Policies

Typically, students can earn advanced placement and /or college credit with scores of 5, 6, or 7 on higher level exams.

The College can accept college transcripts showing completion of an associate degree or higher in lieu of an official high school transcript, but an official transcript showing high school completion or equivalency is required for all students seeking financial aid and for veterans’ benefits requirements. Official Transcripts from other colleges or universities are required to verify prerequisite course work and to award transfer credit.

TRANSFER STUDENTS (Previous College Credit) Students who have previously attended another college should submit official transcripts from ALL institutions they have attended to receive transfer credit. The following will be used as a basis to determine which previously earned credits may be awarded and counted towards graduation: • Credit for course work done on the quarter system may be eligible for transfer consid- eration on a course-by-course basis.

Transfer of NUR prefix course credits from other institutions is allowed if the grades meet NCC’s academic standards and if NCC receives documentation verifying that the equivalent competencies were achieved. Official transcripts must be submitted to NCC for the student to receive transfer credit. The final decision regarding acceptance or denial of transfer credits is at the discretion of the College. c. Complete the required general education courses for NCC to the point of trans- ferring, achieving a minimum grade of C. Transfer courses will be evaluated on an individual basis by the College Registrar, in consultation with the Director of Nurs- ing Programs.

Admission Requirements Entry into the program after the first semester is not guaranteed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, considering the point of entry, the number of currently enrolled students at the point of entry, and space availability for confirmed clinical education learn- ing experiences. A student desiring to transfer credit to enter the Medical Assisting Program for courses where MAERB psychomotor and/or affective competencies are assessed * must: 1. Demonstrate retention of knowledge and skills in any MED technical courses or their equivalent by: 1. Completing a written proficiency examination in each prerequisite course to the point of entry, regardless of the original passing grade, with an overall 80% or higher. Transfer credit for Medical Assisting courses is granted only in the following instances: 1. The Medical Assisting Program Director, in consultation with the appropriate faculty, recommends acceptance of the specific medical assisting course(s) AND 2. Psychomotor and affective competencies included in the course were each com- pleted with overall 80% or higher scores, AND 3. The student completes a written proficiency and laboratory competency examination with an 80% or higher.

4. Online course requirements, prerequisites, grading and transfer credit shall be consis- tent with the course when taught in the traditional manner.

Credit by examination will be used to calculate credit toward program requirements. T – Transfer Credit A grade of T (Transfer Credit) denotes credit received by transfer from another institution.

Transfer of Credit Between Institutions Educational work completed at recognized regionally and nationally accredited postsec- ondary institutions may, where applicable, be credited toward the requirements of a de- gree, diploma, or certificate program at Nash Community College. The student may file an official transcript of all post-secondary work for evaluation, but final acceptance or rejec- tion of the transfer credit is Nash Community College’s decision. Transfer credit will not be granted for any grade lower than a C. A minimum of 25 percent of the semester credit hours of a degree, diplomas, and/or certificate program of study is required in residence for graduation from Nash Community College. Fundamental courses taken through the North Carolina Community College system within the past two years will be accepted for transfer. Credit earned at Nash Community College may be transferred to similar programs at other institutions in the North Carolina Community College System as well as many four-year 71

Credit for Nontraditional and Prior Learning The granting of curriculum credit for nontraditional and/or prior learning will be considered upon receipt of appropriate official documentation. Trans- fer credit for nontraditional and/or prior learning from an accredited institution is limited to no more than 75 percent of an associate degree, and 50 percent of diploma or certificate requirements. The student will receive written notification of credit awarded on the transfer credit evaluation form. Credit for nontraditional and/or prior learning will be noted on stu- dent transcripts. See the Credit for Prior Learning information on the NCC website for the most up-to-date information on prior learning credit options. Transfer of Credit Between Programs Any student who wishes to change from an unfinished program of study to a second program of study, and possibly transfer credit between the programs may do so without restriction as long as the requirements for the new program are met. Quarter System Classes Courses taken under the quarter system may not be equivalent to semester course hours and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Director of Records and Registrar.

See the Credit for Prior Learning Information on the NCC website for a full listing of all AP and IB scores available for transfer. Students will be granted placement or credit on a course-by- course basis, depending on individual scores, rather than on the basis of completion of the IB diploma.

