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Appendix A: Legislation

1. INITIATION OF OHIO ARTICULATION AND TRANSFER POLICY

Am. Sub. S.B. No. 268, 118th General Assembly

SECTION 5.

The Ohio Board of Regents shall establish a study commission to make formal recommendations to the Governor and the 118th General Assembly regarding implementation of a statewide student credit-hour transfer agreement to address the articulation problems associated with students transferring from public technical and community colleges to public universities.  The recommendations of the study commission shall be submitted by the Board to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate no later than January 5, 1990.

Am. Sub. H.B. No. 111, 118th General Assembly

SECTION 91.09.         

1. The Ohio Board of Regents shall establish policies:
   1. To facilitate the transfer of students and credits between community colleges and state community colleges, between community colleges and state universities, between community colleges and technical colleges, between community colleges and branch universities, between state community colleges and state universities, between state community colleges and technical colleges, between state community colleges and branch universities, between state universities and technical colleges, between state universities and branch universities, and between technical colleges and branch universities;
   2. To facilitate the transfer of students and credits from one community college to another, from one state community college to another, from one state university to another, from one technical college to another, and from one branch or university to another.
2. In furtherance of the objectives of division (A) of this section, the policies adopted under this section shall encourage:
   1. The development of courses at community colleges, state community colleges, technical colleges, university branches and state universities that are equivalent to each other and are readily transferable;
   2. The establishment of uniform procedures for the transfer of students and credits among community colleges, state community colleges, state universities, technical colleges, and branch universities;
   3. The equitable treatment of transfer students and non-transfer students;
   4. The system-wide recognition of Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees from fully accredited community colleges and state community colleges;
   5. The development of consistent admissions policies of state universities and university branches for the transfer of students who hold Associate of Applied Business and Associate of Applied Science degrees from fully accredited community colleges, state community colleges, and technical colleges;
   6. The establishment of a state-level appeals process for a student to appeal an adverse evaluation of his coursework by an institution to which he is transferring.
3. By January 1, 1990, the Board shall report to the General Assembly about the progress the Board has made in eliminating articulation problems between community colleges and state community colleges, between community colleges and state universities, between community colleges and technical colleges, between community colleges and branch universities, between state community colleges and state universities, between state community colleges and technical colleges, between state community colleges and branch universities, between state universities and technical colleges, between state universities and branch universities, between technical colleges and branch universities, from one community college to another, from one state community college to another, from one state university to another, from one technical college to another, and from one branch university to another, and shall propose a plan to the General Assembly for eliminating remaining articulation problems.

2. EXPANSION OF OHIO ARTICULATION AND TRANSFER POLICY

Ohio Revised Code Sections and Executive Orders

Am. Sub. H.B. No. 95, 125th General Assembly

Amended by 131st General Assembly, H.B. No. 64

Amended by 133rd General Assembly, S.B. No. 89

3333.16 Universal course equivalency classification system for state institutions of higher education.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3333.16  

1. as used in this section:
   1. "State institution of higher education" means an institution of higher education as defined in section 3345.12 of the Revised Code.
   2. "State university" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
2. The chancellor of higher education shall do all of the following:
   1. Establish policies and procedures applicable to all state institutions of higher education that ensure that students can begin higher education at any state institution of higher education and transfer coursework and degrees to any other state institution of higher education without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers. The purpose of this requirement is to allow students to attain their highest educational aspirations in the most efficient and effective manner for the students and the state. These policies and procedures shall require state institutions of higher education to make changes or modifications, as needed, to strengthen course content so as to ensure equivalency for that course at any state institution of higher education.
   2. Develop and implement a universal course equivalency classification system for state institutions of higher education so that the transfer of students and the transfer and articulation of equivalent courses or specified learning modules or units completed by students are not inhibited by inconsistent judgment about the application of transfer credits. Coursework completed within such a system at one state institution of higher education and transferred to another institution shall be applied to the student's degree objective in the same manner as equivalent coursework completed at the receiving institution.
   3. Develop an electronic equivalency management tool to assist in the transfer of coursework and degrees between state institutions of higher education without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers, to help minimize inconsistent judgment about the application of transfer credits, and to assist in allowing transfer credits to be applied to a student's degree objective in the same manner at each state institution of higher education. The electronic equivalency management tool shall include the universal documentation of course and program equivalencies statewide. Additionally, the electronic equivalency management tool shall be incorporated into a web site.
   4. Develop a system of transfer policies that ensure that graduates with associate degrees which include completion of approved transfer modules shall be admitted to a state institution of higher education, shall be able to compete for admission to specific programs on the same basis as students native to the institution, and shall have priority over out-of-state associate degree graduates and transfer students. To assist a student in advising and transferring, all state institutions of higher education shall fully implement the information system for advising and transferring selected by, contracted for, or developed by the chancellor.
   5. Examine the feasibility of developing a transfer marketing agenda that includes materials and interactive technology to inform the citizens of Ohio about the availability of transfer options at state institutions of higher education and to encourage adults to return to colleges and universities for additional education;
   6. Study, in consultation with the state board of career colleges and schools, and in light of existing criteria and any other criteria developed by the articulation and transfer advisory council, the feasibility of credit recognition and transferability to state institutions of higher education for graduates who have received associate degrees from a career college or school with a certificate of registration from the state board of career colleges and schools under Chapter 3332. of the Revised Code.
3. All provisions of the existing articulation and transfer policy developed by the chancellor shall remain in effect except where amended by this section.
4. Not later than December 1, 2018, the chancellor shall update and implement the policies and procedures established pursuant to this section to ensure that any associate degree offered at a state institution of higher education may be transferred and applied to a bachelor degree program in an equivalent field at any other state institution of higher education without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers. The policies and procedures shall ensure that each transferred associate degree applies to the student's degree objective in the same manner as equivalent coursework completed by the student at the receiving institution. When updating and implementing the policies and procedures pursuant to this division, the chancellor shall seek input from faculty and academic leaders in each academic field or discipline.
5. If a state university refuses to accept and grant credit for any general education coursework that is both completed at a different state institution of higher education and subject to the policies, procedures, or systems prescribed under division (B) of this section, the state university shall provide the student that did not receive college credit for the completed general education coursework information to utilize the institution's transfer appeal process and information to utilize the department of higher education's student complaint portal.
6. The Ohio articulation and transfer network oversight board established by the chancellor shall conduct a study of current rules regarding the transfer of college credit between state institutions of higher education. Not later than one year after the effective date of this amendment, the board shall issue a report to the general assembly, in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code, that includes the findings of the board's study, as well as any recommendations regarding changes to the rules.

Am. Sub. S.B. No. 2, 125th General Assembly

Amended by 131st General Assembly, H.B. No. 64

3333.161 - Statewide system for articulation agreements among state institutions of higher education for transfer students pursuing teacher education programs.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3333.161

1. As used in this section:
   1. "Articulation agreement" means an agreement between two or more state institutions of higher education to facilitate the transfer of students and credits between such institutions.
   2. "State institution of higher education" and "state university" have the same meanings as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
   3. "Two year college" includes a community college, state community college, technical college, and university branch.
2. The chancellor of higher education shall adopt rules establishing a statewide system for articulation agreements among state institutions of higher education for transfer students pursuing teacher education programs. The rules shall require an articulation agreement between institutions to include all of the following:
   1. The development of a transfer module for teacher education that includes introductory level courses that are evaluated as appropriate by faculty employed by the state institutions of higher education that are parties to the articulation agreement;
   2. A foundation of general studies courses that have been identified as part of the transfer module for teacher education and have been evaluated as appropriate for the preparation of teachers and consistent with the academic content standards adopted under section 3301.079 of the Revised Code;
   3. A clear identification of university faculty who are partnered with two year college faculty;
   4. The publication of the articulation agreement that is available to all students, faculty, and staff.

Am. Sub. H.B. No. 66, 126th General Assembly

Amended by 131st General Assembly, H.B. No. 64

3333.162 - Criteria, policies, and procedures for transfer of technical courses completed through a career-technical education institution.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3333.162(link sends e-mail)  

1. As used in this section, "state institution of higher education" means an institution of higher education as defined in section 3345.12(link sends e-mail) of the Revised Code.
2. By April 15, 2007, the chancellor of higher education, in consultation with the department of education, public adult and secondary career-technical education institutions, and state institutions of higher education, shall establish criteria, policies, and procedures that enable students to transfer agreed upon technical courses completed through an adult career-technical education institution, a public secondary career-technical institution, or a state institution of higher education to a state institution of higher education without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers. The courses to which the criteria, policies, and procedures apply shall be those that adhere to recognized industry standards and equivalent coursework common to the secondary career pathway and adult career-technical education system and institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor state institutions of higher education. Where applicable, the policies and procedures shall build upon the articulation agreement and transfer initiative course equivalency system required by section 3333.16(link sends e-mail) of the Revised Code.

Am. Sub. S.B. No. 311, 126th General Assembly

Amended by 131st General Assembly, H.B. No. 64

3333.163 - Standards for college credit based on advanced placement test scores. 

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3333.163

1. As used in this section, "state institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
2. Not later than April 15, 2008, the articulation and transfer advisory council of the chancellor of higher education shall recommend to the chancellor standards for awarding course credit toward degree requirements at state institutions of higher education based on scores attained on advanced placement examinations. The recommended standards shall include a score on each advanced placement examination that the council considers to be a passing score for which course credit may be awarded. Upon adoption of the standards by the chancellor, each state institution of higher education shall comply with the standards in awarding course credit to any student enrolled in the institution who has attained a passing score on an advanced placement examination.

