May 18 - 20, 2005

 

ITEM 127-115-R0505����������������� Amend System of Controls; Office Commissioner of Higher Education

 

THAT:�������������������������������������� The Board of Regents of Higher Education approves the following changes to Policy 301.5.1:

(1)           a clarification of the kind of information that must be submitted by an out-of-System transfer student to facilitate the evaluation of that student�s coursework;

(2)           a statement that transfer coursework will not be automatically accepted if the deadlines for review are not met; and

(3)           the creation of a self-assessment and reporting mechanism for the Policy.

 

EXPLANATION:����������������������� Policy 301.5.1, establishing a system of controls for review and documentation of transfer credits throughout the Montana University System, was approved by the Montana Board of Regents at its March 2005 meeting.� At the time that Policy was adopted by the Regents, the Board asked that additional amendments should be prepared for the May 2005 meeting.� This item is an attempt to meet that request.

 

The additional amendments were prepared because:

�         there was some confusion about the transfer students who were covered by the provisions of the policy.� The group that worked on the policy intended that it only cover students who are transferring between units of the Montana University System.� The Board of Regents felt that the policy should apply to all transfer students, regardless of where they come from.� Since review and documentation of coursework from �out-of-System� institutions is the biggest difficulty facing campuses, when they work with non-MUS students, the language requiring appropriate documentation before a student�s admissions file is considered complete will hopefully solve that problem.

�         students should not expect that their transfer credits will be automatically accepted, if the deadlines established in this policy are not met.� A statement to that effect is now being proposed for the policy.�

�         some members of the Board requested a penalty or consequence, if the review deadlines were not met.� Institutional accountability, in the form of periodic reports to the Board, seems like the best solution to that request; and the Registrars on the various campuses, who will be responsible for implementing this Policy, advocated for that solution.� It does not provide students with an individual or personal remedy, if a deadline is missed, however.