Converting Transfer Credit Units
Student Records converts incoming units to the term type of the transfer rule. This enables the system to accurately compare incoming units to the rule. To convert incoming units, the system first determines the number of units taken. Then the system calculates the number of units transferred. At each stage, the system must determine whether it needs to convert the units, and if so, the system converts them.
To calculate the number of units taken, the system:
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Determines whether the transfer units need to be converted.
The system compares the term type of the course (on the External Courses page) with the term type of the rule (on the Subject Area Elements page). If they are different, the units must be converted. That is, if the student earned four quarter units in MATH 120, and the rule is based on semester units, the system needs to convert the four quarter units to semester units before comparing it to the rule and determining how many units transfer.
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If yes, the system converts the units.
To convert the units, the system must first determine the correct multiple to use. To find the multiple, the system compares the term type and the external term type of the education record (as shown on the External Data page) with the term type and external term type on the External Term table. You set up external terms with their multiples on the External Term Table page. To convert the units, the system multiplies the number of units earned in the external course (as it appears on the External Courses page) with the multiple.
For example, suppose the system finds that the term type of the external course is quarter and the external term is fall. It would find the corresponding row on the External Term table to find the multiple, which in this case is 0.75. Then it would multiply this by the number of units that the student received, which was 4 in this example. So the equation is 0.75 × 4, and the converted value is 3.
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The system uses the converted value to compare against the rule to determine whether the units meet the requirements of the rule.
The system determines whether the converted value falls within the minimum and maximum unit range set in the rule (Incoming Course Information page). If the converted value falls within the range, the system distributes the units to the internal equivalent and excess unit course as determined by the rule. The system displays the converted units for each incoming course in the Units Taken field on the Equivalent Course Information page.
At this point, the system has determined the number of units taken. It must now determine the number of units transferred according to the transfer credit model.
To calculate the number of units transferred, the system:
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Determines whether the units must be converted again by comparing the term unit type of the career to the term type of the rule.
You see on the Transfer Course Details page that the transfer credit model has an academic career. The system finds the term unit type for the career that appears on the model. Term unit type for careers appears on the Academic Career Table 2 page. The system then compares the term unit type of the career with the term type of the rule, as found on the Subject Area Elements page. If the term types are the same, the system does not need to convert the units.
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If the term unit type of the career is different from the term type of the rule, the system converts the units.
The system converts the units just as it does for calculating the units taken, except that instead of using the term unit type of the education record, it uses the term unit type of the transfer credit model's career.
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The system displays the calculated results for each incoming course in the Units Transferred field on the Incoming Course Information page.
Previously in Student Records, you had to set the unit value of the incoming equivalent course based on the term type of the incoming credit's institution. Now the system converts the incoming units to the term type of the rule, giving you more flexibility in setting up transfer rules.
Note:
If you want unit conversion to occur after the units have been awarded to the internal equivalent and excess unit classes, set the term type on the rule to equal that of the incoming course. In this case, the system does not convert the units to match the rule (they will already match), the system converts them only to match the career of the model.
Understanding Internal Transfer Credit and Unit Conversion
When using unit conversion rules with internal transfer modeling, the system uses the multiple from the Unit Conversion table and converts them as illustrated in the following example.
An undergraduate Engineering student (quarter program) takes an undergraduate three-unit class (semester class), Biology 100, and receives a C. The university then models the student in a UGRD program (semester program).
The system converts the units like this:
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The system automatically changes the Biology 100 class into quarter units (student receives 4.5 units at enrollment).
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Transfer credit comes in when the university models the student for a career.
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If the model is in a semester career, the units are converted to 3 units because the student enrollment units are quarter:
Incoming Conversion factor Quarter equivalent 3 semester units
x 1.5
= 4.5
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The system uses the quarter value to determine whether the criteria for transfer are met.
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The system looks at the rule and finds the unit value of the internal equivalent class, which in this case is 3:
Internal equivalent value Conversion factor Semester equivalent 3 semester units
x .6770
= 2.031
Note:
If you want to bypass the rule value and just convert the units in student enrollment to the new career, set the transfer rule to Specify Maximum Units on the Subject Area Elements page.
Understanding Grading at Articulation
The Transfer Credit Articulation process determines the grade for internal equivalent courses based on the value that is entered in the Default Grade field on the Subject Area Elements page.