Executive Order 2013-05K - In June of 2013, Governor John R. Kasich signed Executive Order 2013-05K to support Ohio’s veterans by streamlining the processes for licensing and certification and for awarding of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework. The order required the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education to investigate the current practices of awarding college credit for military training, experience, and coursework by public institutions of higher education in Ohio.

http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Portals/0/Executive%20Order%202013-05K.pdf

Am. Sub. H.B. No. 488, 130th General Assembly

Amended by 131st General Assembly, H.B. No. 64

3333.164 - Establishment of baseline standards and procedures for public institutions of higher education to use in the granting of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3333.164

1. As used in this section, "state institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
2. Not later than December 31, 2014, the chancellor of higher education shall do all of the following with regard to the awarding of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework:
   1. Develop a set of standards and procedures for state institutions of higher education to utilize in the granting of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework;
   2. Create a military articulation and transfer assurance guide for college credit that is earned through military training, experience, and coursework. The chancellor shall use the current articulation and transfer policy adopted pursuant to section 3333.16 of the Revised Code as a model in developing this guide.
   3. Create a web site that contains information related to the awarding of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework. The web site shall include both of the following:
      1. Standardized resources that address frequently asked questions regarding the awarding of such credit and related issues;
      2.  A statewide database that shows how specified military training, experience, and coursework translates to college credit.
   4. Develop a statewide training program that prepares faculty and staff of state institutions of higher education to evaluate various military training, experience, and coursework and to award appropriate equivalent credit. The training program shall incorporate the best practices of awarding credit for military experiences, including both the recommendations of the American council on education and the standards developed by the council for adult and experiential learning.
3. Beginning on July 1, 2015, state institutions of higher education shall ensure that appropriate equivalent credit is awarded for military training, experience, and coursework that meet the standards developed by the chancellor pursuant to this section.

Am. Sub. H.B. No. 488, 130th General Assembly

3345.42 - Definitions for service member and veteran.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3345.42

As used in sections 3345.421, 3345.422, 3345.423, and 3345.424 of the Revised Code:

"Service member" means a person who is serving in the armed forces of the United States.

"Veteran" means any person who has completed service in the armed forces, including the national guard of any state or a reserve component of the armed forces, and who has been discharged under honorable conditions from the armed forces or who has been transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service.

Am. Sub. H.B. No. 488, 130th General Assembly

Amended by 131st General Assembly, H.B. No. 64

3345.421 - Assistance and support to veterans and service members by institutions of higher education.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3345.421

Not later than December 31, 2014, the board of trustees of each state institution of higher education, as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, shall do all of the following:

1. Designate at least one person employed by the institution to serve as the contact person for veterans and service member affairs. Such a person shall assist and advise veterans and service members on issues related to earning college credit for military training, experience, and coursework.
2. Adopt a policy regarding the support and assistance the institution will provide to veterans and service members.
3. Allow for the establishment of a student-led group on campus for student service members and veterans and encourage other service member- and veteran-friendly organizations.
4. Integrate existing career services to create and encourage meaningful collaborative relationships between student service members and veterans and alumni of the institution, that links student service members and veterans with prospective employers, and that provides student service members and veterans with social opportunities; and, if the institution has career services programs, encourage the responsible office to seek and promote partnership opportunities for internships and employment of student service members and veterans with state, local, national, and international employers.
5. Survey student service members and veterans to identify their needs and challenges and make the survey available to faculty and staff at the state institution of higher education. And periodically conduct follow-up surveys, at a frequency determined by the board, to gauge the institution's progress toward meeting identified needs and challenges.

The chancellor of higher education shall provide guidance to state institutions of higher education in their compliance with this section, including the recommendation of standardized policies on support and assistance to veterans and service members.

The person or persons designated under division (A) of this section shall not be a person currently designated by the institution as a veterans administration certifying official.

 Am. Sub. H.B. No. 488, 130th General Assembly

3345.423 - Appeals process for resolution of disputes over credit for military experience.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/Search/3345.423

Not later than December 31, 2014, the board of trustees or managing authority of each state institution of higher education, as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, shall establish an appeals procedure for students who are veterans or service members for resolving disputes regarding the awarding of college credit for military experience.

Am. Sub. H. B. No. 59, 130th General Assembly; Section 363.120; Ohio's FY 2014-2015 biennium budget; appropriation item 235444

Not later than June 30, 2014, the Chancellor of the Department of Higher Education shall establish a One-Year Option credit articulation system in which graduates of Ohio Technical Centers who complete a 900-hour program of study and obtain an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor shall receive 30 college technical credit hours toward a technical degree upon enrollment in an institution of higher education. Reference link: Legislation

H.B. No. 64, 131th General Assembly

3333.165 – Requires the Chancellor to submit an annual report of specified transfer statistics.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3333.165

1. At the end of each academic year, the chancellor of higher education shall develop and release a report that includes all of the following information:
   1. The total number of courses that were successfully transferred to state institutions of higher education under sections 3333.16 to 3333.164 of the Revised Code, during the most recent academic year for which data is available;
   2. The total number of courses that were not accepted for transfer at state institutions of higher education under sections 3333.16 to 3333.164 of the Revised Code, during the most recent academic year for which data is available;
   3. The number of students who earned an associate degree at a community college, a state community college, or a university branch that was successfully transferred to a state university under sections 3333.16 to 3333.164 of the Revised Code.
2. As used in this section, "state institution of higher education" and "state university" have the same meanings as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

H.B. No. 64, 131th General Assembly

3345.38 - Requires awarding undergraduate course credit for completion of the international baccalaureate diploma.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3345.38

1. The board of trustees of each state institution of higher education shall adopt and implement a policy to grant undergraduate course credit to a student who has successfully completed an international baccalaureate diploma program.
2. The policy adopted by each institution under this section shall do all of the following:
   1. Establish conditions for granting course credit, including the minimum scores required on examinations constituting the international baccalaureate diploma program in order to receive credit;
   2. Identify specific course credit or other academic requirements of the institution, including the number of credit hours or other course credit that the institution will grant to a student who completes the diploma program.
3. As used in this section:
   1. "State institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
   2. "International baccalaureate diploma program" means the curriculum and examinations leading to an international baccalaureate diploma awarded by the international baccalaureate organization.

Appendix B: Commission on Articulation and Transfer Guiding Objectives

The Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education appointed a 21-member Commission representative of public colleges and universities to work with the Chancellor’s staff to address the critical issues that limit credit transfer. The Commission’s draft action recommendations, contained in “The Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy” which was adopted in November 1990, were grounded in three Guiding Objectives:

1. Transfer and native students should be assured equitable consideration and treatment by each college and university.
2. Students who began their collegiate studies at a community college or university regional campus should be encouraged to complete an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree before transferring to a baccalaureate institution.
3. Institutional autonomy and integrity for the General Education program at each college and university should be assured.

Appendix C: Defining the 70% Standard in Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) Learning Outcomes

As a standard, the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council established the benchmark of 70% commonality for the learning outcomes listed for each major course in each Transfer Assurance Guide. Seventy percent commonality is determined in the following manner: The sending institution’s course(s) must meet or exceed 70% of the content for the learning outcomes identified for each TAG course. Course(s) would then transfer and apply toward the degree at the receiving institution in the same manner as the equivalent course taken by a native student in the same program.

The learning outcomes are not intended to reflect minimum expectations. The learning outcomes reflect the content necessary to ensure students have the knowledge and skill to be successful in subsequent courses and guarantee the comparability of courses across institutions. 

There are some exceptions to the 70% standard:

1. Certain learning outcomes have been designated as “essential” by the faculty panel responsible for drafting a particular TAG. These essential learning outcomes must be included in the framework of the sending institution’s course. Otherwise, it is not considered equivalent and is not guaranteed to apply.
2. Courses which have a limited number of learning outcomes (three or fewer) must include all those listed in order to be considered equivalent and included in that institution’s TAG.
3. Accreditation, regulatory and/or licensing bodies mandate that all outcomes be taught. Within the Education-Professional Education Module, for example, 100% of the identified learning outcomes must be taught. Additional outcomes may be included, but none listed can be deleted in order to ensure that all students are consistently prepared according to accreditation and/or licensing standards.

Review of the TAGs

It is important to note that transfer students are expected to meet any institutional degree requirements required of a native student. These may include, but are not limited to:  minimum grade-point average, residency requirements, minimum grades in specific courses, performance requirements (e.g., dance, music), and other requirements of native students from the same institutions. 

Beginning in the Fall of 2005, expanded faculty subcommittees have been reviewing courses submitted by the various campuses in each of the TAGs. These faculty subcommittees review the course outcomes provided by the sending institution and determine if the course(s) meet(s) the 70% standard. 

Policy approved by the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council – January 5, 2006.

Appendix D: Directive for the Establishment of the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network

• Directive 2010-045 (December 6, 2010)

Appendix E: Transfer of Courses with a Passing Grade Policy

As of Fall 2005, Ohio public institutions of higher education are to accept and apply all transfer coursework with a letter grade of D or higher as the institution would for a native student under the business rules and academic policies of the receiving institution. These business rules and policies may include, but are not limited to, such areas as effective course dates, age of coursework, requirements of a particular major or program, and eligibility.

