Undergraduate - Clarion University

pages i-viiiAcademic Information16 Clarion University of Pennsylvania9. To ensure proper placement of transfer credits takenat another institution, students enrolled at ClarionUniversity are strongly encouraged to request writtenpermission from their college dean to take courses atanother institution for transfer back to Clarion. Gradesand quality points for courses taken elsewhere donot transfer and cannot be used as repeats for gradespreviously earned at Clarion.Credit Transfer PolicyAcademic Passport PrinciplesClarion University affirms its commitment to maximizeaccess to higher education for all Pennsylvanians throughthe Academic Passport to the Pennsylvania State Systemof Higher Education. Community college students whohave earned the Associate of Arts (A.A.), the Associate ofScience (A.S.), or the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S)degree in a program containing a minimum of 30 credits ofliberal arts courses, or State System university students, whotransfer from one State System university to another witha 2.0 minimum cumulative quality-point average (QPA) inall course work and a minimum of 12 credit hours, shall beconsidered to have an Academic Passport which will allowthem to transfer to any PASSHE university.It is understood that the academic passport does notguarantee admission into specific majors. Some academicprograms may have additional requirements such assatisfactory scores on Praxis exams or a higher QPA.In the acceptance and application of credits for studentsholding an Academic Passport, the receiving university shalllook first to apply as many credits as possible toward thesatisfaction of lower-division general education requirements.Next, the receiving university shall look toward applyingany appropriate credits to satisfy requirements in the major.Last, credits may be applied to satisfy elective requirements.It is the intent of the passport that credits earned as part of aqualifying degree program at a community college or statesystem university should be accepted and applied towardcompletion for the baccalaureate degree.It is recognized that in certain circumstances, such as achange in major or specialized programs of study, it maynot be possible to apply all transfer credits earned towardthe four-year degree; however, absent legitimate academicreasons, the intent of this policy is to make full and completeuse of credits earned in qualified A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. degreeprograms. Transfer students shall not be required to repeat orretake courses that they have already successfully completedat another accredited institution.In accepting the Academic Passport, Clarion Universityshall follow these principles:1. Clarion University will recognize and honor theAcademic Passport by admitting qualified studentsand shall apply credit toward graduation for allequivalent college course work completed for theassociate’s degree.2. Students seeking to transfer to a State Systemuniversity and who are admissible shall receive anevaluation of credits prior to enrollment and paymentof tuition and fees. (Application fees may still berequired.)3. Transfer students who meet the conditions ofpublished articulation agreements shall not berequired to take a higher number of credits for thebaccalaureate degree than indigenous students of thereceiving institution.4. Up to a maximum of 45 general education credits andliberal arts course credits shall be used to meet lowerdivision general education requirements, even if thereceiving university does not offer the specific coursebeing transferred or has not designated that courseappropriate for general education. A course-by-coursematch shall not be required.5. Students who transfer with 60 or more creditswill be entitled to the same rights and privilegesaccorded State System students with junior status(i.e., scheduling, internships, etc.).Transfer Credit AppealStudents who feel the need to appeal a course equivalencyon the degree audit may do so by meeting with the dean oftheir college. Students who appeal an equivalency are askedto provide a course syllabus which provides more detailedinformation than catalog descriptions. The course is thenre-evaluated by the appropriate academic department.Admission with AdvancedStandingAdvanced Placement—Credit byExamination1. The College-Level Examination ProgramA maximum of 60 credits may be earned through theCollege-Level Examination Program (CLEP). No morethan 30 of the 60 credits may be earned after admission.These examinations, administered by the CollegeEntrance Examination Board, may be taken at theVenango Campus of Clarion University on third Fridays.They are designed for adult learners and non-traditionalstudents who have gained college-level knowledgethrough prior education or training. The College-LevelExamination Program includes five general examinationsand approximately 36 subject examinations, which, ifsuccessfully passed, will earn the student three creditsper examination. Listed below are the general and subjectexaminations, minimum acceptable scores, and creditsavailable to earn: