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.

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