Points of Clarification:

1. This policy was adopted to ensure the equitable treatment of transfer students with native students across Ohio's public institutions of higher education.
2. Public colleges and universities which offer D as the lowest passing grade are required to accept all college-level courses with a grade of D or higher.  Institutions which offer D- (minus) as the lowest passing grade are required to accept all college-level courses with a grade of D- or higher. It should be noted that this point applies to other clarifications below that refer to grades of D/D- (minus).
3. Public colleges and universities shall establish policies which honor the acceptance and award of transfer credit for D/D- graded courses completed in or after Autumn 2005. Institutions may choose to be more lenient in the application of this policy and accept D/ D- (minus) graded courses completed prior to Autumn 2005 (See also clarification 2).
4. While public institutions are required by this policy to accept D/D- (minus) graded courses only from other Ohio public colleges and universities, they have the option to extend their policy to accept such coursework from other institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditors institutions.
5. To provide equitable treatment, the requirements to accept courses graded D/D- shall apply equally to transfer students and to continuing students who completed coursework elsewhere in or after Autumn 2005 (e.g., a continuing student at university X who takes a course at college Y, while away on an internship/vacation, would be eligible to transfer that work back to university X if he/she earned a grade of D/D- [minus] or higher in the course) (See also clarification 2).
6. The 1990 Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy section which requires the acceptance of all college-level courses that students have passed (D/D- [minus] remains in effect for all students with an earned Associate of Arts (AA)/Associate of Science (AS) degree) (See also clarification 2).
7. The 1990 Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy section required that individual courses completed subsequent to the award of an AA/AS degree needed to have a grade of C or higher to be accepted and awarded credit. This portion of the policy has been modified to be consistent with the acceptance of credit at the D/D- (minus) level or higher when completed in or after Autumn 2005 (See also clarification 2).
8. The 1990 Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy required that students without an AA/AS degree needed to have a C or higher in each class used to complete their Ohio Transfer 36. This portion of the policy has been modified to require a D/D- (minus) or better grade for courses completed in or after Autumn 2005 (See also clarification 2).
9. This policy does not override institutional admission standards and/or requirements of entrance into a specific academic program (For example, should a receiving institution require native students to earn a grade of C or higher for a specific course in a major, transfer students must meet the same requirement. The D/D- [minus] course would be accepted for transfer credit, but it would not be applied to the specific course in the major) (See also clarification 2).
10. Consistent with the spirit of the policy and clarification 2, there is no universal minimum grade or quality points for the acceptance of credit, and thresholds for this are set by institutional grading policy at the D or D- (minus) level.

Policy approved by the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council - February 17, 2005

Further clarifications provided by the Oversight Committee of the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council - May 27, 2005 and December 8, 2005

Appendix F: Catalog Statement

Institutional Transfer

The Ohio Department of Higher Education in 1990, following a directive of the 118^th Ohio General Assembly, developed the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy to facilitate students' ability to transfer credits from one Ohio public college or university to another in order to avoid duplication of course requirements. A subsequent policy review and recommendations produced by the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council in 2004, together with mandates from the 125^th Ohio General Assembly in the form of Amended Substitute House Bill 95, have prompted improvements of the original policy. Additional legislation from the 125^th Ohio General Assembly also initiated the development of a statewide system for articulation agreements among state institutions of higher education for transfer students pursuing teacher education programs.

Action by the 126^th Ohio General Assembly led to the establishment of criteria, policies, and procedures for the transfer of technical courses completed through a career-technical education institution; and standards for the awarding of college credit based on Advanced Placement (AP) test scores.

Legislation from the 130^th Ohio General Assembly required public institutions of higher education to: use baseline standards and procedures in the granting of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework; establish an appeals process for resolving disputes over the awarding of credit for military experience; provide specific assistance and support to veterans and service members; adopt a common definition of a service member and veteran; and establish a credit articulation system in which adult graduates of public career-technical institutions who complete a 900 clock-hour program of study and obtain an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor shall receive 30 college technical credit hours toward a technical degree upon enrollment.

While all public colleges and universities are required to follow the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, independent (private) colleges and universities in Ohio may or may not participate in the Transfer Policy.  Therefore, students interested in transferring to independent institutions are encouraged to check with the college or university of their choice regarding transfer agreements. Though some Ohio independent institutions follow articulation and transfer initiatives, without faculty review, courses are not guaranteed to transfer as equivalent. However, student mobility is evident in the state of Ohio and thus Public institutions are free and encouraged to enter articulation agreements with Ohio independent institutions as referenced in the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) policy book. In support of improved articulation and transfer processes, the Ohio Department of Higher Education has established an articulation and transfer clearinghouse to receive, annotate, and convey transcripts among public colleges and universities. This system is designed to provide standardized information and help colleges and universities reduce undesirable variability in the transfer credit evaluation process.

Acceptance of Transfer and Articulated Credit

To recognize courses appropriately and provide equity in the treatment of incoming transfer students and students native to the receiving institution, transfer credit will be accepted for all successfully completed college-level courses completed in or after Fall 2005 from Ohio public institutions of higher education. Students who successfully completed Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degrees prior to Fall 2005 with a 2.0 or better overall grade-point average would also receive credit for all college-level courses they have passed. While this reflects the baseline policy requirement, individual institutions may set equitable institutional policies that are more accepting.

Pass/Fail courses, credit-by-examination credits, experiential learning courses, and other non-traditional credit courses that meet these conditions will also be accepted and posted to the student record.

Application of Transfer and Articulated Credit

Application of credit is the decision process performed by the receiving institution to determine how the credits it has accepted and recorded on the student's official academic transcript will or will not apply toward program and degree requirements. While the receiving institution makes this decision, it will do so within the parameters of this Policy.

The following guidelines and requirements shall govern the application of transfer and articulated credit:

Ohio Transfer 36 (formerly the Ohio Transfer Module (OTM))

The Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Articulation and Transfer Policy established the Ohio Transfer 36, which may be a subset or the entire set of a public higher education institution’s general education curriculum in Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) and baccalaureate degree programs. Students in applied associate degree programs may complete some individual Ohio Transfer 36 courses within their degree program or continue beyond the degree program to complete the entire Ohio Transfer 36. The Ohio Transfer 36 contains 36-40 semester of course credit in English composition (minimum of 3 semester); mathematics, statistics and logic (minimum of 3 semester); arts and humanities (minimum of 6 semester); social and behavioral sciences (minimum of 6 semester); and natural sciences (minimum of 6 semester). Oral communication, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and interdisciplinary areas may be included as additional options.  Additional elective hours from among these areas make up the total hours for a completed Ohio Transfer 36. Courses for the Ohio Transfer 36 should be 100- and 200-level general education courses commonly completed in the first two years of a student’s course of study. Each public university and technical and community college is required to establish and maintain an approved Ohio Transfer 36.

Ohio Transfer 36 course(s) or the full module completed at one college or university will automatically meet the requirements of individual Ohio Transfer 36 course(s) or the full Ohio Transfer 36 at another college or university once the student is admitted.  Students may be required, however, to meet additional general education requirements at the institution to which they transfer. For example, a student who completes the Ohio Transfer 36 at Institution S (sending institution) and then transfers to Institution R (receiving institution) is said to have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 portion of Institution R's general education program. Institution R, however, may have general education courses that go beyond its Ohio Transfer 36. State policy initially required that all courses in the Ohio Transfer 36 be completed to receive its benefit in transfer. However, subsequent policy revisions have extended this benefit to the completion of individual Ohio Transfer 36 courses on a course-by-course basis.

Transfer Assurance Guides

Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) courses are pre-major/beginning major courses that have been identified as common requirements across public bachelor's degree programs. They are guaranteed to transfer and apply to specific TAG-related degree/program requirements as equivalent courses. 

TAGs identify common major course work that is guaranteed to transfer. Students may elect to complete the full TAG or any subset of courses from the TAG. Because of specific major requirements, early identification of a student's intended major is encouraged.  

Career-Technical Assurance Guides

Collaboration among the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio Department of Education, and other key stakeholders led to the development of policies and procedures to create statewide career-technical discipline specific articulation agreements and further ensure that students completing coursework at an adult or secondary career-technical institution can articulate and transfer agreed-upon technical courses/programs to any Ohio public institution of higher education and among Ohio public institutions of higher education "without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers." 

Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs) are statewide articulation agreements that guarantee the recognition of learning which occurs at public adult and secondary career-technical institutions and have the opportunity for the award of college credit toward technical courses/programs at any public higher education institution. CTAGs serve as advising tools, identifying the statewide content guarantee and describing other conditions or obligations (e.g., program accreditation or industry credential) associated with the guarantee.

Military Transfer Assurance Guides

In response to the legislative requirement (Ohio Revised Code 3333.164) to create a military articulation and transfer assurance guide for college-level learning that took place through military training, experience, and coursework, college credit will be granted to students with military training, experience, and/or coursework that is recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) or a institutional accreditor that was formerly a regional accreditor military institution, such as Community College of the Air Force

In order to streamline the awarding, transferability, and applicability of college credit, service members and veterans are guaranteed to earn certain types of credit(s) or course(s) as specified in the Military Transfer Assurance Guides (MTAGs), which are based on the endorsed baseline standards and procedures by the Chancellor. Equivalent course(s), credits for courses, or block of credit is to be awarded and applied towards general education and/or major course requirements at the receiving institution in accordance with the MTAG guarantee. There is some training, experience, and coursework that the receiving institution may be able to award college credit only toward general or free electives.

In addition, public institutions of higher education shall ensure that appropriate equivalent credit is awarded for military training, experience, and coursework that meet the baseline standards and procedures according to the Ohio Revised Code 3333.164. This requirement goes beyond credit/course awarded based on the MTAG alignment process.

Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways 

The Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways (OGTPs) are designed to provide a clear path for students pursuing an associate degree at Ohio community colleges who plan to transfer to an Ohio public university to complete a bachelor's degree in an equivalent field. The OGTPs constitute an agreement between public community colleges and universities confirming that community college courses meet major preparation requirements and will be counted and applied toward the bachelor's degree. Students still must meet all university program admission requirements. 

A student who complete all of the coursework within a mjor-specific Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathway (OGTP) will be eligible to earn an associate degree from an Ohio public community college. Successful completion of the OGTP will be recorded on the student's transcript, and upon transfer to an Ohio public university, the student should recieve junior standing and all coursework taken as part of the pathway will transfer to the university toward the completion of a bachelor's degree in an equivalent field. OGTP builds upon the existing statewide credit transfer guarantees including the Ohio Transfer 36, Transfer Assurance Guides, Military Transfer Assurance Guides, and Career-Technical Assurance Guides. OGTPs can be found on the Ohio Department of Higher Education's website at https://www.ohiohighered.org/OGTP. 

Apprenticeship Pathway Programs

The Apprenticeship Pathways initiative advocates for individuals completing apprenticeships by incorporating their learning into academic credit, thereby saving them time and money and encouraging them to advance their academic credentials to contribute to a strong, educated workforce.

