to determine space availability, eligibility, and program requirements. Course scheduling and full-time or part-time status will influence the time required to complete the BSN program.

General education courses will transfer based on the General Education Transfer Guide (see attachment B). Flexibility in the maximum number of credits allowed for transfer and the acceptance of course work to meet other general education requirements are expected by the receiving institution.

Eligibility Matriculated students who transfer from national League for Nursing (NLN) accredited BSN program to another NLN accredited BSN program in South Carolina public institutions.

Transfer Mechanism Credit for approved nursing courses in a NLN accredited public BSN program will transfer to another NLN accredited program and will apply toward a BSN degree. The Nursing Course Transfer Guide provides the framework for making decisions regarding transfer of nursing credit between BSN programs. Students who have earned credit for courses included in the guide will have direct transfer of credits for the total number of nursing courses completed. Transfer credit must meet transfer requirements of the institution.

Policies In instances of course credit hour variance, transfer credit may be used to meet requirement(s) in that course, and adjustments in total credit required may be made as appropriate by the degree-granting institution. Each student must achieve by enrollment or transfer the minimum number of credit hours required by the degree-granting institution. Students must meet residency requirements of the degree-granting institution in order to earn a degree for that institution.

Evaluation Review and monitoring of the outcomes of this Transfer Model will be delegated to the Council of Deans and Directors of Nursing Education of the State of South Carolina and reported to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education at five year intervals.

December 7, 1995

Attachment A

The purpose of the guidelines is to facilitate the progression of Registered Nurses (RNs) who complete a South Carolina public NLN-accredited, Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. RNs who seek to enroll in a BSN program must meet the admission requirements of the institution to which they seek admission. RN’s will be able to transfer successfully completed nursing courses at the Associate Degree granting institutions and have them apply toward a BSN degree. RNs must complete the minimum number of upper-division nursing courses (currently 30 to 36 semester hours or two semesters of full-time study) as outlined on the ADN to BSN Transfer Guide (see attachment A) and meet residency requirements of the degree-granting institution.

Students who graduate from a NLN-accredited program and complete the requirements for licensure as a RN will have demonstrated minimal, safe, and effective practice as a professional nurse. Documented studies of mobility examinations, teacher-made tests, and clinical performance examinations have not demonstrated that these mechanisms are valuable tools for differentiating lower- and upper-division nursing credit. The required upper division baccalaureate level nursing credit will ensure the nursing content and socialization necessary for the professional nurse role. In addition, NLN accreditation provides evidence that the nursing program has met the standards proposed by the profession that indicate quality in educational programs.

Flexibility in the maximum number of credits allowed for transfer and the acceptance of course work to meet general education requirements are expected by the receiving institution.

Eligibility Registered nurses who graduated with an ADN from and NLN accredited public institution in South Carolina and who hold an active RN license in the state. This is based on the expectation that all public ADN program will be NLN accredited within five years.

Transfer Mechanism A minimum of 60 credits of college transfer general education and nursing course work taken at any South Carolina public NLN accredited ADN granting institution will transfer and apply toward a BSN at any public institution in South Carolina offering the BSN. Students offered admission, who meet the direct transfer option criteria, will be exempt from taking educational mobility exams or other validation mechanisms to receive academic credit for nursing credit.

Timeframe This option is available to students who have graduated from an ADN program within the last ten years. Other students, not meeting this or any of the other criteria may be offered other transfer/validation options at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Policies Students transferring into baccalaureate programs are required to complete at least the minimum number of upper-division courses from that institution to meet the residency requirement for awarding a degree from the institution.

Evaluation Review and monitoring of the outcomes of this Transfer Model will be delegated to the Council of Deans and Directors of Nursing Education of the State of South Carolina and reported to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education at five year intervals.

Dr. Mary Ann Parsons, Chair
Dean
College of Nursing
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Dr. Debbie Austin
Chair
Department of Nursing
South Carolina State University
PO Box 7158
Orangeburg, SC 29117

Dr. Rebecca Collins
Coordinator, RN BS-MS Programs
School of Nursing, Clemson University
University Center - Greenville
PO Box 5616
Greenville, SC 29606

Dr. Trudy Groves
Head
School of Nursing
University of South Carolina at Aiken
171 University Parkway
Aiken, SC 29801

Dr. Marian Larisey
Chair
MUSC Satellite at
Frances Mario University
PO Box 100547
Florence, SC 29501-0547

Ms. Lena Warren
Dean
Health Science-Public Serv. Div
Piedmont Technical College
PO Drawer 1467
Greenwood, SC 29648

Dr. R. Lynn Kelley
Coordinator of Academic Affairs
SC Commission on Higher Education
133 Main Street, Suite 200
Columbia, SC 29201

Mr. Pat Black
VP for Academic Affairs,
Student Services
Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech College
3250 St. Matthews Road, NE
Orangeburg, SC 29115

Dr. Barbara Freese
Dean
School of Nursing
Lander University
320 Stanley Avenue
Greenwood, SC 29649

Dr. Maureen Keefe
Dean
College of Nursing
Medical University of South Carolina
171 Ashley Avenue
Charleston, SC 29425

Ms. Karen Peel
Acting Dean
Mary Black School of Nursing
USC-Spartanburg
800 University Way
Spartanburg, SC 29303