Requesting Articulation - Best Practice
Developing a New Course
Every course fulfills multiple objectives for students, instructors, departments, and institutions and all those objectives must be taken into account as the course is being developed. Sometimes other objectives are more important than that of transferability. For example, if a college has determined that students have difficulty with certain content, it may develop a course designed to fill in students' backgrounds and bring them up to the standard of knowledge required for subsequent success in the discipline. Even though the course may be denied transfer credit because it is viewed as preparatory, this is sound pedagogical practice. In addition, faculty expertise in a department may be regarded as a good reason to offer a course that may not receive transfer credit, or the course may be so unique that it is difficult to articulate.
At the same time, if a course is designed to transfer, it must be consistent with the norms, content and standards of the receiving institutions with which articulation is sought. It does not have to be identical to a course at a receiving institution - in fact, if it is to articulate widely it must often integrate aspects of similar courses at several institutions.
At the Sending Institution: 7 Steps to Requesting Articulation
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Step
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Who
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To Do
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Resource
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1
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Faculty member/ course developer | Develops a new course outline, or re-develops an existing course | See The Course Outline, and Rearticulating a Course |
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2
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Faculty member/ course developer | Consults with colleagues in other institutions as appropriate, using articulation committee contacts. Purpose of consultation is to refine outline to guarantee transfer credit. | More about this in Before Requesting Articulation |
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3
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Faculty member/ course developer | Finalizes course outline. Gives list of potential equivalencies (desired credit) to ICP. | More about this in Submitting for Articulation |
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4
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Faculty member/ course developer | Submits course outline for departmental and internal institutional approval | Follow institutional processes |
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5
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Institutional Contact Person (ICP) | Once approved, forwards course outline to all relevant receiving institutions with a request that it be considered for transfer credit. Specifies desired credit. | The outline is attached to the official BCCAT Transfer Credit Request Form and must be in electronic format. |
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6
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Faculty member/ course developer | Asks Institutional contact Person to check change reports and be ready to act immediately if course is given "no" or inappropriate credit. | |
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7
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Institutional Contact Person (ICP) | Informs instructors, department, advisors, etc. once the course has been articulated. If course does not receive desired credit, consults with faculty member/course developer regarding re-submission. |
The Course Outline
A detailed course outline is the starting point of any articulation process, since articulation demands a close examination of course elements in order to establish equivalence. Most institutions in the BC Transfer System use course outline forms well suited to this purpose. BCCAT has also developed a Transfer-Friendly Course Outline Form. This provincial resource has been developed to help reduce the number of situations where transfer is denied because of inadequate content and detail in the outline.
Before Requesting Articulation
Peruse the calendars of the receiving institutions and identify similar courses. In the absence of similar courses, it may be possible to find some that may be equivalent in overall intent, approach, or broad subject matter such as a second year regional history course as an analogy to a second year course on the history of China.
Request copies of relevant course outlines from the major receiving institutions. Establish who in the department is the best faculty member with whom to communicate, and inquire if there are any relevant departmental or institutional policies. For example, are final exams required? Are there requirements regarding the percentage of the final grade that must be based on exam marks? Are there class size limits? Are labs required or optional?
Check the BC Transfer Guide. By doing a "Search by Receiving Institution Course" for similar courses it is possible to establish which other sending institutions have equivalent courses already receiving transfer credit. Those course outlines may be instructive, since they already receive the desired credit. Checking the transfer credit awarded at other institutions for these sending institution courses will reveal which ones achieved transfer at a number of receiving institutions.
Consult articulation committee colleagues. Once a draft course outline is ready, an instructor can use the expertise of articulation committee members. Many articulation committees have listservs or group email lists to facilitate requests for advice or feedback. If there is any doubt about transferability the appropriate faculty member at the receiving institution(s) should be requested to provide specific feedback on the draft course outline.
Reflect on and balance advice received. Asking for advice and feedback on a course can be a sensitive area for faculty. Professional responsibility and autonomy include the principle of freedom to develop and teach a course according to one's best professional judgment. Requesting advice from a faculty member at the receiving institution acknowledges that the receiving institution may exert some influence over the content or the structure of the course. Occasionally, a faculty member from a receiving institution responds by requesting modifications that may be unacceptable to the sending institution or that may compromise the transferability of the course at other institutions. In these instances, (rare, in BCCAT experience) best practice involves communicating as diplomatically as possible and seeking a mutually acceptable solution.
Decide when "no credit" is acceptable. It is recognized that in some instances an award of "no credit" is appropriate, and is acceptable to the sending institution. For example, it may be important that students understand clearly that a course will not receive transfer credit at certain institutions, since they will then be in a better position to plan their transfer program. If an award of "no credit" is not acceptable, continued communication will be necessary.
Should the course outline list the learning outcomes or the topics covered?