Ohio apprenticeship programs partner with public two-year institutions to provide technology-specific statewide articulation agreements that recognize non-traditional prior learning. College credit is awarded toward a technical associate degree. Each agreement simplifies student advising by outlining how apprenticeship training in a certain pathway applies to an applied associate degree and lists remaining courses required to complete the degree. The application of the credit toward a technical associate degree in these agreements is guaranteed at the participating receiving institutions.

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

The State of Ohio, working with public institutions of higher education, has initiated policies to facilitate the ease of transition from high school to college, as well as between and among Ohio’s public colleges and universities.

Beginning in the Fall term 2009:

1. Students obtaining an Advanced Placement (AP) exam score of 3 or above will be awarded the aligned course(s) and credits for the AP exam area(s) successfully completed.
2. General Education courses and credits received will be applied towards graduation and will satisfy a general education requirement if the course(s) to which the AP area is equivalent fulfill(s) a requirement.
3. If an equivalent course is not available for the AP exam area completed, elective or area credit will be awarded in the appropriate academic discipline and will be applied towards graduation where such elective credit options exist within the academic major.
4. Additional courses or credits may be available when a score of 4 or 5 is obtained. Award of credit for higher score values varies depending on the institution and academic discipline.

In academic disciplines containing highly dependent sequences (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM) students are strongly advised to confer with the college/university advising staff to ensure they have the appropriate foundation to be successful in advanced coursework within the sequence.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The State of Ohio, working with public institutions of higher education and statewide faculty panels, has developed policies to recognize students’ prior learning and to facilitate the articulation and guaranteed transfer of such learning between Ohio’s public colleges and universities.

College credit is guaranteed for students who achieve an established College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) test score for exams that have been endorsed statewide as college level.  Statewide faculty panels aligned CLEP exams to equivalent Ohio Transfer 36 and Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) courses, as appropriate.  If an equivalent course is not available for the CLEP exam area, by default, endorsed elective or area credit will still be awarded and applied towards graduation.

Specific endorsed alignments and scores for individual CLEP exams that are outlined in the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Endorsed Alignment Policies document are available on the Ohio Department of Higher Education website at https://www.ohiohighered.org/transfer/clep.

One-Year Option Credit Award

The One-Year Option builds upon Ohio’s articulation and transfer system to help more adults accelerate their preparation for work by earning a technical associate degree. Consistent with the philosophy of the Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs), the One-Year Option guarantees that college credit will be awarded for college-level learning that occurs through adult programs at public career-technical institutions.

Adults who complete a career-technical education program of study consisting of a minimum of 900 clock-hours and achieve an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor shall receive thirty (30) semester hours of technical course credit toward a standardized Associate of Technical Study Degree (ATS) upon matriculation at a public institution of higher education that confers such a degree. The 30 semester hours will be awarded as a block of credit rather than credit for specific courses. Proportional credit is to be awarded toward the ATS degree for adults who complete a program of study between 600 and 899 clock hours and achieved an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor.  

The credit earned through the One-Year Option will be applied to ATS degrees bearing the following standardized degree titles:

1. Associate of Technical Study in Building and Industrial Technology
2. Associate of Technical Study in Business Technology
3. Associate of Technical Study in Health and Allied Health Technology
4. Associate of Technical Study in Information Technology
5. Associate of Technical Study in Services Technology

Conditions for Transfer Admission

1. Graduates who are considered transfer students under the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) definition with associate degrees from  Ohio’s public institutions of higher education and a completed, approved Ohio Transfer 36 shall be admitted to a public institution of higher education in Ohio, provided their cumulative grade-point average is at least 2.0 for all previous college-level courses and and other institutional admission criteria, such as space availability, adherence to deadlines, payment of fees, and grade-point average that are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students, have also been satisfied. Further, these students shall have admission priority over graduates with an out-of-state associate degree and other transfer students with transferable and/or articulated college credit.
2. Associate degree holders who are considered transfer students under the IPEDS definition and have not completed the Ohio Transfer 36 from an Ohio public institution of higher education will be eligible for preferential consideration for admission as transfer students as long as the institution’s admission criteria, such as the minimum academic standards, space availability, adherence to deadlines, and payment of fees, are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students.
3. In order to encourage completion of the baccalaureate degree, students who are not enrolled in or who have not earned an degree but have earned 60 semester/90 quarter hours or more of credit toward a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative grade-point average of at least a 2.0 for all previous college-level courses will be eligible for preferential consideration for admission as transfer studentsas long as the institution’s admission criteria, such as the minimum academic standards, space availability, adherence to deadlines, and payment of fees, are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students.
4. Students who have not earned an associate degree or who have not earned 60 semester/90 quarter hours of credit with a grade-point average of at least a 2.0 for all previous college-level courses will be eligible for admission as transfer students on a competitive basis.
5. Incoming transfer students admitted to a college or university shall compete for admission to selective programs, majors, and units on an equal basis with students native to the receiving institution.

The admission of transfer students by an institution, however, does not guarantee admission to any majors, minors, or fields of concentration at the institution. Some programs have additional academic and non-academic requirements beyond those for general admission to the institution (e.g., background check, a grade-point average higher than a 2.0, or a grade-point average higher than the average required for admission to the institution). Once admitted, transfer students shall be subject to the same regulations governing applicability of catalog requirements as native students. Furthermore, transfer students shall be accorded the same class standing and other privileges as native students on the basis of the number of credits earned. All residency requirements must be completed at the receiving institution.

Responsibilities of Students

To maximize transfer credit application, prospective transfer students must take responsibility for planning their course of study to meet both the academic and non-academic requirements of the institution to which they desire to articulate or transfer credit as early as possible. The student is responsible to investigate and use the information, advising, and other available resources to develop such a plan. Students should actively seek program, degree, and transfer information; meet with an advisor from both the current and receiving institutions to assist them in preparing a course of study that meets the academic requirements for the program/degree to which they plan to transfer; use the various electronic course/program transfer and applicability database systems, including  Ohio Transfer to Degree Guarantee web resources; and select courses/programs at their current institution that satisfy requirements at the receiving institution to maximize the application of transfer credit. Specifically, students should identify early in their collegiate studies an institution and major to which they desire to transfer. Furthermore, students should determine if there are foreign language requirements or any special course requirements that can be met during the freshman or sophomore year. This will enable students to plan and pursue a course of study that will better articulate with the receiving institution's major.

Appeals Process

Following the evaluation of a student transcript from another institution, the receiving college institution will provide the student with a Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability (Degree Audit Report). A student disagreeing with the application of transfer and/or articulated credit by the receiving institution must file his/her appeal in writing within ninety (90) days of receipt of the Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability. The institution shall respond to the appeal within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the appeal at each appeal level.

Student Complaints Following Transfer Appeals at the Receiving Institution

After a student exhausts the appeals process at the receiving institution and chooses to pursue further action, the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) responds to formal written complaints related to Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy against public, independent non-profit, and proprietary institutions of higher education in Ohio. While the ODHE has limited authority over colleges and universities and cannot offer legal advice or initiate civil court cases, staff will review written complaints submitted through its established process and work with student complainants and institutions.

Appendix G: Institutional Accreditors that Were Formerly Regional Accreditor Agencies for Higher Education Institutions

REGIONAL ACCREDITING AGENCIES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The following institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditors and national accrediting agencies are recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as reliable authorities concerning the quality of education or training offered by the institutions of higher education or higher education programs they accredit.

Unless otherwise noted in a Title IV note after the agency’s name, accreditation by an agency listed below may be used by an institution accredited by the agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. Since December 1999, the Department has been routinely including distance education (defined at the time to include correspondence education) in its in-depth review of all agencies seeking initial or continued recognition. Consequently, all recognition decisions made after December 1, 1999 and prior to July 2010 include a determination as to whether an agency’s scope of recognition includes the accreditation of distance education.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) (doing business as Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education)

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation ("Candidacy status") of institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including distance and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions.

Tel. (267) 284-5000, Fax (215) 662-5501
E-mail address: info@msche.org
Web address: www.msche.org

New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE)

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation ("Candidacy status") of institutions of higher education in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont that award bachelor’s, master’s, and/or doctoral degrees and associate degree-granting institutions in those states that include degrees in liberal arts or general studies among their offerings, including the accreditation of programs offered via distance education within these institutions.

Tel. (781) 425-7700, Fax (781) 425-1001
E-mail address: cihe@neasc.org

Web address: https://cihe.neasc.org

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation ("Candidate for Accreditation") of degree-granting institutions of higher education in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, including the tribal institutions and the accreditation of programs offered via distance education and correspondence education within these institutions. This recognition extends to the Institutional Actions Council jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission for decisions on cases for continued accreditation or reaffirmation, and continued candidacy, and to the Appeals Body jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission for decisions related to initial candidacy or accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation.

Tel. (312) 263-0456, (800) 621-7440, Fax (312) 263-7462
E-mail address: inquiry@hlcommission.org(link sends e-mail)
Web address: www.hlcommission.org(link sends e-mail)  

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities  (NWCCU)

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation (“Candidacy status”) of postsecondary degree-granting educational institutions in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington and the accreditation of programs offered via distance education within these institutions.

Tel. (425) 558-4224, Fax (425) 376-0596

Web address: www.nwccu.org(link sends e-mail)

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation (“Candidate for Accreditation”) of degree-granting institutions of higher education in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, including the accreditation of programs offered via distance and correspondence education within these institutions. This recognition extends to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees and the Appeals Committee of the College Delegate Assembly on cases of initial candidacy or initial accreditation and for continued accreditation or candidacy.

