Credit Transfer Prcedure Policy

Authorizer: Vice President, Academic/Student Affairs & Human
Resources Version: V2
Effective Date: 5/5/2022

PROCEDURE STATEMENT:

Nova Atlantic College recognizes students may wish to move from one post-secondary institution to another or between programs at Nova Atlantic College during their lifetime of study. In order to provide academic mobility and to recognize prior completed studies, while maintaining the quality of its programs and credentials, Nova Atlantic College has established procedures to review student requests for transfer credits and for advanced standing. This procedure defines how students can request transfer credits.

SCOPE:

This procedure provides guidelines for all course-to-course credit transfer requests and requests for advanced standing in a Nova Atlantic College program, following established transfer pathways and/or articulation agreements.

This procedure applies to all registered students in full-time and part-time programs at Nova Atlantic College with the exception of some collaborative programs as stated in the formal agreement.

DEFINITIONS:

Academic Team: Heads of schools, program chairs, program coordinators, and faculty members who are responsible for academic content and delivery.

Advanced Standing: Placement of a student in a program (usually but not always in a level beyond level one) on the basis of previous documented educational studies.

Articulation Agreement: Official agreement between postsecondary institutions that define the terms and conditions enabling students to transfer between specific programs and may also outline which courses or programs are taken at the sending institution will apply to graduation requirements at the receiving institution.

Course Outline: An approved document outlining the course and unit learning outcomes, resources, and evaluation methodology for a course.

Credit Transfer: Credit Transfer is the recognition of credit by Nova Atlantic College for courses or programs completed in another program or academic institution at a post-secondary level.

Credit Value: Credits provide a weight for a course in the calculation of grade point average (GPA).

Educational Institution: An institution empowered by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU), Ministry of Education (MOE) or an equivalent governing body to award credentials.

Effective Dates: Effective dates indicate when the equivalency is valid. The start date represents the date it was officially reviewed by the academic team. The end date indicates when the equivalency is no longer valid.

Equivalent Learning: The learning outcomes in one course or a combination of courses are comparable if: 80% or greater of the course outcomes of the Nova Atlantic College course are covered and credits/course hours are equivalent to or greater than the Nova Atlantic College course. Evaluation and assessment criteria as well as the level of teaching may also be considered.

Letter of Permission: A letter provided to a student giving permission to take courses at another recognized post-secondary institution that once successfully completed will be considered for credit towards their degree program at Nova Atlantic College, subject to faculty/program approval and regulations/accreditation.

Official Transcript: An official academic record produced by the Office of the Registrar that reports a student’s cumulative academic record, courses and credits are taken, grades or achievement levels obtained, and credentials earned. The official transcript bears the official seal and signature of the Office of the Registrar.

Program of Study: A planned and coordinated selection of courses delivered to an identified student body, at the successful conclusion of which an appropriate credential is awarded by the board of governors.

Recognized Postsecondary Institution: A public or private institution that has been given authority to grant degrees, diplomas, and other credentials by a public or private act of the provincial/territorial legislature or the international equivalent or through a government-mandated quality assurance mechanism.

Transfer Pathway: A defined route from one program or institution to another program or institution that specifies eligibility requirements and how transfer credits will be accepted and applied at the receiving institution. Transfer Pathways usually apply to multiple sending institutions and one or more receiving institutions and do not require formal signed agreements between institutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Admissions Officer:

• Follows established procedures for the processing of applications for advanced
  standing.

Academic Team:

• Reviews and determines course-to-course equivalencies for all new requests
• Reviews expiring course-to-course equivalences when notified by the Credit Transfer Officer

Applicant/Student:

• Submits appropriate documentation (i.e. official transcript, course outlines) upon receipt of the offer of admission to support request for advanced standing and/or transfer of credit.
• Is aware of and adheres to established timelines.
• Ensures the submission is complete, including the request form and academic documentation.

Credit Transfer Officer/Student Pathways Officer:

• Records and tracks all student requests for credit transfer.
• Notifies students throughout the process via their Nova Atlantic College student email account.
• Ensures articulation agreements and course equivalencies are entered/maintained on the appropriate database.
• Notifies Academic Team of expiring course-to-course equivalencies for review

Program Chair:

• Reviews and signs request when forwarded by the academic team.
• Resolves disputes for course-to-course resulting in a denied decision
• Retains copies of gap analysis for existing transfer pathways.

