Transfer Credit Evaluation Policies & Procedures

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

Official transcripts from colleges and universities considered for transfer credit must be received, opened, authenticated and stamped as "Official" by personnel authorized by the SCU registrar. The registrar's office will not accept transcripts opened by other offices or agencies of the university unless they have been authorized by the Registrar as official agents of the registrar’s office. Unauthorized offices or personnel of the university should be careful when opening mail and should forward all official college/university transcripts to the Office of the Registrar and alert the registrar's office immediately if an accidental opening occurs. Once official transcripts are received and stamped by authorized personnel, official copies must be sent to the Office of the Registrar where they will remain a permanent part of the student’s record. The registrar’s office will transfer credits to the SCU transcript after an official evaluation of transcripts as they apply to equivalencies and course/program requirements.

INITIAL TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION

Admissions offices may conduct initial, unofficial transfer credit evaluations for prospective students and those who are enrolling in courses for the upcoming semester or module, but until the registrar's office transfers credits to the SCU transcript, the initial transfer credit evaluation is only an estimate, and transfer credit acceptance and equivalency cannot be guaranteed as stated by admissions personnel. However, the registrar's office will use the initial, unofficial evaluation as a guide for transferring credits. Any errors or discrepancies will be communicated with the admissions office that conducted the initial evaluation.

GENERAL TRANSFER POLICIES

As specified by the academic council and the university catalog:

  1. Transfer credit will be accepted by SCU from regionally accredited colleges and colleges accredited by the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). Southwestern Christian University also accepts credits from international institutions that are state chartered or recognized by their respective Ministry of Education/Higher Education or covered by the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) through the Bologna Process. The Office of the Registrar validates equivalencies using the guidelines of the Oklahoma Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (OACRAO) and World Education Services (WES) and in consultation with department chairs who administer the courses.
  2. Courses counted as requirements of the major core must carry a grade of "C" or better to count toward the degree. All other transfer credit hours must meet SCU grade requirements equal to non-transfer students at SCU in order to transfer and count toward the degree. No matter the number of credits transferred, all transfer students must complete at least 30 credit hours of coursework in classes offered through SCU in order to graduate from SCU and 60 hours from a bachelor's degree granting institution, including those to be earned at SCU. 
  3. Lower-division courses (freshmen and sophomore level) may transfer as equivalencies and substitutions for SCU lower-division courses on the approval of the registrar based on course descriptions. At least 60% of the course description must correlate with SCU courses.
  4. Courses counted as requirements of the major core must carry a grade of "C" or better to count toward the degree. All other transfer credit hours must meet SCU grade requirements equal to non-transfer students at SCU in order to transfer and count toward the degree.
  5. If SCU holds an articulation agreement with a nationally accredited or non-accredited institution, transfer credits and equivalencies will be applied as specified in the agreement. If no specific equivalencies are written in the agreement, a written request for the development of an articulation agreement can be requested from the registrar.
  6. Courses related to biblical interpretation, textual criticism, and hermeneutics will not transfer to fulfill the Christian Literacy requirements at SCU without written authorization from the Chair of the Christian Studies Department.
  7. Courses considered remedial or developmental will be transferred in for credit hours; however, these courses will not count towards degree completion.
  8. For students matriculating to SCU as of fall 2013, either by initial admission or readmission (after they have been away from our institution at least a semester), cumulative GPA will not be transferred with transfer credits. Therefore, the SCU transcript will show a grade of TR (transfer) for those courses accepted for transfer, and those not accepted for transfer will not show on the SCU transcript. (Students may file a written appeal with the Office of the Registrar if they feel a course should be accepted for transfer. In this case, the academic council will be consulted for a decision.) If GPA from other institutions is needed for evaluation for scholarships or athletics, the registrar's office can be contacted, and copies of the official transcript from other institutions can be generated.
  9. SCU students may not be concurrently enrolled in classes at SCU and at another higher education institution for the purpose of transferring credit to SCU without receiving the advanced approval of the chief academic officer.
  10. Transfer credits will be transcribed to the SCU transcript immediately upon receipt, and copies will be sent to the various admissions offices.

OFFICIAL TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION
The official transfer credit evaluation is completed when transfer credits appear on the student's SCU transcript and degree audit. If applicable, the transferred classes will be assigned equivalencies that will appear on the student's degree audit in the student portal.

Transfer credits are evaluated by the Office of the Registrar based on accreditation of the transferring institution, course descriptions from the effective catalog at the time the student took the course, college level (lower or upper division), and, when necessary, on the approval of the department chair or dean of the area of study. For institutions in Oklahoma, the transfer equivalency is determined by the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education transfer program (http://www.okhighered.org/transfer-students/course-transfer.shtml). Credits accepted for transfer with no equivalency will transfer as electives only.

TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION APPEAL
Students who wish to appeal transfer credits and/or equivalencies may do so by submitting to the registrar's office a Transfer Credit Equivalency Appeal Form within 90 days from the time the transfer credits appear on the student's SCU transcript and degree audit. The appeal must include a rationale for a change in the equivalency supported by evidence, including by not limited to course descriptions and/or course syllabus. The registrar will not consider appeals that include verbiage referring to what admissions personnel told the student in an unofficial transfer credit evaluation.

Once the appeal is received, if the registrar determines the appeal cannot be supported by the evidence provided, the registrar will consult with the department chair or dean who administers the course/s in question and, if necessary, the dean of the college of the course in question. The decision of the department chair or dean is final and will be communicated to the student by the registrar within 30 days from the time the appeal is received.

 

Transfer Credit Evaluation Appeal

Instructions

Students who wish to appeal transfer credit equivalencies may do so by submitting this Transfer Credit Evaluation Appeal form within 90 days from the time the transfer credits appear on the student's SCU transcript. The appeal must include a rationale for a change in the equivalency supported by evidence, including by not limited to course descriptions and/or course syllabus. The registrar will not consider appeals that include verbiage referring to what admissions personnel told the student in an unofficial transfer credit evaluation. Once the appeal is received, if the registrar determines the appeal cannot be supported by the evidence provided, the registrar will consult with the department head who administers the course/s in question and, if necessary, the dean of the college of the course in question. The decision of the department head and/or dean is final and will be communicated to the student by the registrar within 30 days from the time the appeal is received. Incomplete forms will not be processed.