Tel. (404) 679-4512, Fax (404) 994-6592
E-mail address: mailto:questions@sacscoc.org(link sends e-mail)
Web address: www.sacscoc.org(link sends e-mail)

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC-WASC)

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation ("Candidate for Accreditation") of community and other colleges with a primarily pre-baccalaureate mission located in California, Hawaii, the United States territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The institutions offer certificates, associate degrees, and the first baccalaureate degree by means of a substantive change review offered by institutions that are already accredited by the agency, and such programs offered via distance education and correspondence education at these colleges. This recognition also extends to the Committee on Substantive Change of the Commission, for decisions on substantive changes, and the Appeals Panel.

Tel. (415) 506-0234, Fax (415) 506-0238
E-mail address: accjc@accjc.org
Web address: www.accjc.org

Western Association of Schools and Colleges, The Senior Colleges and University Commission

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation ("Candidate for Accreditation") of senior colleges and universities in California, Hawaii, the United States territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, including distance education programs offered at those institutions.

Tel. (510) 748-9001, Fax (510) 748-9797
E-mail address: wasc@wascsenior.org
Web address: www.wascsenior.org

Appendix H: Directive for the Bilateral Articulation Agreements with Secondary Career-Technical Institutions: Principles and Guidelines

• Directive 2012-015 (May 11, 2012)

RE: BILATERAL ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS WITH SECONDARY CAREER-TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS: PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES

The Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents and the University System of Ohio are committed to providing the citizens of Ohio with opportunities to achieve their highest level of academic attainment, as well as saving time and money. As a cornerstone of the University System of Ohio, the Chancellor directs a guaranteed credit transfer system that provides all citizens with a clear pathway for gaining the skills and education necessary to remain and become productive participants in today's knowledge economy. To further this strategy, the Chancellor created the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network and tasked it with creating a system where students are able to know in advance the courses and programs guaranteed to transfer from one University System of Ohio institution to another, with the goal of ensuring that those courses apply to the students' attainment of their degrees.

In 2005, pursuant to section 3333.162 of the Ohio Revised Code, the Ohio Board of Regents began working on a clear pathway to transfer credit for many courses and programs throughout the entire spectrum of Ohio higher education institutions and providers. The Ohio Board of Regents has been working with the Ohio Department of Education, public adult and secondary career-technical education institutions, and state institutions of higher education on establishing criteria, policies, and procedures that enable students to transfer agreed-upon technical courses/programs completed through an adult career-technical education institution, a public secondary career-technical institution, or a state institution of higher education to a state institution of higher education without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers. In order to create a guaranteed credit transfer system in career-technical education fields, those policies, criteria, and procedures utilize recognized industry standards and equivalent coursework common to the secondary career pathway, adult career-technical education system, and institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor state institutions of higher education. Where applicable, the policies and procedures are also built upon the articulation agreement and transfer initiative course equivalency system required by section 3333.16 of the Ohio Revised Code.

In 2011, the Ohio Board of Regents, in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education, established the Secondary Career-Technical Alignment Initiative (SCTAI) to accelerate the effort of statewide and local alignment of programs/courses between secondary career-technical programs of study and coursework at the postsecondary level. The SCTAI continues the implementation of section 3333.162 of the Ohio Revised Code with an emphasis on credit transfer between secondary career-technical and public higher education institutions. With the goal of helping Ohioans obtain their highest levels of academic attainment, the specific objectives for SCTAI include: (1) the development of statewide Secondary Career-Technical articulation and transfer agreements and (2) the establishment of statewide guidelines for bilateral agreements. While the Ohio Board of Regents will strive to develop as many statewide articulation agreements and clear pathways as possible, there will be some secondary career-technical program areas where bilateral (local) agreements will still play a critical role. Thus, to meet the requirements of section 3333.16 of the Ohio Revised Code and to ensure that Ohio's higher education system utilizes exemplary bilateral agreements that maintain the standards and consistency among bilateral agreements statewide, the Chancellor hereby issues the following Principles and Guidelines for Bilateral Articulation Agreements with Secondary Career-Technical Institutions.

The Principles and Guidelines for Bilateral Articulation Agreements with Secondary Career-Technical Institutions for the University System of Ohio

Bilateral Agreements shall accomplish all of the following:

Overarching Goal: To help all Ohio students attain their highest levels of academic achievement through awarding full credit for equivalent academic experiences.

Student Needs and Progression Toward Degree Attainment
 

1.   Guarantee for students that credits earned for secondary career-technical programs are in alignment with college programs and applied in an appropriate, meaningful manner by the degree granting institution.

• Meaningful credit provides students, to the fullest extent possible, with credits that apply toward certificate or degree completion requirements.
• Students earn appropriate and equivalent credit for comparable learning experiences.

2.   Address the needs of matriculating and future transfer students with the inclusion of a plan for appropriate academic and career planning and advisement.

• Partner organizations shall determine who will provide support to the students, the methods of support to be used, and when the support will be provided, until the highest level of academic achievement is attained.
• The academic and career planning advisement document must indicate potential paths students may take and the credit they will receive.
• Periodic surveys of student experiences are required to assure that student needs are being met.

3.   Pursue a goal of becoming an exemplary model for a statewide agreement that rewards the maximum amount of credit for students, when appropriate.

• Based on funding, a database will be created and maintained of all career-technical bilateral agreements in the state by the Ohio Board of Regents using data reported by the institutional partners.
• Widespread applicability of credit in bilateral agreements beyond the local region will be considered by the Ohio Board of Regents, if it is known that other institutions in the state have similar programs.
• Exemplary bilateral agreements that may apply to other institutions in the state will be used as models for the creation of future statewide agreements.

Clear Communication

4.   Guide institutions in the dissemination of information that is clear and easily understood by students, parents, advisors, educators and other constituents.

• Partner organizations will clearly communicate information to various constituents using a variety of media (e.g., face-to-face, e-mail, mass media, print, and web sites).
• Partner organizations will evaluate the methods of communication used for the various target audiences to determine effectiveness and take appropriate action based upon results.

5.  Communicate opportunities and limitations clearly with incoming students, parents, advisors, educators and other constituents.

• Students and all concerned constituents will receive accurate information about expectations for future credit transfer.
• Students and all concerned constituents will be informed about relevant institutional admissions standards.

System Collaboration

1. Promote collaboration amongst institutional partners to effectively seek and share information.

• Processes to effectively share information shall be established and regularly evaluated by all partner organizations.
• Key contacts will be identified in alignment with the structure of partner organizations.

2. Represent collaborative efforts through demonstrating adherence to the standards, requirements, and regulations of the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents.

• Consider trends from business and industry with a goal of economic advancement for Ohioans.
• Use an equivalency process that guarantees the integrity of the alignment process.
• All agreements must follow the regulations in the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy and other guidelines published by the Ohio Board of Regents.
• Since TAG, Ohio Transfer 36, and CTAG courses have statewide agreements, they can be part of a bilateral agreement only when taught through dual enrollment.
• Example: Since accounting is a TAG course, a bilateral agreement for the Financial Services pathway could not include that accounting course unless it is to be a dual enrollment course.
   

3. Include a schedule for periodic evaluation to assure that student success is optimal, programs and processes are functioning effectively, and the agreement is operating in the best interest of partner organizations.

• Student progress must be reviewed to assure that the bilateral agreement is functioning optimally and promoting student success.
• A schedule for regular evaluations of programs and processes will be developed to determine if the bilateral agreement can be adjusted to operate more efficiently for everyone involved. 

9. Conform to all applicable state, regional and national requirements.

• Regulations from the Higher Learning Commission concerning accreditation will be followed.
• Regulations from the State and outside industry regarding technical content will be followed.

Higher Education Alignment

10. Be approved/endorsed by the Provost/Chief Academic Affairs Office following the institution's bilateral agreement development process.

At the recommendation of the staff of the Ohio Board of Regents, and based upon their collaboration on these issues with the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board, University System of Ohio two and four-year chief academic officers and provosts, and the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Advisory Council, I hereby adopt these Principles and Guidelines for Bilateral Articulation Agreements with Secondary Career-Technical Institutions, and direct that they be used by all University System of Ohio institutions.

This Directive having been posted for public comment, and any such comment having been given due consideration, is effective immediately upon signature.

Appendix I: Ohio Transfer 36 (formerly the Ohio Transfer Module (OTM)) Learning Outcomes

The intent of the Ohio Transfer 36 is to help students acquire foundational learning experiences that will assure their ability to achieve success in upper-division coursework and live as productive citizens. The Ohio Transfer 36 may be a subset or the complete set of an institution's general education requirements. General education is defined as: “the set of courses and experiences that provide students with a broad exposure to multiple disciplines within the arts and sciences with the aim of providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the 21^st century.” In Ohio, the general education curriculum includes coursework in oral and written communication, mathematics and data analysis, arts and humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.^[1]

The Ohio Transfer 36 contains 36-40 semesters of course credit with a minimum of 24 semester hours across all five areas: English composition (minimum of 3 semester); mathematics, statistics, and logic (minimum of 3 semester); arts and humanities (minimum of 6 semester); social and behavioral sciences (minimum of 6 semester); and natural sciences (minimum of 6 semester). Oral communication and interdisciplinary areas may be included as additional options. Additional elective hours from among these areas make up the total hours for a completed Ohio Transfer 36. Courses for the Ohio Transfer 36 are lower-division general education courses that provide, among other things, a basic understanding of the modes of inquiry common to the disciplines within each area.

Therefore, the Ohio Transfer 36 is closely aligned with general education programs at public institutions of higher education. The Ohio Transfer 36 respects the unique visions for General Education within and among institutions. Although the specific character of each institution's general education program conveys something distinctive, all of the programs share some general principles in common: They are all designed to provide students not only with a breadth of knowledge, but also to develop foundational skills and abilities to succeed in the 21^st century^[2], including:

• Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world;
• Intellectual and practical skills, including inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, oral and written communication, quantitative literacy, in­formation literacy, teamwork, and problem solving; and
• Personal and social responsibility, including civic knowledge and engage­ment, intercultural knowledge and competence, ethical reasoning and action, and foundations and skills for lifelong learning.