Several institutions in BC have embraced a learning outcomes approach for the construction and design of curriculum, and their course outlines have been tailored to reflect this approach. In addition, some articulation committees have spent considerable time defining and describing the outcomes appropriate to their disciplines.
A course outline that emphasizes learning outcomes is well suited to the task of articulation provided there is sufficient detail to ensure that an equivalence assessment can be made by a faculty member who may not be familiar with this approach. Because an outcomes approach to describing curriculum has not been universally adopted in BC, BCCAT advises that outcomes-based course outlines should also include a description of the curricular content of the course. Faculty members at institutions that do not design their courses from an outcomes perspective have indicated that they need this information to determine the best transfer equivalence.
Submitting for Articulation
Once the course outline is finalized it must be approved by the academic governance of the sending institution, such as an Education Council or Senate. An electronic copy of the course is then sent to all appropriate receiving institutions with a request for transfer credit. At each institution this process is handled by the Institutional Contact Person (ICP) or delegated by the ICP to the Transfer Credit Contact (TCC), who uses BCCAT's Transfer Credit Evaluation System to forward the request and the course outline.
Since, in the preparation for articulation, the faculty member will have discussed potential equivalencies with the receiving institutions, it is very helpful to specify the credit desired for the course, including the course at each receiving institution for which equivalence is sought, so that this can be included on the accompanying form. Where this is not possible, every effort should be made to provide details about the desired credit, especially the discipline or department to which the request should be routed. Transfer Credit Contacts at receiving institutions have told BCCAT that this is vital information that assists them to direct the course to the most appropriate department or faculty member.
It is also good practice to specify the year level credit desired where there is any possible ambiguity. Some sending institutions, for example, use 300 and 400 level course numbers for courses taught at the second year level, and this can create confusion at a receiving institution that uses these numbers exclusively for third and fourth year courses. Where it is likely that unassigned credit will be awarded at the receiving institution, specifying a year level can help the assessor to clarify the appropriate credit.
The Two-Course Sequence
If the course is a semestered course equivalent to half of a year long course, and normally taught in a two-course sequence, it is highly recommended that both semester courses be submitted for credit at the same time. This allows the receiving institution to award unassigned credit for one semester, and assigned credit for two semesters, in the same designation, as is the case with Northern Lights College's HIST 103 below. A typical BC Transfer Guide entry for such a two-course sequence looks like this:
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Sending Institution Course
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Receiving Institution
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Transfer Credit
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Effective Dates (mmm/yy)
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|---|---|---|---|
| NLC HIST 103 (3) |
UBC
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UBC HIST 1st (3); NLC HIST 103 & NLC HIST 104 = UBC HIST 135 (6) | Sep/95 to - |
In many two-semester courses, topics are covered in different sequences in different institutions. Providing both course outlines allows for a comprehensive assessment of both courses at the same time.
Timeline for Articulation
Articulating a new course can be slow process, and it is essential to begin the process well in advance. Below is a sample suggested timeline
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When
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To Do
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|---|---|
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May/June, Year 1 |
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Fall Semester, |
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Spring Semester, |
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May/June, Year 2 |
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Fall Semester, Year 2 |
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Re-articulation is a much faster process, but can still be time consuming if the receiving institution does not respond quickly. It is recommended that institutions allocate as much time as possible and at least one semester.
Most articulations proceed smoothly - it is not unusual to receive a response to an articulation request within a week. However, delays are also common and it can be detrimental to the interests of a program and its students for courses to begin before transfer credit is assured.
Re-articulating a Course
BCCAT recommends that, once a course has been articulated and transfer credit established, it should be re-articulated only if it changes substantively. However, since some non-substantive changes will also affect the way a course is recorded in the database, it is important to notify all institutions of certain changes, even where those changes do not require that the course be re-articulated.
Changes Requiring Re-articulation
Re-articulation involves sending the course outline to all relevant institutions with a request that it be assessed for transfer equivalence. The BCCAT Transfer Credit Evaluation System is used for this purpose. Re-articulation should only be requested under the following circumstances.
- Substantive change to content or subject matter, or to objectives or outcomes. Course articulation is based on the principle of the equivalence of academic achievement and of knowledge and skills. Substantive changes, therefore, are changes to the content, subject matter, topics covered, or objectives/outcomes that will alter the equivalence of the course to those courses with which it has been articulated, and that may affect the transfer credit which the course is awarded at other institutions. This is not intended to include relatively minor changes in topics, changes in texts, materials or assignments, reasonable modifications to learning outcomes, or changes intended to update the course or keep it in line with the evolving norms of the discipline.
- Substantive changes to assessment criteria or evaluation methods, only if certain assessment methods or weighting are integral to the articulation of a course. For example, some institutions require all courses, or certain courses, to have a final exam, and some require that a percentage of the final grade be based on a final exam.
- Changes to the number of credits assigned to the course. Normally, a change to credit hours signals that content has been added or subtracted. Such changes affect equivalence and in turn the transfer credit assigned to the courses, including the number of credits awarded. Therefore re-articulation is appropriate.
