Guide: Assessing Transfer Credits
There are 45 publicly funded colleges and universities in Ontario. For students who decide to move from one of these institutions to another, the process of getting credit transferred to the new school can be daunting. Unfortunately, many students get bogged down in the process, are denied credit, and end up repeating courses and spending more time than they should completing their studies. As a result, these students often carry more debt and enter the job market later than their peers.
In response, the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer is working to create a more seamless post-secondary education system for students who, for various reasons including changes in career path or program, health disruption, family obligations, and cost-savings, decide to switch schools.
In consultation with experienced faculty from colleges, universities, and an Indigenous Institute in Ontario, I developed a guide for faculty and administrators to help institutions assess course credits from other institutions in a fair, consistent, and transparent manner.
The goals of this guide are to raise awareness about the existing problems with credit assessment and the experiences of transfer students in Ontario, motivate readers to want to change the system, and provide criteria, recommendations, and support for how to make this change. We have received positive feedback from many institutions already.