These general learning goals are directly connected to advanced study in a major. No field of study exists in isolation. The breadth of knowledge provided in general education curricula provides necessary context and support for advanced study in a major. Similarly, the skills and abilities are directly used in all majors. For example, the conventions that define proficient writing in an education major and biology major differ; however, the foundational writing skills developed in general education are fundamental to the many different genres of writing found in particular majors.

As such, Ohio Transfer 36 elective courses will serve as "pathway" courses directly connected to advanced study in a major. The combination of specifically required or recommended Ohio Transfer 36 courses, elective major pathway courses, and pre-major/beginning major courses constitute the Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) for an academic major. A TAG serves as a discipline-specific advising tool to assist students and academic advisors who help them, to make course selections that will ensure the applicability of guaranteed pathways across all public institutions of higher education.

Some Ohio Transfer 36 courses are approved for specific Transfer Assurance Guide courses. A course approved by a TAG faculty review panel does not mean the course is automatically approved for the Ohio Transfer 36. TAG and Ohio Transfer 36 use different statewide criteria for different applicability purposes. Therefore, institutions wishing to use an Ohio Transfer 36 course as a TAG course, or vice versa, must submit and have each course reviewed by appropriate statewide faculty review panels.

Common Learning Outcomes for All Courses

The fundamental criterion for considering a course for inclusion in the Ohio Transfer 36 is that the course directly emphasizes at least one of the learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36, as described below. Each public institution should maintain an inventory of courses in its Ohio Transfer 36 that includes a thorough course description, course learning outcomes, and assessment methods linked to each learning outcome. Individual course syllabi should communicate these same learning outcomes and assessments to students.

The aggregate courses in the Ohio Transfer 36 emphasize breadth of knowledge in lower-division coursework that serves as an academic foundation for a liberal education; the learning outcomes for individual courses emphasize foundational skills and abilities (the following five bullets). The idea of "skills and abilities" is to be broadly construed and not represent an exhaustive list. For instance, "creativity" is undoubtedly a valued outcome related to communication, reasoning, inquiry, and so on, but "creativity" is not singled out as a separate outcome. So too, courses in the Ohio Transfer 36 will all help develop students' ability to find and evaluate information, a skill of particular importance in light of technology-based data resources and communication. Neither are the skills and abilities named here intended to focus exclusively on "academic" outcomes; some, like understanding cultural diversity and engaging in a democratic society, are intended to develop particular attitudes, beliefs, motivation, and behavior.

Upon completion of the Ohio Transfer 36, students will be able to:

• Communicate effectively – all general education programs include a component for writing; many also include a component for oral communication or presentation.
• Evaluate arguments in a logical fashion – competence in analysis and logical argument are explicit learning goals for most general education programs, although these skills are known by a variety of names (e.g., critical thinking, analysis, logical thinking, etc.).
• Employ the methods of inquiry characteristic of natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities – the tools for solving problems vary across disciplines; general education introduces students to methods of inquiry in several fields of study and thereby prepares students to integrate information from different disciplines.
• Acquire an understanding of our global and diverse culture and society – many general education programs include a component that introduces students to traditions different from their own and gives them opportunities to work productively with diverse peoples, cultures, and histories.
• Engage in our democratic society – one of the overarching goals of general education is to prepare students to be active and informed citizens; the development of a disposition to participate in and contribute to our democracy is of equal importance to the goal of having the skills to do so intelligently.

Each course in the Ohio Transfer 36 explicitly connects statements of learning outcomes to assessments of student learning. Not only does the assessment of competency in the various learning outcomes provide a bridge between general education and the major area of study, it also provides the foundation for competency-based transfer. One common approach to competency-based transfer is through the development of rubrics.

Taken together, not only do the breadth of knowledge and the learning outcomes listed above prepare students for advanced study in a major or specialized field, but they also equip them with the tools and habits for continued learning throughout life.

Learning Outcomes Specific to English Composition and Certain Mathematics/Statistics Ohio Transfer 36 Courses

Based on the similar concepts to develop the broad knowledge and foundational skills and abilities among citizens of Ohio, some of the Ohio Transfer 36 courses are aligned with specific course learning outcomes. The validation of courses through learning outcomes helps ensure the quality education and sound student competency in specific course areas; thus, students will be able to transfer their knowledge and skills that were expected consistently across Ohio public institutions of higher education and advance to a subsequent course without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers. The first course learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36 that were created by teams of faculty content experts and implemented in 2009 and 2010 include First Writing, Second Writing, College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry, Calculus I, Calculus II, Introductory Statistics, and Business Calculus. Additional Ohio Transfer 36 courses with learning outcomes will be developed with the support from and in collaboration with the public institutions of higher education.

First Writing and Second Writing: The major learning emphasis includes the teaching, practice, and evaluation of expository writing and argumentative writing, although the course(s) may include other components. These writing activities must be reflected in statements of course learning outcomes and evaluation. Transfer students who have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 will not be subjected to a diagnostic placement test at the receiving institution unless one is also required of native students who have completed equivalent coursework.

In order to be considered for First Writing and Second Writing Ohio Transfer 36 courses, each institutional course must meet all of the established learning outcomes. In addition, each set of learning outcomes has recommended credit hours, so that institutions will be able to design, match, and submit courses with a comparable and appropriate amount of credit to fulfill the learning outcomes. 

Use of the Ohio Transfer 36 Guidelines for English Composition was discontinued starting Fall 2012. All English Composition Ohio Transfer 36 courses approved under the guidelines were expired by Summer 2012 and replaced by First or Second Writing only when the course received an approval for either First or Second Writing.

Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic: The major learning emphasis includes the teaching, practice, and evaluation of foundational mathematics, statistics, and logic courses, although the course(s) may include other components. These learning activities must be reflected in statements of course learning outcomes and evaluation. Transfer students who have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 will not be subjected to a diagnostic placement test at the receiving institution (unless one is also required of native students who have completed equivalent coursework).

In order to be considered for any of the Ohio Transfer 36 courses with specific learning outcomes, each institutional course must meet all of the required learning outcomes. In addition, each set of learning outcomes has a typical range of credit hours, so that institutions will be able to design, match, and submit courses that not only serve their unique student skill levels but also provide a general idea of credit based on student learning to fulfill the required learning outcomes.

Guidelines Specific to Each Area   

English Composition

The Ohio Transfer 36 requires at least 3 semester hours of course credit in English Composition/Oral Communication. Use of the Ohio Transfer 36 Guidelines for English Composition was discontinued starting Fall 2021. All English Composition Ohio Transfer 36 courses approved under the guidelines were expired by Summer 2012 and replaced by First or Second Writing only when the course received an approval for either First or Second Writing. 

• In order to be considered for First Writing and Second Writing Ohio Transfer 36 courses, each institutional course must meet all of the established learning outcomes. In addition, each set of learning outcomes has recommended credit hours, so that institutions will be able to design, match, and submit courses with a comparable and appropriate amount of credit to fulfill the learning outcomes. 
• First Writing and Second Writing Ohio Transfer 36 courses must focus on the teaching, practice, and evaluation of expository writing and argumentative writing, although the courses(s) may include other components. This focus must be reflected in statements of course learning outcomes and evaluation. 
• Transfer students who have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 will not be subjected to a diagnostic placement test at the receiving institution unless one is also required of native students who have completed equivalent coursework. 

Excluded courses:

• Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, narrowly focused courses, technical or pre-technical courses and skills-based courses. 
• Courses that focus exclusively on content coverage without addressing the learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36.
• Career preparation courses, non-credit continuing education courses, and life experience courses (unless life experience credit, such as military training or other prior learning experience, becomes approved in the future for an Ohio Transfer 36 credit by the statewide faculty review panel). 

Oral Communication

The Ohio Transfer 36 requires at least 3 semester hours of course credit in English Composition/Oral Communication. 

• Courses in oral communication are an option for elective courses within the Ohio Transfer 36. If a student completes a course in oral communication but does not complete the entire Ohio Transfer 36, the course may only apply as an elective upon transfer because not all institutions have this requirement.
• Courses in oral communication are in addition to First and/or Second Writing and may not replace or substitute for composition courses. 
• The major emphasis of the oral communication course must be extemporaneous public speaking (individual/group work) as reflected in statements of course learning outcomes and evaluation. The course(s) may include group presentations and argumentation. Typically, hybrid courses in oral communication include examination of communication theory but should concentrate on evaluated oral presentation as the primary focus of the course. 
• Courses that include communication principles leading up to the study or understanding of the oral communication process in other forms (e.g., interviewing, interpersonal, dyads, listening) are not precluded if they meet the criterion for emphasis on extemporaneous speaking.

Excluded courses:

• Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, narrowly focused courses, technical or pre-technical courses and skills-based courses. 
• Courses that focus exclusively on content coverage without addressing the learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36.
• Career preparation courses, non-credit continuing education courses, and life experience courses (unless life experience credit, such as military training or other prior learning experience, becomes approved in the future for an Ohio Transfer 36 credit by the statewide faculty review panel). 
• Courses in which the main focus is theory, the study of communication styles, or oral interpretation and performance (i.e., students should research and prepare their own oral presentation, not give a recitation of existing work). 

Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic

The Ohio Transfer 36 requires at least 3 semester hours of course credit in Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic, Ohio Transfer 36 Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic courses should be:

1. A credit-bearing, college-level course in Mathematics must use the standards required for high school graduation by the State of Ohio as a basis and must do at least one of the following: 1) broaden, or 2) deepen, or 3) extend the student’s learning. 
2. The course does not cover variable learning outcomes from term to term.
3. The course is not an upper-division course.
4. The course is in the areas of mathematics, or statistics, or logic.

