HSC OP 77.17
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June 29, 2018
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER
Operating Policy and Procedure
HSC OP: 77.17, Core & Transfer Compliance Policy
PURPOSE: The purpose of the Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is
to establish core and transfer compliance requirements in accordance with the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed on May 1 every year (EY) by the Registrar, with
recommendation for revisions forwarded to the Assistant Vice President for Student
Services, Registrar & Financial Aid, and the Executive Student Affairs Workgroup
(ESAW), with final approval by the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.
POLICY/PROCEDURE:
1. Overview.
The intention of this policy is to maintain best practices in applying transfer credits and to ensure
the academic integrity of TTUHSC academic programs.
Senate Bill 111 from the 79th Regular
Session of the Texas Legislature (TEC 51.968) requires all Texas public colleges and universities
adopt a policy regarding the awarding of academic credit to entering students who have
completed a post-secondary level program while still in high school. Those programs include
Advanced Placement (AP) courses, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD).
House Bills 133 and 1170 (TEC 51.3041) require all
institutions of higher education to award course credit toward a degree for students’ completion of
certain military training.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
requires that “The institution publishes policies for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit not
originating from the institution. The institution ensures (a) the academic quality of any credit or
coursework recorded on its transcript, (b) an approval process with oversight by persons
academically qualified to make the necessary judgments, and (c) the credit awarded is
comparable to a designated credit experience and is consistent with the institution’s mission.”
(SACSCOC 10.8)
The THECB has provided a Texas Core Curriculum Application Guide
with additional information
on Texas Core requirements.
2. Institutional Policy.
a. TTUHSC does not offer lower division core curriculum courses but does follow Texas
Core Curriculum as set forth by the THECB. General education requirements completed
at a private or out-of-state institution may not be equivalent to the required Texas Core
Curriculum, and may not excuse a student from not completing the Texas Core
Curriculum. The student is responsible for completing the core requirements at another
institution prior to beginning the program of study at TTUHSC as listed below:
HSC OP 77.17
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June 29, 2018
Core Curriculum Requirements:
*Course Credits
Communication (010) 6 credit hours
Mathematics (020) 3 credit hours
Life and Physical Sciences (030) 6 credit hours
Language, Philosophy and Culture (040) 3 credit hours
Creative Arts (050) 3 credit hours
American History (060) 6 credit hours
Government/Political Science (070) 6 credit hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) 3 credit hours
Component Area Option (090) 6 credit hours
Total Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 credit hours
*Course numbers listed are based on the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS). Check with
your academic institution to verify the course number that corresponds with the TCCNS number.
A student’s official transcript from another Texas public college or university must be notated as
Core Complete so no additional core curriculum requirements will be imposed.
b. For all degrees awarded, and in accordance with accreditation guidelines under The
Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC),
a
minimum of 25% of the baccalaureate coursework (SACSCOC 9.4) and a minimum of
33% of graduate coursework (SACSCOC 9.5) must be taken at the TTUHSC to receive a
degree from the institution. The minimum applies to all baccalaureate coursework
including courses taken the first two years of college.
3. General Rules and Regulations.
a. The program in which the student is applying for, prior to admission, will complete
evaluation of core and transfer credits.
b. All official documents submitted to TTUHSC become property of the University and will
not be returned or copied for the applicant.
c. Any accepted applicant seeking credit at TTUHSC through any means must have met all
admissions requirements including, but not limited to, assessment scores, minimum
GPAs, submission of previous transcripts, pre-requisites, and the Texas Core curriculum.
(See 2a)
d. The total number of semester credit hours awarded for credit may vary depending upon
the student’s program of study. (See 2b)
e. Credit granted will be reflected on the student’s official transcript with a specific course
number or a general subject prefix from TTUHSC. Transfer work applied to a student’s
degree program is noted as credit only on the TTUHSC transcript. Grades from prior
institutions are not calculated into the overall GPA for TTUHSC.
HSC OP 77.17
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June 29, 2018
f. All students admitted to TTUHSC must provide a final transcript of all previous work at
other institutions directly to their appropriate school, no later than the last day of the first
term in which they are enrolled. Transcripts submitted to third party application services
will be considered official as long as they come through a verification provider.
4. Transfer Credit
Transfer students must submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions
regardless of whether or not transfer credit is assigned or desired as a condition of admission.
a. The student's transfer course work from college-level courses must have been earned at
an institution whose course content and learning outcomes are comparable with current
TTUHSC courses required in the student's program of study. Schools will submit a
transfer request form to the Office of the Registrar for courses they determine meet their
course requirements. Please contact the TTUHSC School Official for specific degree
program requirements of transfer coursework and minimum grade requirements.
1) Students should be prepared to obtain and provide supporting documentation for
previous coursework, including course descriptions, syllabi, catalogs or any other
documentation deemed appropriate by the School Official.
2) Core and/or transfer course evaluation forms will be submitted for processing by
the school to the Office of the Registrar by the 12th class day of the term in which
the student is admitted. At this time, the forms will be compared to what has
been entered in the student information system and adjustments will be made to
ensure accuracy and consistency.
3) Core and transfer courses will be entered into the student information system at
the time of admittance. Adjustments will continue to occur throughout a student’s
attendance at TTUHSC as updated transcripts are received.
b. Transfer of Courses from Texas Public Institutions: When applicable, the Office of the
Registrar will use the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS)
to perform
transfer of credit for courses offered by regionally accredited state institutions.
c. TTUHSC currently does not award academic credit for coursework taken on a non-credit
basis.
d. 19 Texas Administrative Code § 4.27 (a) and Texas Education Code Section 61.826
states the following steps can be taken to dispute transfer credit for lower-division
courses:
1) If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a
student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall
give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the
course credit is denied, and shall include in that notice the reasons for denying
the credit. Attached to the written notice shall be the procedures for resolution of
transfer disputes for lower-division courses as outlined in this section,
accompanied by clear instructions outlining the procedure for appealing the
decision to the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner of
Higher Education.
HSC OP 77.17
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2) A student who receives notice as specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection
may dispute the denial of credit by contacting a school official at either the
sending or the receiving institution.
3) The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the
course credit in accordance with the THECB rules and guidelines.
4) If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the
sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written
notice of denial, the sending institution may notify the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board Commissioner of Higher Education in writing of the request
for transfer dispute resolution. The institution that denies the course credit for
transfer shall also notify the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Commissioner of Higher Education in writing of its denial and the reasons for the
denial.
5. Second degree programs
Where a student has already earned a bachelor degree, the school will ensure that the equivalent
of 42 Texas core hours are complete to be considered core compliant.
Any student who does not show core complete on their transcript for their previous degree will
have their courses evaluated by the program in which they are applying to determine if any
previous course work would fulfill the core curriculum requirements for TTUHSC.
6. Foreign Transcripts
For any foreign transcripts, a foreign transcript evaluation must be submitted in lieu of the official
transcript. Accepted courses on foreign transcript evaluations must be supported with proper
documentation (i.e. course syllabus or catalog description) to justify equivalency. As schools
identify evaluations from new providers, they will collaborate with the Office of the Registrar to
determine institutional acceptance of the service provider.
