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I work with prospective transfer students at a public university here in Texas and one of the first topics students are concerned about is the transferability of their credits. Course transferability is relevant to students, academic advisors, admissions staff, retention staff, transfer articulation staff, and many others. This topic impacts many different areas but there aren't many federal regulations for it. It's importance to a number of areas and my personal connection to the topic are two of the main reasons I've chosen it.

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At the state level course curriculum and transferability is governed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. At the federal level course curriculum and transferability would fall under the Department of Education but most guidelines regarding this topic are set at the state level. In Texas, THECB has set numerous guidelines to ensure that students can have an easier transition between in state institutions.

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§4.37 of Title 19 in the Texas Administrative Code outlines the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) and the requirements Texas institutions are required to meet if they use this to number their courses. If a school doesn't use this to number their courses they are required to meet certain expectations in their institutional catalog.

The TCCNS course code has to be listed next to the institutional course code.

The catalog has to include an explanation of the TCCNS and why it's significant.

19 Tex. Admin. Code § 4.37 (2021)

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Slide 4 - Statute and Administrative Laws

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Slide 4 - Statute and Administrative Laws

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Statute - Per Rule §4.28 of Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code students are required to fulfill a set core curriculum put in place by the institution that has been approved by the THECB.

Administrative Law - Per Rule §4.28 of Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code specialized programs like medical or dental ones that admit undergraduate transfer students are expected to encourage their transfer students to complete their core curriculum courses at a general education institution or public junior college.

19 Tex. Admin. Code § 4.28 (2021)

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At this time I was not able to find case or common laws pertaining to this topic.

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Slide 6 - Federal Regulation or Mandate 

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Slide 6 - Federal Regulation or Mandate 

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In 2008 the Higher Education Opportunity Act was enacted and a provision was included that requires institutions to disclose their transfer of credit policies.

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While each institution sets their own core curriculum - they must do so within the guidelines and purpose set by the Board. The Board is intentional about core curriculums needing to give students the opportunity to build the following skills:

critical thinking

communication

empirical and quantitative

teamwork

personal responsibility

social responsibility

19 Tex. Admin. Code § 4.28 (2021)

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3 Risk Management Strategies are:

Have clear policies on transfer coursework outlined in the university catalog and easily accessible for students on the website.

Ensure that staff members who work with transfer students are trained in those policies and receive updates if any items are changed.

Implement resources that make it easy for students to understand how their credits may transfer prior to applying.

This is important because how their credits transfer will make or break a students decision to attend the school and respecting the work they've already completed by having a sense of transparency with them is important.

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One general skills outlined by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education that I think is crucial to the success of transfer students and transferring of coursework is working collaboratively. When ensuring the transfer of courses it's a team effort from individuals in Admissions, the Registrar, Transfer Articulation, and Academic Departments. If these areas can't collaborate then students could be misinformed and spend money applying to an institution that won't accept their coursework.

Advocacy. (n.d.-b). Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. https://www.cas.edu/ethics--values.html

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Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education

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CAS values, embraces, and recognizes the need to foster equitable and inclusive communities to promote student learning, development, success, and belonging. CAS recognizes the historical and ongoing challenges around discrimination, racism, and oppression present in higher education. As a strategic area of focus, CAS will be an inclusive organization that reflects the broad and diverse higher education community. CAS is committed to advocating for creating programs and services that advance equitable outcomes for all students. CAS serves as a conduit of professional standards for post-secondary institutions and member associations to foster a framework for inclusive and equitable environments. CAS will also work to identify and address barriers and inequities to promote socially just assessment and evaluation practices and partner in support of student learning, development, and success.

As a reflection of CAS's values and mission, the framework for our justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work is grounded in the following models:

Museus and Smith's (2016) culturally engaging campus environments (CECE model) which provides a framework for principles of promoting and advocating for diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments (CAS, 2019).

Equity Mindedness created by the Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California, the EM model recognizes and addresses policies, practices, and racialized structures contributing to the creation and sustainment of racial inequities (Bensimon & Malcolm, 2012; Dowd & Bensimon, 2015).

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) a set of principles based on the three-network model of learning for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn (Johnston, Daley, S. G., & Abarbanell, 2006).

Belonging a critical model for student success focused on fostering diverse, equitable and inclusive environments where all students feel welcomed, accepted, and fully engaged (Strayhorn, 2019).

A bold vision forward: A framework for the strategic imperative for racial justice and decolonization. Addressing racial justice in student affairs and higher education using an intersectional lens with a focus on reducing the oppression of communities of color (ACPA, 2019).

References.
The American College Personnel Association (ACPA). (2019). A bold vision forward: A framework for the strategic imperative for racial justice and decolonization. https://myacpa.org/sirjd/
Bensimon, E. M., & Malcolm, L. E. (2012). Confronting Equity Issues on Campus: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and Practice. Stylus Publishing.
Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS). (2019). The case for CAS. In CAS professional standards for higher education (10th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Dowd, A. C., Bishop, R. M., & Bensimon, E. M. (2015). Critical action research on race and equity in higher education. In Martinez-Aleman, A. M., Bensimon, E. M., & Pusser, B. (Eds.) Critical approaches to the study of higher education. (pp. 174-192) Johns Hopkins University Press.
Strayhorn, T. L. (2019). College students' sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students (2nd edition). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
W. S., Johnston, C. S., Daley, S. G., & Abarbanell, L. (2006). Universal design for learning in postsecondary education: Reflections on principles and their application. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 19(2), http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/UDLinPostsecondary.pdf

Additional Resources.
CAS Statement on Understanding Aspects of Identity in the CAS Standards

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In the beginning of this slideshow when I explained why I chose this topic I mentioned that I work with transfer students and that connection was part of why I chose it. The other part of why I chose this topic was because I was a transfer student myself and transferred between 3 different public institutions during my undergraduate college career. Learning more about the laws behind course transferability helped me gain insight to the experiences I went through transferring my courses and what barriers I experienced that weren't necessary. These laws clearly state that institutions need to be transparent about their policies on transfer coursework but when I was transferring schools the policies were hidden in a catalog that I didn't know how to navigate as a student which is frustrating to look back on. Transparency goes a long way with students and knowing what I have learned as a staff member in higher education I'm glad I have the opportunity to build that transparency with the students I work with.

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My recommendations are listed below:

Have transfer coursework policies posted somewhere in addition to the catalog so students are able to access it easily.

Create resources for students that give them an idea of how their specific courses transfer before they apply.

Collaborate across departments to ensure employees are receiving the same training so messaging is consistent across the university.

Have staff members that specialize in transfer coursework and working with transfer students.

Ensure that TCCNS course codes are easily accessible for students to view.

Create a record of all courses from across the country that have been accepted previously and make that accessible to prospective students.

Set aside time yearly to go over policies and procedures to ensure they're compliant with state and federal guidelines and are being followed.