Excluded courses:

• Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, narrowly focused courses, technical or pre-technical courses and skills-based courses. 
• Courses that focus exclusively on content coverage without addressing the learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36.
• Career preparation courses, non-credit continuing education courses, and life experience courses (unless life experience credit, such as military training or other prior learning experience, becomes approved in the future for an Ohio Transfer 36 credit by the statewide faculty review panel). 

Arts and Humanities

The Ohio Transfer 36 requires at least 6 semester hours of course credit in Arts and Humanities. 

• Students completing courses in the Arts and humanities category should achieve the learning outcomes through the study of humanities disciplines such as he arts, music, theatre, film, literature, philosophy, and history. Students must select courses from at least two different disciplines to fulfill Ohio Transfer 36 minimum requirements. 
• Ohio Transfer 36 Arts and Humanities courses should be introductory-level courses that focus on the study of human endeavors spanning historical periods, regions, and/or cultures. 
• Course materials should clearly articulate how students interact with primary sources, which may include (but are not limited to) works of art, music, theatre, film, literature, or philosophy.

Excluded courses:

• Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, narrowly focused courses, and technical or pre-technical courses.
• Courses that focus exclusively on content coverage without addressing the learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36.
• Career preparation courses, non-credit continuing education courses, and life experience courses (unless life experience credit, such as military training or other prior learning experience, becomes approved in the future for an Ohio Transfer 36 credit by the statewide faculty review panel). 
• Courses that are primarily designed for skill development (e.g., applied music lessons, studio art, symbolic or formal logic, theatre skills, creative writing, and foreign language). To be approved, foreign language courses must devote a majority of the course content to literature and not be grammar and/or skills-based. Skills-based activities, whether graded or not, may support the learning process in an Ohio Transfer 36 Arts and Humanities course, as long as the primary focus or goal of the course is not skill development.

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Ohio Transfer 36 requires at least 6 semester hours of course credit in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Ohio Transfer 36 Social and Behavioral Sciences courses should be introductory-level courses that explain the behavior of individuals and/or various groups in societies, economies, governments, and subcultures through empirical investigation and theoretical interpretation. 

Excluded courses:

• Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, narrowly focused courses, technical or pre-technical courses and skills-based courses. 
• Courses that focus exclusively on content coverage without addressing the learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36.
• Career preparation courses, non-credit continuing education courses, and life experience courses (unless life experience credit, such as military training or other prior learning experience, becomes approved in the future for an Ohio Transfer 36 credit by the statewide faculty review panel). 

Students completing courses in the Social and Behavioral Sciences category should achieve the following learning outcomes through the study of social and behavioral sciences disciplines such as anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology. Students must select courses from at least two disciplines. 

Natural Sciences

The Ohio Transfer 36 requires at least 6 semester hours of course credit in Natural Sciences, including at least one semester hour of course credit of Natural Sciences laboratory. Natural Sciences courses approved for inclusion with the Ohio Transfer 36 are introductory in nature, require college-level proficiencies appropriate to the course, and are taught at the lower division college level. Each course has a consistent content and a broad focus on one or more disciplines from within the physical and/or biological sciences, which include astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, physical geography, and physics. Students completing courses in the Natural Science category should achieve the following learning outcomes through the study of natural sciences disciplines such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, physical geography, and physics. 

As appropriate to the discipline, the course highlights the nature of science, the importance of experimental inquirey in the Natural Sciences, and the way in which such inquiry into the natural world leads scientists to formulate principles that provide universal explanations of diverse phenomena. The course fosters an understanding and appreciation that all applicable evidence must be integrated into scientific models of the universe, and that scientific models must evolve. A course that focuses primarily on content coverage, without addressing each of the Student Learning Outcomes described herein, is not suitable as an Ohio Transfer 36 Natural Sciences course. 

In completing the Natural Sciences requirements within the Ohio Transfer 36, students will accurately understand and describe the scope of scientific study and core theories and practices, in either or both the physical and biological sciences, using appropriate discipline-related terminology. 

Excluded courses:

• Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, narrowly focused courses, technical or pre-technical courses and skills-based courses. 
• Courses that focus exclusively on content coverage without addressing the learning outcomes for the Ohio Transfer 36.
• Career preparation courses, non-credit continuing education courses, and life experience courses (unless life experience credit, such as military training or other prior learning experience, becomes approved in the future for an Ohio Transfer 36 credit by the statewide faculty review panel). 

Natural Science Laboratory Requirement: 

Students will complete at least one course within the Natural Sciences Ohio Transfer 36 that includes a laboratory component. This laboratory component must carry at least one credit hour and involve at least 1,500 minutes of laboratory activities (an average of no less than two hours per week for a traditional 15-week semester). During the course, students will demonstrate the application of the methods and tools of scientific inquiry appropriate to the discipline, by actively and directly collecting, analyzing,, and interpreting data, presenting findings, and using information to answer questions. 

In addition to achieving the Student Learning Outcomes 1-8, Ohio Transfer 36 approved courses that include a laboratory component¹ will achieve all the following student learning objectives in the equivalent of al least 10 weeks (~2/3) of the course's "laboratory activities":

• involves realistic measurements of physical quantities;
• involves data analysis, using data that are unique and/or physically authentic and that include random and/or systematic (natural) variability;
• includes realistic interactions with experimental apparatus, and realistic manipulation of tools/instruments and/or observed objects in space and time;
• involves synchronous feedback ² on safety (and consequences of unsafe actions), correctness of procedure, and progress toward experimental goals; and
• involves effective interaction with the instructor at several points during each lab activity. 

Footnotes:

1. Some disciplines, such as astronomy, meteorology, and ecology, are more amenable to achieving a quality virtual educational lab experience.  By contrast, other disciplines, such as chemistry*, microbiology and physics, are much less likely to meet the expectations of an Ohio Transfer 36 science lab course if focused heavily on virtual lab experiences.  [*The American Chemical Society has released a Position Statement on this issue: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/policy/publicpolicies/invest/computersimulations.html.]
2. Synchronous feedback on safety could be achieved using sophisticated computational approaches or by actual instructor feedback.

Interdisciplinary Studies

The Ohio Transfer 36 requires at least 12 semester hours of elective course credit. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is classified as an Ohio Tranasfer 36 electives option. 

• Learning outcomes 1-4 are considered essential (marked with an asterisks) and required for course approval. 
• Institutional course submissions must contain either learning outcomes 5 or 6 (choose at least one) to be considered for course approval. 

Interdisciplinary Studies

In addition to the Common Learning Outcomes, the courses in the Interdisciplinary Studies category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions:

1. Courses with content or methodology drawn explicitly from more than one of the following are defined as “Interdisciplinary”: Natural Sciences; Social and Behaviorial Sciences; Arts and Humanities; English Composition (First and Second Writing); Oral Communication; and Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic.
2. The fundamental criteria for inclusion of Interdisciplinary Studies courses in an Ohio Transfer 36 are the general ones that apply to all courses which specifically: A) emphasize at least one of the common learning outcomes of the Ohio Transfer 36 and B) assume entry-level college proficiencies.
3. Inasmuch as one of the purposes of general education is to provide a "breadth of knowledge", Interdisciplinary Studies courses directly serve one of the purposes of general education and the Ohio Transfer 36. It is possible that an entire Ohio Transfer 36 could be constructed from Interdisciplinary Studies courses, provided the courses in aggregate did not neglect any one of Natural Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts and Humanities; English Composition (First and Second Writing); or Mathematics, Statistics and Logic. In terms of providing breadth of knowledge, two courses that each span, for instance, the Arts and Humanities and the Social and Behavioral Sciences should be considered equivalent to the combination of one Arts and Humanities course and one Social and Behavioral Sciences course. Consequently, each Interdisciplinary Studies course should specify which areas of knowledge it draws on.  
4. Interdisciplinary Studies courses must be consulted, reviewed, and approved by the appropriate statewide Ohio Transfer 36 faculty review panels.
5. When a course is submitted for approval as an Interdisciplinary Studies course, the proposal must specify which areas (viz., Natural Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts and Humanities; English Composition (First and Second Writing); or Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic) the course includes. Furthermore, the proposal must apportion the credit hours of the course to each of the areas. Such apportionment could involve divisions as small as one-half-credit hour. For instance, if a 3-hour course in environmental studies is roughly half Natural Sciences and half Social and Behavioral Sciences, then 1.5 hours of the course will be attributed to Natural Sciences and 1.5 hours to Social and Behavioral Sciences.

[1] Guidelines & Procedures for Academic Program Review, Ohio Department of Higher Education, page 54. https://www.ohiohighered.org/sites/ohiohighered.org/files/Academic-Program-Review-Guidelines_FINAL_042915.pdf   

[2] The Essential Learning Outcomes from the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative: http://www.aacu.org/leap/vision.cfm

Appendix J: Articulation and Transfer Institutional Information Guide - Q and A Policy Clarification Statements