• Provide an official transcript for transfer credit from an accredited institution for courses completed with a C or better. • Provide evidence of CLEP and DANTES course completion (individual students will be allowed only thirty-two (32) hours in satisfying degree requirements).

The calculation of the maximum time frame includes all hours attempted at Nash Community College and transfer credits from other institutions.

Transfer credit for Medical Assisting courses is granted only in the following instances: The Medical Assisting Program Director, in consultation with the appropriate faculty, recommends acceptance of the specific medical assisting course(s) AND Psychomotor and affective competencies included in the course were each com- pleted with overall 80% or higher scores, AND The student completes a written proficiency and laboratory competency examination with an 80% or higher.

Credit by examination will be used to calculate credit toward program requirements.

Provide an official transcript for transfer credit from an accredited institution for courses completed with a C or better.

A student desiring to transfer credit to enter the Medical Assisting Program for courses where MAERB psychomotor and/or affective competencies are assessed * must: Demonstrate retention of knowledge and skills in any MED technical courses or their equivalent by: Completing a written proficiency examination in each prerequisite course to the point of entry, regardless of the original passing grade, with an overall 80% or higher.

Online course requirements, prerequisites, grading and transfer credit shall be consis- tent with the course when taught in the traditional manner.

3. Official, electronic or sealed college transcripts must be submitted if transfer credit consideration is desired, but submission of college transcripts are not required for admission.

Official Transcripts from other colleges or universities are required to verify prerequisite course work and to award transfer credit.

Transfer from Other Institutions An original official college transcript is required for consideration of transfer credit. A course appearing as transfer credit on an official transcript is not eligible for transfer credit. Students who have attended college outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an outside professional credential evaluation service before any credit will be considered for transfer (suggested agencies). Students with foreign postsecondary transcripts who are seeking transfer credit, or for credit to be used for placement requirements, must have the transcript evaluated on a course by course basis for U. S. equivalency.

Credit for Nontraditional and Prior Learning The granting of curriculum credit for nontraditional and/or prior learning will be considered upon receipt of appropriate official documentation. A committee, including the Vice Presi- dent for Instruction, the Vice President for Corporate and Economic Development, the Vice President of Student Services, and the related content area expert, will review and evaluate the documentation, determine the applicability to the student’s educational program. A recommendation will be made to the Vice President for Instruction for final approval. Trans- fer credit for nontraditional and/or prior learning from an accredited institution is limited to no more than 75 percent of an associate degree, and 50 percent of diploma or certificate requirements. The student will receive written notification of credit awarded on the transfer credit evaluation form. Credit for nontraditional and/or prior learning will be noted on stu- dent transcripts. See the Credit for Prior Learning information on the NCC website for the most up-to-date information on prior learning credit options.

Transfer of Credit for Dental Hygiene Due to the nature of dental hygiene, the admissions requirements and transfer of credit policy for the program require testing a student’s level of knowledge when a transfer of any dental hygiene course is considered. According to West Georgia Technical College’s policy, if a DHYG course request for transfer credit is received for a course completed with a grade of C or above from another accredited college, a student must take an equivalency examination and in some situations, such as Dental Materials and Radiology, a laboratory competency examination. The didactic and laboratory competency grade must be an 80 or above to consider the transfer of credit. Clinical and preclinical courses will not be considered for transfer due to the uniqueness of each dental hygiene program.

Transfer credit, exemption exam credit, credit for previous experience, audited courses, W grades and articulated credit are exempt from the qualitative component. Learning Support classes and transfers of credit from other institutions are counted as credit hours attempted and earned in the calculation. Transfer credit hours are also included in this calculation.

Prior Learning Assessment Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a pathway for assessing learning gained outside of a traditional academic environment; this could be learning acquired through prior employment, CLEP, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Credit (IB), military, corporate training, or other relevant experience. Through PLA, your prior experience is evaluated to determine if it translates to college-level knowledge and how that knowledge might equate to college credit. Complete information on the PLA process is available in the online Prior Learning Assessment handbook via www.westgatech.edu. If applicable, some prior learning criteria may require a $50 processing fee. See Cashier for current fees. The processing fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. The Cashier will provide a receipt for the payment and note payment on the Application for Prior Learning Assessment.

The calculation of the maximum time frame includes all hours attempted at Nash Community College and transfer credits from other institutions.

T – Transfer Credit A grade of T (Transfer Credit) denotes credit received by transfer from another institution. Only the hours of credit will be recorded.

