Transfer of Credit
Advanced Standing with Credit
Maximum Amount of Credit for Prior Learning
Fees
Communication with Students
Communication with Faculty and Staff
Changes in Policy
Assurance of Equitable Treatment
Review and Appeal Process
Nicolet Area Technical College recognizes that a student may have already acquired some of the skills, knowledge, and competencies that their educational program was designed to impart. In qualifying instances, the student is given credit for their prior learning. At Nicolet, the Transfer of Credit process provides evaluation of credits earned through formal education from an accredited post secondary institution. The Advanced Standing process allows students to seek credit for coursework completed in high school, registered apprenticeships, district developed written and performance examinations, national examinations, and experiential learning.
Students transferring from other nationally or regionally accredited institutions of higher education who want to apply their credits to a diploma or degree program at Nicolet must have a credit evaluation completed. Students must request that official transcripts be sent directly from the granting institution to the Admissions Office at Nicolet. Nicolet will grant transfer credit only for courses that apply to the student's diploma or degree program at Nicolet. Transfer credits are not used in determining grade point average.
Nicolet will accept transfer credit grades of "C-" or above except in specific classes that the program designates require a "C" (2.0) or better for students to progress.
Credits are accepted for transfer courses when course content is confirmed to
be comparable. Occupational specific courses taken more than five years prior to the request for transfer are subject to review.
For a student transferring from one WTCS institution to another, credit awarded for courses designated as fulfilling a general education requirement at one WTCS institution shall be honored as fulfilling the same general education requirement at the receiving institution.
For a student who has an earned degree (AA/AS/AAS, BA/BS, MA/MS, Ph.D. or other graduate or professional degree) from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education, a minimum of 15 credits will be awarded toward completion of the technical college general education core in an associate degree program regardless of the student's prior course of study, time since the awarding of the degree, or technical college program in which the student is enrolled.
Military education credits will be accepted for transfer in conformity with the American Council on Education Office of Educational Credits as outlined in "A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Services". Students are expected to present an official military transcript for evaluation. If a transfer course is evaluated as comparable and acceptable, the credit value assigned by the granting institution will be applied towards an appropriate Nicolet diploma or degree.
The Registrar, in conjunction with the appropriate academic advisor and program faculty, will conduct the evaluation.
B. Advanced Standing with Credit
Advanced standing with credit may be granted when it is determined that an individual's expertise is equivalent to the competencies in one or more course requirements for a diploma or degree program. Recognition of advanced standing is an effort to minimize duplication of competencies attained from previous education, life, or work experience.
To be eligible for advanced standing, a student must first be officially accepted into a diploma or degree program at Nicolet. The student should then contact his/her academic advisor in the Academic Advising/Registration/Records Office for directions and assistance with the request for advanced standing procedures.
Credits earned through this process do not take the place of the minimum number of credits students must earn at Nicolet.
Guidelines for the following options for obtaining Advanced Standing credit can be found in the Nicolet College Catalog: high school coursework, written/performance examinations, national examinations, work experience, registered apprenticeships, and experiential learning.
C. Maximum Amount of Credit for Prior Learning
Each candidate for a diploma or degree will earn at Nicolet College a minimum of 25% of the occupational specific credits and 25% of the total credits required for the occupational program. A minimum of 20 credits must be earned at Nicolet to meet the requirements for the associate of arts and associate of science degrees. These established minimums can not be met through advanced standing.
There is no fee for evaluation and granting of transfer of credit.
With the exception of high school articulations, registered apprenticeships, and national examinations, a fee of 25% of course tuition and fees is assessed for all credits earned through advanced standing. If a student is already enrolled in a class, the advanced standing evaluation must be completed during the first 14 calendar days of the semester, the first 7 calendar days during the summer session, or the first 15% of the class hours for non-semester length courses. If credit is granted, the class is dropped and the student receives a refund of 75% of the tuition/fees paid for the class. Students on financial aid programs should consult with financial aid personnel before beginning the advanced standing procedure.
E. Communication with Students
Policies and procedures for the awarding of credit for prior learning will be published in the college catalog and on the Nicolet web site under "Academic Policy and Procedures". Evaluation of credits earned from a post secondary institution will be conducted for all students presenting official transcripts from a post secondary institution when they meet with their academic advisor.
Specific information on the process for applying for Advanced Standing will be printed on the back of the Advanced Standing Request form and will be available through the student's academic advisor or individual instructors. Academic Advisors will encourage students to request credit for prior learning when reviewing their educational goals and achievements and assist them with the process. Faculty shall also be aware of credit for prior learning procedures, and will assist students in applying for advanced standing when appropriate.
F. Communication with Faculty and Staff
Policies and procedures for Credit for Prior Learning are published in the college catalog. In addition, specific information and procedures for faculty to follow will be printed in the Faculty Handbook under the heading of "Advanced Standing."
Procedures for requesting credit for prior learning will also be printed on the back of the Advanced Standing Request form. The form will be readily available to faculty and staff in the faculty handbook, electronically in the "Forms" file on the computer network, and from the Advising/Registration office.
Any changes in the existing policy or procedures for obtaining credit for prior learning will go into effect with the start of a future semester. This will allow for proper dissemination of information regarding the change before the change takes effect. It will also allow students to complete the current process, if initiated, before the revisions go into effect.
H. Assurance of Equitable Treatment
Nicolet faculty and staff will have the following practices in place to ensure equitable treatment of students requesting credit for prior learning:
Transfer of Credit: official transcripts from accredited institutions will initially be evaluated for transfer credit by the academic advisor assigned to the student's program. The academic advisor will consult program faculty if there is any question about comparable competencies. The transfer credit evaluation will be verified and approved by the Registrar.
Advanced Standing: the student will initiate all other methods of credit for prior learning with the assistance of their academic advisor or a faculty member. The appropriate faculty member will perform the evaluation of prior learning. The documentation of the student's successful completion of the credit for prior learning evaluation will be forwarded to the appropriate Dean of Instruction for validation and approval, then forwarded to the Records Office for posting to the student's transcript. The Registrar will review the level and number of credits before posting.
Appeal: students who are not satisfied with the outcome of their request for credit for prior learning can appeal to the Vice President of Instruction or follow the Student Complaint procedure.
DATE ADOPTED: January 11, 2005
DATE(S) REVIEWED:
DATE(S) REVISED: