Number
02.01.05
Division
Academic Affairs
Date
August, 2005 Reviewed and revised 6-14-22
Purpose
To establish a policy to address transfer equivalency and course substitution.
Policy
While the process of transferring courses from in-state schools is governed by the AGSC/STARS articulation and transfer guide, students may seek to transfer courses which are not in the AGSC/STARS guide and/or courses from out-of-state schools. When a student wants to transfer a course from another university to UAH for program credit, the course may be evaluated for transfer equivalency or for course substitution, depending upon the circumstances. Transfer equivalency implies that the course is equivalent to a UAH course, whereas course substitution simply means that the transfer course is approved to be used as a replacement for a UAH course, without implying that the courses are equivalent.
This policy applies to all coursework, including courses required for the fulfillment of Charger Foundations. We must perform due diligence in assessing courses taken at other universities. While the goal is to grant students as much credit as reasonable, the integrity of programs must be upheld.
Procedures
For establishing Transfer Equivalency:
  1. The advisor requests that the student provide syllabi and course descriptions from the previous institution, showing course content, textbook used, etc. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the requested information needed for articulating coursework.
  2. The advisor completes the Transfer Equivalency/Articulation Form, and forwards the request and supporting documentation to the relevant department chair. The “relevant” department chair is over the body of knowledge in the course – not the chair associated with the student’s major or program of study.
  3. The department chair, in consultation with relevant faculty, will determine whether the courses are equivalent and whether to grant approval.
  4. The department chair will return the form to the originating advising office.
  5. The advising office will forward the signed form to the Registrar for entry into Banner.
  6. Copies of the signed form will be retained at the College and Department level.

For Course Substitution

  1. The student meets with their advisor to request to substitute a course in his or her program of study with a different course from UAH or elsewhere.
  2. The advisor works with the department chair (for major-specific substitutions) or dean/associate dean (for Charger Foundations substitutions) to appropriately identify substituting courses. Here, department chair, dean, and associate dean refer to the department or college in which the student’s major is housed.
  3. If approved, the substituted course is placed on the student’s program of study or degree evaluation by the advisor or degree auditor. For substitutions made in CAPP (Curriculum, Advising, and Program Planning), the advisor will submit a degree evaluation adjustment form to the student’s degree auditor in the Registrar’s Office. For substitutions made in DegreeWorks, the advisor will enter the exception in the DegreeWorks system, or will submit a degree evaluation adjustment form to the student’s degree auditor in the Registrar’s Office.
  4. If necessary, any contributing documentation or paperwork is added to the student’s record in Xtender.
  5. The Associate Deans Council will periodically review the number and types of substitutions that are being made in order to ensure the integrity and spirit of the Charger Foundations.
Review
Academic Affairs will review this policy every five years or soon as needed.

Transfer Equivalency and Articulation