Changes Requiring Notification but Not Re-Articulation
Notification should be done using the Transfer Credit Evaluation System. This will ensure that the record of transfer credit will be updated in the BC Transfer Guide and will alert receiving institution contact persons to update their internal tables as appropriate. Since most transcripts are now read electronically, failure to notify other institutions of the changes below can endanger transfer credit for students.
- Changes in the discipline code or course number. For example: from ENG 101 to ENGL 101; MATH 100 to MATH 199.
- Changes in course title or course name.
In the Classroom
Many student complaints about transfer credit occur because of a false expectation that a course will transfer, or will transfer as assigned credit rather than unassigned credit, or will satisfy a program requirement.
Where possible, BCCAT encourages instructors to:
- include information regarding course transferability in course syllabi;
- encourage students to check the BC Transfer Guide;
- encourage students to inform themselves how the credit can be applied to their choice of program at the receiving institution;
Course Codes
Some institutions adopt a practice of indicating courses delivered in non-standard ways with special notations added to the course code. For example, an online French course might be entered on the transcript as FREN 200E.
BCCAT does not recommend such practices for two reasons:
- Course articulation is based on an assessment of equivalence of content or outcomes, and the method of course delivery is normally assumed to be immaterial; and,
- Such designations on a transcript can result in loss of credit to the student. Transcripts are normally read electronically at large institutions. A mapping file that is set to read and understand FREN 200, will reject FREN 200E as a non-articulated course.
There is an exception to this general rule. BC institutions have agreed that credit earned through Prior Learning Assessment may be indicated on the transcript through the use of transcript notations.
The Essential Role of Articulation Committees
The Terms of Reference for articulation committees state that their purpose is to "expand educational opportunities for students by facilitating transfer of students from one educational institution to another." Discipline specialists normally come together once a year to share information, and engage in discussions related to curricular matters, particularly those affecting student mobility. While some committees schedule time for course-to-course articulation at their meetings, transfer credit is not usually negotiated in detail at most meetings. Rather, deliberations at the meetings lead to common understandings regarding course objectives and outcomes, and relevant teaching methodologies.
Articulation committees promote and facilitate course and program articulation through their meeting agenda and through good communication networks. There are numerous ways in which articulation committees function to make the BC Transfer System run smoothly.
- Professional working relationships are fostered. For any faculty member designing a new course, their articulation committee colleagues are a valuable resource prior to submitting the course for transfer credit, and throughout the articulation process.
- Articulation committees can prevent articulation surprises by scheduling ample opportunity at their meetings for discussion of upcoming curricular changes.
- Current and potential transfer problems can be discussed, as well as ways to prevent problems or deal with those that arise.
- Many articulation committees have undertaken transfer innovation projects with support from BCCAT. Transfer innovation projects are designed to improve transfer pathways for students, or to provide better information about transfer in a given discipline. For more information, see the section on Transfer Innovations.
- Articulation meetings can also be used to foster communication with colleagues outside the BC Transfer System whose organizations can impact on course and program transfer. For example, the K-12 school system, professional organizations, accrediting agencies or private institutions can all influence articulation relationships.
The BCCAT publication, Articulation Committees: Their Essential Role in a Successful Transfer System, is available from the BCCAT office, or can be downloaded from bccat.ca/articulation/essential.pdf. For more information, contact articulation@bccat.ca.
Instructor Qualifications for Transferable Courses
The following represents BCCAT's position on instructor qualifications within the BC Transfer System:
1. BC Transfer System Instructor Qualification Standards
a) Based on long-standing precedents in the BC Transfer System, BCCAT expects that instructors who teach academic, degree-level transfer courses will usually possess, at a minimum, a master's degree or equivalent in the discipline or in a closely related area.
b) Instructors teaching in other transferable programs (e.g. diploma programs) will usually possess, at a minimum, credentials consistent with the normative requirements for that program in the BC Transfer System.
c) It is recognized that there may be programs in which other qualifications are equally, or more, appropriate. (Examples of alternately qualified instructors: First Nations elders, practising artists, acknowledged or renowned experts or practitioners.)
d) When, for legitimate reasons, it is not possible to engage faculty who meet the standards described above, institutions should provide appropriate mentoring and supervision.
2. Establishing and Monitoring Expectations
a) BCCAT expects institutions participating in the BC Transfer System to develop and/or make explicit and accessible their policies on instructor qualifications for:
i. hiring of instructors in programs for which transfer credit may be negotiated; and,
ii. awarding transfer credit for courses taught at other institutions.
b) It is reasonable for any receiving institution upon occasion to seek assurance as to the hiring policies or practices at a sending institution, or to request specific information about the qualifications of an instructor for an articulated course.
c) In the event that a concern arises that cannot be resolved between the institutions, BCCAT can provide mediation services, if requested.
Next Section: Assessing an Articulation Request
