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3.4.4     The institution has a defined and published policy for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit for transfer, experiential learning, advanced placement, and professional certificates that is consistent with its mission and ensures that course work and learning outcomes are at the collegiate level and comparable to the institution’s own degree programs. The institution assumes responsibility for the academic quality of any course work or credit recorded on the institution’s transcript. (See Commission policy “The Transfer or Transcripting of Academic Credit.”) (Acceptance of academic credit)

  ✔    Compliance             Partial Compliance         Non-Compliance

Summary

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) is in compliance with this comprehensive standard.  Guidelines for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credits, other than those obtained through coursework at FTCC, may be found in the FTCC Catalog, Student Handbook or the Credit for Prior Learning Handbook.  All documents are available on the College’s website.

After careful scrutiny, FTCC may award college credit for (1) coursework completed at other institutions of higher education, (2) experiential learning, (3) advanced placement, or (4) professional certificates.

Narrative

Local procedures and guidelines for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit are developed by Student Services personnel and reviewed by members of the Council for Academic and Student Services which includes the academic deans, the associate vice presidents of Student Services, Continuing Education and offsite programs. The President must approve changes to the procedures or guidelines before implementation.

FTCC is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, which has developed a bilateral agreement for the exchange of academic credits among the 58 North Carolina community colleges, the North Carolina University System of sixteen institutions, and several independent colleges and universities.  The Board of governors of the University of North Carolina (UNC) and the N.C. State Board of Community Colleges approved the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA). The CAA provides certain assurances to the transferring student; for example, the CAA identifies community college courses that are appropriate for transfer as electives and courses that will satisfy general education requirements. The statewide Transfer Advisory Committee is the primary decision-making body for the CAA.

The transfer of academic credits among the N.C. community colleges was simplified with the establishment of the Combined Course Library. FTCC will accept academic courses from the other N.C. community colleges if the student has earned a “C” or higher and the course exists in FTCC’s course library.

Courses for transfer from institutions not a part of the NCCCS or UNC network are evaluated on a course-by-course basis by faculty with the assistance of admissions evaluators. Faculty and admissions evaluators are responsible for ensuring that course work and learning outcomes are at the collegiate level and comparable to FTCC’s degree programs. 

To make these decisions, the faculty and department chairs use (1) course descriptions, prefixes, numbers, and credit hours, (2) the credibility and/or accreditation status of the institution, and (3) the earned grade in making these decisions. Additional information, i.e. syllabi, may be requested of the student or the originating institution.

All transcripts and test scores must be official transcripts and test scores received in a sealed envelope. FTCC assumes responsibility for the academic quality of any course work or credit recorded on the College’s transcript.

FTCC offers several venues for experiential learning for academic credit.  Clinical experience is incorporated into most of the health programs. Laboratory experience is included in many of the science and career and technical education programs. Cooperation education experiences are available in many programs.

The amount of credit for clinical, laboratory, or cooperative education experience is determined by the NCCCS Curriculum Review Committee and posted in the Combined Course Library.

Additional guidelines for cooperative education are provided in the NCCCS Curriculum Procedures Manual, Section 20.   These procedures reflect the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges and the NCCCS procedures and expectations concerning co-op programs, the purpose of co-op in a curriculum program, and the support needed for offering a high quality co-op program for students.

Non-academic experiential learning may be submitted for academic credit via the portfolio development process included in FTCC’s Credit for Prior Learning Handbook.

FTCC also recognizes credit for Advanced Placement (AP) and the International Baccalaureate (IB).  Guidelines for AP and IB are located in the Credit for Prior Learning Handbook and are available to students on the FTCC website.

In alignment with FTCC’s mission to focus on vocational, technical, and pre-baccalaureate programs, students may receive credit for passing nationally recognized standardized tests or documented evidence of professional certificates.  The faculty and department chair review documentation to determine if the knowledge and skill attainment were at the appropriate course requirement level of courses in the traditional degree track. 

The final award of credit for non-credit learning/experiences is posted on a student’s transcript with a “P” grade.

Student Services personnel annually review local procedures and guidelines for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit for revisions in the College Catalog and Student Handbook.  The Credit for Prior Learning academic quality committee also annually reviews the Credit for Prior Learning Handbook for revisions.  Members of the Council for Academic and Student Services review all changes before forwarding to the President.

Supporting Documentation

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