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According to a statement made by an Obama administration official recently, leaders of higher education must ensure that the process of credit transfer for students from one institution type to another must be made simpler and easier as this is the only way to enhance college degree attainment rate. 

At the US Department of Education, the Community Colleges Deputy Assistant Secretary Dr. Frank Chong said that we must ensure clear, transparent and seamless pathways for the process. He went on to say that in most cases this process is convoluted and highly complicated.

Panelists at the discussion had different opinions to put forward as to what a twenty first century student was. They said that student in the twenty first century is basically one who has a full time job, who has completed his obligation of serving in the military and who has a number of other obstacles in the form of obligations that does not allow him to complete college immediately after finishing high school.

Adult Learning Policy and Strategic Alliances Associate Vice President Amy Sherman said that as you deal with adult learners, this is the reality you face. She said that the greatest obstacle for these students apart from their jobs and other family responsibilities is the need to spend a lot of energy and time on earning credits that eventually do not count towards their degree.

According to a Center for American Progress paper released recently, a baccalaureate degree requires only 120 degrees while students transferring to four year institutions get 140 degrees. The paper suggests using PLAs or Prior Learning Assessments to ease the burden for students. This will enable students to acquire credits for prior experiences such as military training. 

According to Sherman, this is the only way to avoid wasted learning and this has to be brought about at the system and institutional level. Such systems actually do exist. Except in six states, every other state in reality have transfer policies in place.

However, according to the panelists, there is no consistency in these policies and students find it difficult to understand them with clarity. They opined that it is necessary meeting the needs of today’s students by refining these policies.

Transfer agreements and effective articulations must be student focused and faculty driven says Ohio Board of Regents Articulation and Transfer Associate Vice Chancellor Paula Compton. She says that trust must be the foundation of any transfers and articulations if they have to work.

She went on to say that transfer agreements and articulations have been reviewed or written by at least 50 faculty panels in Ohio. This was to ensure that the institution’s required learning outcomes are reflected perfectly by the course.

EPCC or El Paso Community College president Dr. Richard M. Rhodes said that his institution works in conjunction with the University of Texas in El Paso. When students apply to any of the two institutions, their application is received by both and financial aid teams are sent to recruit students in the high school areas.  He said that they do together whatever is necessary. It is indeed time to make a change and the sooner done the better.