Responsible Office: Academic Affairs
Policy Officer: Chief Academic Officer
Scope: |Student

Approved By: Office of the President

Approved Date: 7/22/2021

Effective Date: 7/22/2021

Category: Academics

Description/Purpose:

Saint Francis University welcomes students at the undergraduate level who have earned college credits prior to matriculation. The University recognizes the experiences and achievements individual students have gained. Academic advisors and counselors will guide individual students to maximize their learning opportunities in a flexible, supportive environment. Accordingly, this transfer credit policy describes the many opportunities individual students have to complete a Saint Francis University degree or credential and include credits or experiences completed elsewhere.

Details:

Scope:  

This policy applies to students formally accepted and enrolled in an undergraduate program or a postsecondary or post-baccalaureate certificate program at Saint Francis University.

Policy Statement:

New and readmitted students who are formally accepted and enrolled in an associate or bachelor degree program, or a post-secondary or post-baccalaureate certificate program, may request transfer of credit for relevant courses previously completed at regionally-accredited post-secondary institutions. Transfer credits are also considered on a case-by-case basis from post-secondary institutions nationally accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Transfer credits will be awarded based on the similarity of course outcomes, rigor, content, length, and practical experiences where applicable. The transfer of credit must be completed in the student's first semester and is subject to the approval of the relevant academic department chair, dean, the Chief Academic Officer, and the regulations of the Saint Francis University academic program in which the student is enrolled.

Procedures to Request Transfer of Credit:

New, transfer or readmitted students must provide official transcripts to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or Francis Worldwide at the time they apply for admission. Students are responsible for providing any course descriptions or syllabi that may be requested for accurate evaluations to be made. Students may request transfer of credit from other institutions attended or sources such as College in High School, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and armed forces course equivalencies prior to their first semester.

Matriculated students who wish to take a course at another institution and transfer credits to Saint Francis must:

• Obtain permission from the chair of the department offering the original course prior to enrolling in the course. Students will discuss the plan of study with their academic advisor prior to submitting the "Transfer Request Form" and the "Course Evaluation Form" available online at my.francis.edu. Granting of transfer credits requires the written approval of the relevant academic advisor or department chair, the relevant academic dean, and the Chief Academic Officer. Transfer credit will not be guaranteed if the student fails to obtain approval prior to taking the course.
• Be in good academic standing at Saint Francis University. Good standing is defined as:
  • 30 or fewer credits attempted -- cumulative G.P.A. at or above 1.800
  • 31-59 credits attempted -- cumulative G.P.A. at or above 1.900
  • 60 or more credits attempted -- cumulative G.P.A. at or above 2.000.

A student not in good academic standing will not be authorized to enroll in courses at other institutions.

• Assume full responsibility to have the transfer institution provide an official transcript sent directly to the Saint Francis University Office of the Registrar immediately upon completion of the course.

General Qualifications for Transfer Credit:

• Relevant courses with grades of "C" or better (2.0 on 4.0 scale) completed at regionally-accredited post-secondary institutions will be considered. Transfer credits are also considered on a case-by-case basis from post-secondary institutions nationally accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. (Courses with grades of "C-" that carry 2.0 quality points on a 4.0 scale may be considered.)
• Courses will be considered for transfer on a course-by-course basis. Applicability to the degree for which a student is a candidate and comparability to an existing Saint Francis University course may be used as factors for the acceptance or denial of transfer credit.
• Transfer credits are not used in the computation of the student's grade point average at Saint Francis University. Credits transfer, grades and quality points do not.
• Transfer courses cannot be a major or collateral requirement for matriculated students (except those enrolled through Francis Worldwide). Exceptions to this policy may be considered for matriculated students using the transfer credit form available on my.francis.edu.
• Transfer credits cannot be earned for courses already attempted and completed at Saint Francis University.
• Courses completed toward post-secondary certificate and diploma programs can be considered for transfer.
• Internships or practicum, developmental, review or remedial courses are not transferable.
• A course for which no credit is given at the original institution cannot be transferred for credit at Saint Francis University. However, the University may consider training completed for certification, workplace requirements, or other specialized training (e.g., continuing education units or CEUs) for conversion into academic credit for transfer toward a post-secondary or post-baccalaureate certificate or undergraduate degree if the training has been evaluated according to the ACE Guidelines, reviewed by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (CCRS), and does not duplicate credit already accepted in transfer. Eligible CEUs and specialized training hours are converted via a formula that considers 14 hours of training/education to equal a single academic credit hour.
• Students who, upon admission, transfer 28 or more credits including a two-semester, six-credit sequence in college-level English composition classes (excluding Advanced Placement and CLEP credits) will be exempt from WRIT 102, Research Writing.
• Students, upon enrollment, may transfer a successfully completed research-based writing course from an accredited college or university in lieu of WRIT 102. (This does not include College in High School courses.)
• Except by permission of the appropriate department chair, RLST 105 or RLST 205 must be completed at Saint Francis University.
• Transfer institutions outside the United States must be recognized as degree granting institutions by their home country. A course-by-course evaluation of all foreign university transcripts by an independent service based in the United States is required for international transfer students.
• Transfer credits become applicable to a Saint Francis University degree program or certificate program only after the student has been admitted as a degree-seeking student or admitted to the certificate program.