Transfer Credit from Other Institutions Students may request transfer of credit for course work completed at a nationally or regionally recognized accredited institution. To comply with state policy, West Georgia Technical College requires that a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the course work of a particular program of study be completed at WGTC in order to grant the award. The Registrar may confer with program instructors when determining appropriateness of transfer request but is responsible for final transfer credit approval. Students who have been educated outside of the United States will need to have their transcripts translated and evaluated by professional credential evaluation services before any credit will be considered. Student may request review for transfer of credit within the first semester of attendance by emailing registrar@westgatech.edu. Student must provide an official transcript from the institution with which course work was completed. Transfer credit may not be awarded if credit is showing on transcript as transfer or exemption credit. Course work must be concurrent with the curriculum outline of the student's current program of study. Student may be required to furnish course catalog or course syllabus. Previous course work must have been completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better to be considered for transfer credit. Certain courses are subject to time limitations. Specific technical, science, and Health Sciences courses may not be considered for transfer credit after seven years. Student will be notified via Self-Service Banner Web account.

Transfer of Credit Between Institutions Educational work completed at recognized regionally and nationally accredited postsec- ondary institutions may, where applicable, be credited toward the requirements of a de- gree, diploma, or certificate program at Nash Community College. The student may file an official transcript of all post-secondary work for evaluation, but final acceptance or rejec- tion of the transfer credit is Nash Community College’s decision. Transfer credit will not be granted for any grade lower than a C. A minimum of 25 percent of the semester credit hours of a degree, diplomas, and/or certificate program of study is required in residence for graduation from Nash Community College. Fundamental courses taken through the North Carolina Community College system within the past two years will be accepted for transfer. Technology credits older than five years will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Credit will be allowed for up to thirty-two (32) semester hours of work based on testing with the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). The student must request that the CLEP exam scores be sent to Nash Community College for review by the Director of Records and Registrar. A score in the 50th percentile or above as recommended by the American Council on Education must be achieved to earn credit on most CLEP subject exams. No credit is given for the general exam. Credit for DANTES Subject Area Exams, USAFI courses, and for service school training may be granted where appropriate to the student’s curriculum. DANTES scores must meet ACE (American Council on Education) recommendations. Service school training will be evalu- ated on the basis of A Guide to the Evaluation Experiences in the Armed Service published by the American Council on Education. USAFI courses will be evaluated on the basis of the current catalog of the United States Armed Forces Institute. Having experience or a particular skill set may qualify the student to take a proficiency exam in order to receive credit for a course with similar content or skills. The student should contact the department chair for the course(s) in question for information regarding a credit by proficiency exam. Credit earned at Nash Community College may be transferred to similar programs at other institutions in the North Carolina Community College System as well as many four-year 71

Transfer of Credit Between Programs Any student who wishes to change from an unfinished program of study to a second program of study, and possibly transfer credit between the programs may do so without restriction as long as the requirements for the new program are met. However, students wishing to make a third program of study selection should meet with a counselor to discuss career options, academic problems, etc. Program change forms are available from Self Ser- vice under the heading “student forms” and are to be submitted electronically. A program change form may be submitted at any time during the semester, but the Reg- istrar and Director of Records will not make an official data entry change until after the semester has been completed and before the start of the new semester. Credit earned in any program may be applied to a different program. Fundamental courses are awarded institutional credit only and are listed in the catalog. Credit hours successfully completed and quality points earned in a prior program which are applicable to the new program will be applied toward graduation.

(Previous College Credit) Students who have previously attended another college should submit official transcripts from ALL institutions they have attended to receive transfer credit. The following will be used as a basis to determine which previously earned credits may be awarded and counted towards graduation: Credit for course work done on the quarter system may be eligible for transfer consid- eration on a course-by-course basis.

Transfer of NUR prefix course credits from other institutions is allowed if the grades meet NCC’s academic standards and if NCC receives documentation verifying that the equivalent competencies were achieved. Official transcripts must be submitted to NCC for the student to receive transfer credit. The final decision regarding acceptance or denial of transfer credits is at the discretion of the College. Complete the required general education courses for NCC to the point of trans- ferring, achieving a minimum grade of C. Transfer courses will be evaluated on an individual basis by the College Registrar, in consultation with the Director of Nurs- ing Programs.