Status of Articulation . . .

In response to House Joint Resolution 219 of the 99th General Assembly, a Committee on Articulation Issues was appointed by the Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission, the President of the University of Tennessee, and the Chancellor of the Board of Regents. HJR 219 directed the committee “to study the current articulation process and to examine problems, benefits, policies, practices, procedures, and programs.” In March 1996, the Higher Education Commission completed a survey which examined the actual experiences of students to determine the extent of the problems experienced when transferring. Twenty-five percent of the student population was surveyed revealing that; overall, they were satisfied with their experiences when they transferred. Although not found to be as much of a problem as expected, isolated incidents have persisted.

• Communications: Printed or electronic, orientation sessions and the designation of a single person in a office with the responsibility to handle these issues
• Barriers: Articulation agreements, block transfer and academic/career counseling
• General Education: Develop a common core acceptable across institutions/boards

One significant discovery has been that there is a lack of understanding when differentiating between transfer and articulation. Individual courses transfer and programs articulate. In most instances, all courses transfer. The primary reasons why problems occur is because not all courses are creditable to the selected majors when students change the major, because students want to transfer a course with a grade of less than a “C”, or because students take too many courses prior to declaring a major. When students change majors, they should not expect courses unrelated to the new major to be accepted as anything other than electives.

Admissions to a university with an Associates of Arts or Science degree is generally automatic. With few exceptions, students usually experience a smooth transition when moving from one institution to another to further their studies within the same major.

The Statewide Articulation Committee reconvened on May 17, 1999 to assess the progress that had been made since the last meeting that had taken place in December 1997. At that time the governing boards reported that they were all actively working with their respective campuses to implement the 21 recommendations of the Committee. All in attendance concluded that adequate time had passed for these recommendations to have been implemented.

Numerous issues were discussed at the meeting and two specific recommendations were made. The first related to Recommendation 13 from the 1996 Committee report. This recommendation directs Boards in conjunction with institutions to develop blocks of courses for students transferring with less than an associate degree credential.

In order to determine what further actions are needed to advance improvements, the Committee recommended that a select group of campus chief academic officers, under the guidance of the governing boards work to determine the requirements of a common General Education core to be accepted among institutions within each system and across systems. The committee further requested institutions provide a comprehensive report on each of the twenty-one recommendations regarding initiatives, progress, and problems that continue to impede the transfer and articulation progress.

A report was received from the Tennessee Board of Regents in October 1999 that outlined the progress toward the implementation of the 21 recommendations. The report also indicated that Recommendation 13, regarding block transferability would be implemented in Academic Year 2001-02. These reports have been presented in various legislative committees (2000). The Board of Regents is in the process of developing and implementing a common rubric and numbering system. Upon implementation, this will further enhance the transfer and articulation process for students.

Due to staff changes and restructuring, the implementation process in the University of Tennessee system has progressed more slowly. They are also working with THEC and the Board of Regents to implement the recommendations of the Articulation Committee and develop compatible strategies to improve articulation and transferability for students.

Performance Measures

• In an attempt to further enhance the process, the Performance Funding Task Force has proposed a new standard on articulation. These new performance standards will be presented to the Commission for approval at the April 2000 meeting for the period effective July 2000 – June 2005.

• Institutions will thoroughly review the contents of all existing articulation agreements, evaluating their content for currency, comprehensive and accuracy.

• Institutions will provide all necessary and appropriate information to transfer students that outlines all policies, procedures, rights, and responsibilities. This information will be provided in the form of transfer guides and catalogs, orientation sessions, course equivalency tables and academic advisement.

Goal 3: This goal will provide an institutional self-assessment of the matriculation of students at their institution to show improvements and identify areas for continued improvements. This goal is to be implemented in a three-phase process.

• Institutions will set benchmarks and will implement a comprehensive research plan to qualitatively and quantitatively assess and document the transfer and articulation function and the experiences of students.

In summary, the public institutions of higher education are working steadily to alleviate all articulation and transfer problems for our students. In spite of students changing majors, frequently stopping and starting their enrollment, and transferring between two and four-year public, private, and propriety institutions, the two systems make adjustments to accommodate and assist students in successfully attaining their higher education goals. The Commission and Governing Boards are taking a deliberative, inclusive approach to addressing the issues associated with providing a seamless transfer and articulation process in Tennessee.