Limitations:

• Bachelor's Degree: At least 36 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University for a student to be eligible for a bachelor's degree, except those students studying for a second bachelor's degree (see Second Bachelor's Degree policy) or enrolled in a degree completion program. The last 30 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University.
• Degree Completion Programs: Students enrolled in a degree completion program may transfer up to 98 credits to Saint Francis University. The last 30 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University.
• Associate of Applied Science Degree: At least 27 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University. A maximum of 9 credits (combination of transfer courses and credits by means of credit by examination, e.g., AP, CLEP, IB) will be accepted for transfer in addition to 27 credits awarded in a prescribed technical curriculum from the partner institution.
• Associate of Science Degree: At least 33 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University. A maximum of 30 credits (combination of transfer courses and credits by means of credit by examination, e.g., AP, CLEP, IB) will be accepted for transfer. The last 18 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University.
• Post-secondary Certificate Program: At least 15 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University. A maximum of 15 credits (combination of transfer courses and credits by means of credit by examination, e.g., AP, CLEP, IB) will be accepted for transfer. The Post-secondary Business Certificate program requires at least half of the business core requirements to be completed at Saint Francis University.
• Post-baccalaureate Certificate Program: At least 15 credits must be completed at Saint Francis University. A maximum of 9 credits (combination of transfer courses and credits by means of credit by examination, e.g., AP, CLEP, IB) will be accepted for transfer (except for the Early Childhood Education Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program which accepts up to 30 transfer credits.)

Credit by Examination:

Saint Francis University offers several credit by examination options such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Credit earned by examination may be used to satisfy requirements in the same manner as the college courses which the tests replace or as the academic department concerned might specify. Credit earned by examination will not be awarded for the same course more than once. Equivalencies and other requirements for the credit by examination options are outlined in the University's Credit by Examination policy.

Military Credit:

Saint Francis University uses the American Council on Education's Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services to assess how to transfer military credits to Saint Francis. In general, military courses must be similar to a Saint Francis undergraduate course and applicable to an undergraduate degree program to transfer to Saint Francis.

Students seeking to transfer military credits to Saint Francis University should request their official transcript from Joint Services Transcript (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) or the Community College of the Air Force (Air Force).

Articulation Agreements:

The University has established articulation (transfer) agreements with other institutions to encourage and facilitate transfer for students from other institutions to Saint Francis University. Such agreements are administered by the Office of Academic Affairs. Articulation agreements may include transfer course guides. Any exceptions to other University academic and administrative policies are addressed in the articulation agreement. The University's current articulation agreements are provided on the University's web site.

Conversion of Credit:

U.S. colleges and universities that operate on a quarter system award quarter credit. Saint Francis University operates on a semester system and awards semester credit. To convert credit hours from the quarter system to the semester system, multiply the number of quarter hours by 2/3 (or .67).  For example, 3 quarter credit hours would be converted to 2 semester credit hours (3 x .67 = 2).

Transfer Credit Appeal:

For newly enrolled students, initial transferability decisions are made by the Center for Academic Success. The Center for Academic Success facilitates the transfer credit process for returning enrolled students. Any questions about policy or individual transfer credit evaluations should be directed to the transfer evaluator. 

If a student wishes to challenge the Transfer of Credit policy or the application of the policy, then the appeal must be submitted in writing to the Center for Academic Success. The transfer evaluator will examine the appeal to determine if the policy was appropriately applied to yield the initial evaluation. When challenging a course equivalency, the student may be asked to provide a course syllabus which gives more detail than a catalog description. The appeal will be denied when it is determined that the policy was appropriately applied. An appropriate correction will be issued if the policy was misapplied. Appeals denied may be appealed to the Chief Academic Officer who will issue a final decision.

Center for Academic Success and First-Year Experience: (814) 472-3024

Office of Academic Affairs: (814) 472-3004

Transfer of Saint Francis University Courses to Other Institutions:

Saint Francis University cannot guarantee that its courses and credits will transfer to other institutions. The transfer of courses and credits is determined by the receiving institution.

Approval: 

Standards and Admissions 10/23/2018 (Senate voted 05/10/2021 to approve without sending to committee.)

Faculty Senate 01/15/2019; revised 05/05/2021

President 01/28/2019; revised 05/12/2021; 07/22/2021