Program Coordinator: 

• Reviews requests for transferring to a program at a level greater than Level One with input from the academic team and makes decisions regarding acceptance into a program level.
• Identify official and/or unofficial course-to-course equivalencies.
• Communicates decision to the Admissions Officer in a timely manner.

Records Officer:

• Follows established procedures and processes ensuring accuracy and confidentiality of student records when entering credit transfer information.

POLICY ELABORATION:

In order to ensure accuracy in program enrolment and the student record, students should apply for all transfers of credit upon acceptance into their program as per the conditions on the Request for Credit Transfer Form.

• The student must continue to attend the course(s) for which the request for credit has been made, until such time as a formal approval decision has been communicated from the Credit Transfer Office regarding the request.

Students should submit their completed request for credit transfer credit for the current term prior to the first day of class. Failure to do so may result in a negative impact on the student’s fees, funding, timetable, and/or status,

• Grading notations for credit transfer on the transcript will include the following:
  – A notation of ‘TC’ (Transfer of Credit) will be used when a transfer of credit is granted for the course(s) previously completed at another post-secondary institution.
  – A notation of ‘ITC’ (Internal Transfer of Credit) will be used when an internal transfer of credit is granted for course(s) previously completed at Nova Atlantic College.
  – A notation of ‘EX’ will be used when an exemption is granted for program design changes or special circumstances as indicated by the academic team.
  – Transfer credits are not included in the calculation of the GPA. Official course-to-course equivalency information will be maintained and available through the provincial database.

Individual Course-to-Course Credit Transfer:

1. A student who believes they have already earned academic credit at Nova Atlantic College or another recognized post-secondary institution that is equivalent to the learning outcomes for a specific course(s) at Nova Atlantic College may request a transfer of credit prior to the start of the semester by completing and submitting a Credit Transfer Request Form to the Credit Transfer Office along with:
   a. An official transcript
   b. Course outline(s) for the previously completed course(s)
   c. Additional documentation as needed for proper assessment
2. For courses where equivalencies have been approved the credit transfer officer:
   a. records and communicates the decision to the student and the appropriate records officer for transcription.
3. For courses where equivalencies have not been reviewed:
   a. the credit transfer officer forwards requests to the appropriate academic team.
   b. the academic team reviews the request, makes a determination, and completes the Credit Transfer Request Form by approving or denying the request.
   c. the academic team forwards the request with the official documents to the program chair.
   d. the program chair reviews forward decisions with the official documents to the credit transfer officer who communicates the decision(s) to the student and the appropriate records officer.
4. Documents are reviewed once and may not be submitted for reconsideration unless additional documentation is made available to support the request.

Application to a Level Greater than Level One:

1. Upon receipt of an application the admissions officer:
   • for an existing pathway, generates a Turnaround document, attaches postsecondary transcripts, and forwards them to the credit transfer officer.
     • • i. The credit transfer officer records the request and forwards it to the
         program coordinator.
       • ii. The program coordinator reviews documentation makes a decision and completes the Turnaround Document.
         • 1. Decision must indicate if the student was admitted based on an
           existing Pathway agreement.
         • 2. Completes the Transfer Credit Block Exemption Form and forwards
           it to the Admission Officer who communicates the decision to the
           applicant.
       • iii. Admission officer forwards decision and Transfer Credit Block
         Exemption Form information to the credit transfer officer.
       • iv. Transfer credit officer records and communicates information to the records
         officer.
   • if a pathway is not defined or the student does not meet the articulated requirements, generate a Turnaround document, attach post-secondary transcripts, and forward them to the credit transfer officer.
     • i. The credit transfer officer records the request and forwards it to the program coordinator.
     • ii. The program coordinator in consultation with the academic team reviews and makes a decision on whether or not the applicant can be admitted to a level beyond level 1 and records it on the Turnaround Document.
       • 1. Credit transfer is not granted for students entering beyond level one unless program promotion standards/grades are met.
     • iii. The program coordinator returns the decision with the Turnaround Document and the completed Credit Transfer Request Form to the admissions officer who communicates the admission decision to the applicant.
   • The admission officer forwards the decision and Credit Transfer Request Form to the credit transfer officer.
     • i. Transfer credit officer records and communicates information to the student and the records officer.
     • ii. Records officer processes credit transfer credits during the registration period.