Contents/Completion of the Ohio Transfer 36

1. When did the certification of Ohio Transfer 36 completion begin, and for which students?
   • Students entering institutions that had approved Ohio Transfer 36's in the Fall 1991 were the first students for whom certification was required. Sending institutions that were able to certify other students who had entered their colleges earlier also were strongly encouraged to do so.
2. Does completion of an Associate of Arts (AA)/Associate of Science (AS) degree ensure completion of the Ohio Transfer 36?
   • Yes, it does. Students who have an earned AA/AS degree with an overall GPA of 2.0 or better will receive transfer credit for all college-level courses which they have passed, (A, B, C or D).
3. What is the minimum grade acceptable for completion of the Ohio Transfer 36?
   • Students with an earned AA/AS degree from an Ohio public institution of higher education, an overall GPA of 2.0 or better, and a passing grade (A, B, C, or D) in each course included in the Ohio Transfer 36 will have met the requirements of the Ohio Transfer 36 of the receiving institution.
   • Students without an AA/AS degree who have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 with grades of D or better in each course in or after the Fall 2005 (as certified by the sending institution) will be considered to have met the Ohio Transfer 36 requirements of the receiving institution.
   • Students without an AA/AS degree who have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 with grades of C or better in each course prior to the Fall 2005 (as certified by the sending institution) will be considered to have met the Ohio Transfer 36 requirements of the receiving institution.
4. Can transfer credit be used to satisfy Ohio Transfer 36 requirements?
   • Yes, it can. The certifying institution should allow all accepted credit from institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor institutions to be used to satisfy Ohio Transfer 36 requirements.
5. Can non-traditional credit be used to satisfy Ohio Transfer 36 requirements?
   • Yes, it can. If the certifying institution grants non-traditional credit, or if it accepts it for transfer students, and if its equivalent is found in the Ohio Transfer 36, then it may be used to satisfy Ohio Transfer 36 requirements.       
6. If external or non-traditional credit is used to satisfy the Ohio Transfer 36, is it necessary that this be communicated to receiving institutions?
   • No, it isn’t.
7. If external or non-traditional credit is included in the Ohio Transfer 36 and the receiving institution's policy for "native" students precludes acceptance of such credit, must the receiving institution accept the credit for incoming transfer students?
   • Yes, it must.
8. The Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy requires that all college-level courses successfully completed at institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor institutions be accepted and awarded transfer credit. Does the sending or receiving institution determine which courses are college-level?
   • The receiving institution must make this determination on the basis of three guiding standards:
     • The course is not remedial or developmental,
     • The course carries one or more credit hours, and
     • The course hours are eligible to count toward graduation at the sending and receiving institutions.
9. Can courses for which "forgiveness" has been applied be included in the Ohio Transfer 36, and how would this affect GPA?
   • Yes, they can. The policies of the sending institution will determine the "forgiveness" policy in effect and the computation of the GPA.
10. Assume that the receiving institution requires native students to obtain a grade of C or better in selected courses in the major field or field of concentration. In such cases, is the receiving institution required to utilize courses toward the major field or field of concentration in which grades of D were obtained?
    • No, it isn’t. The transfer student may be treated in like manner to the native student. As always, the receiving institution may be more lenient and utilize courses with grades of D toward such requirements, but this is not required by the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy. Although the courses graded D may, in this case, not be applicable to the major field or field of concentration requirements, they must be transferred and awarded credit, at least, as free electives. Furthermore, if the courses were part of the sending institution's Ohio Transfer 36, credit must be given as part of the receiving institution's Ohio Transfer 36.
11. How does an institution change its Ohio Transfer 36?
    • An institution should consult with the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) prior to submitting changes, so that appropriate next steps can be planned and determined together with the OATN.
12. What happens to a student's Ohio Transfer 36 requirements when the institution's Ohio Transfer 36 changes?
    • Each institution's policy regarding the "catalog year" principle for degree requirement changes will also apply to Ohio Transfer 36 requirement changes. Generally, changes will be applicable to new students entering the institution after the changes have been published, but students enrolled prior to that time will follow an earlier Ohio Transfer 36 version.
13. Is there a time limit regarding how recently an Ohio Transfer 36 and its courses must be completed to transfer?
    • None has been specified. Most institutions have their own requirements regarding the time limit for the use of credits in fulfillment of degree requirements, and it is expected that the same requirements will apply to the completion of the Ohio Transfer 36.

Transcript Notation

1. Should a detailed list of all courses accepted be presented on the official transcript, or may a summary be used?
   • The Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board strongly recommends that the receiving institution post all courses accepted in transfer to the Student Academic Record and list them on the transcript and/or the Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability (Degree Audit Report) to demonstrate that the receiving institution is accepting all transfer and articulated credit work satisfactorily completed at previous institutions according to the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy.
   • There may be some institutions where a summarization of the accepted credit on the transcript is preferable to a complete listing.
2. What is the recommended timing and placement of the Ohio Transfer 36 completion notation on the official transcript?
   • Effective with the completion of the Fall 1991 term, students who have completed the institution's approved Ohio Transfer 36 should have the completion notation on their transcripts.
   • Since the notation is meaningful only to other Ohio colleges and universities with an approved Ohio Transfer 36, the minimum requirement is to place a notation on those transcripts which are directed to other participating schools. However, institutions are strongly encouraged to place the completion notations on all transcripts produced for students who have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 because the sending institutions and the students do not always know the ultimate use of transcripts produced.
   • The "key" or "explanation" of transcript entries, usually found on the reverse side of the paper transcript or in a separate document, must explain the Ohio transfer 36 notation.
   • The Ohio Transfer 36 certifying institution should print the Ohio Transfer 36 notation "OHIO TRANSFER 36 COMPLETED (month, year)" in an appropriate place on the paper transcript, record such notation in a designated, agreed-upon attribute for the electronic transcript, and/or display the notation on the Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability (Degree Audit Report). It is recommended that it appear either in chronological order or in a specifically designated location on the document(s).
   • For a student who completed the Ohio Transfer 36 at another institution, the receiving institution should print or record the OTM notation "OHIO TRANSFER 36 COMPLETED, XYZ COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY (month, year)." The placement on the transcript should be with the posting of the acceptance of credit; the placement on the Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability (Degree Audit Report) should be locally determined.

Institutional Admissions and Related Questions

1. What does "Preferential Consideration for Admissions" to an institution mean?
   • Preferential consideration for admissions means giving admissions priority to selected transfer students over other transfer students with all other factors being equal (e.g., grade-point average, credit hours accepted, other institutional criteria).
2. What will be the effect of this Policy on students who meet institutional admission requirements but not program requirements?
   • Admission to the institution is a separate decision from admission to a major or degree program. Transfer students are treated equitably with native students for admission to major and degree programs.
3. May the receiving institution recalculate the GPA for admission purposes?
   • While no recalculation can be done for admission to the institution, recalculation can be done for admission to specific programs or majors as long as the process treats transfer and native students equitably.
4. Does the receiving institution have the responsibility to notify students, in writing, of the acceptance and application of transferred and articulated credits?
   • Yes, it does. However, the organizational units which have this responsibility will vary from institution to institution.
5. Does admission to the institution guarantee admission into the major or minor?
   • No, it doesn’t. This decision is a separate consideration and the same requirements that apply to native students also apply to transfer students.
6. Why can an admission guarantee for a public institution of higher education and preferential consideration for admission be given to applicants when they apply prior to receiving the Associate of Arts (AA)/Associate of Science (AS) degree, the Ohio Transfer 36, or 60 semester?
   • Admission decisions are based upon the assumption that requirements will be met by the time of enrollment. If they are not completed, the institution may withdraw the offer of admission.

Student Appeals Process

1. What decisions may be appealed by students? Acceptance of credit? Application of credit?
   • The acceptance of credit is carefully delineated in the Policy and should be uniformly practiced by all public institutions. 
   • The application of credit will vary from institution to institution, and it is specified in the Policy as appealable. The appeals process is initiated at the receiving institution, must be publicized, and consists of multiple levels.  Students have 90 days to file an appeal at the campus level on an institution's decision on course applicability. The 90-day period should begin on the date the Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability (Degree Audit Report) is given to the student. Institutions should make this report available to students as soon as possible.
   • Students who are not satisfied with the institutional decision after all campus-based appeals are exhausted may follow established procedures to submit a written complaint to the Ohio Department of Higher Education. This process is outlined at https://www.ohiohighered.org/students/complaints.

Communications and Publications

1. Will there be an institutional designee to receive and distribute information regarding transfer and articulation?
   • Each institution has a primary contact person for matters related to Articulation and Transfer Policy issues.
2. Is inclusion of the articulation and transfer Catalog Statement in the institution's catalog mandatory?
   • Yes, it is. Inclusion of the catalog statement in the electronic and/or print catalog(s) is mandatory.
3. Is inclusion of the institution’s Ohio Transfer 36 in the catalog mandatory?
   • Yes, it is. It must be included in the electronic and/or print catalog(s).
4. Will there be a centralized publication of Ohio Transfer 36 approved courses?
   • Yes, there will. Ohio Transfer 36 Approvals for all public institutions of higher education in Ohio will be available on the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) website, and approved courses will also be available on OATN’s course equivalency reporting system on the Ohio Department of Higher Education website. In addition, each institution will publish its Ohio Transfer 36 in its catalog(s).   
5. Who will decide on Policy definitions and interpretations?
   • The Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) Oversight Board and Advisory Council meet periodically and are charged with further defining the Policy through interpretations as required. A mechanism has been established to recommend Policy changes and additions to the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

Automated Systems

1. Is there transfer credit evaluation software available to assist institutions in evaluating courses completed at other institutions?
   • Some institutions have internally developed programs to translate incoming transfer credit. There are multiple vendors who supply software to support the electronic evaluation of transfer credit.

Miscellaneous Questions

1. What is the minimum grade acceptable for the Associate of Arts (AA)/Associate of Science (AS) degree to transfer?
   • Students who have an earned Associate of Arts (AA)/Associate of Science (AS) degree with an overall GPA of 2.0 or better for all previous college-level courses will receive transfer credit for all college level-courses which they have passed (A, B, C, or D) (See Appendix E, Transfer of Courses with a Passing Grade Policy).
2. If a student completes the Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree and subsequently completes additional coursework above and beyond the AA or AS degree at the same institution or at another institution, are those subsequent courses acceptable for transfer credit at the D grade level, or must the grade be C or better?
   • According to the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, a grade of D or better is required for the additional courses taken above and beyond those required for the AA or AS degree in or after the Fall 2005 (See Appendix E, TRANSFER OF COURSES WITH A PASSING GRADE POLICY).
3. Assume that the receiving institution does not award credit for non-traditional credit (e.g., external and institutional credit-by-examinations, experiential learning, etc.) or has more stringent requirements for awarding such credit than the sending institution. In such cases, is the receiving institution required to accept course credit from the sending institution which has been awarded to the student based on nontraditional credit?
   • Yes, it is. In all cases credit must be awarded by the receiving institution toward a course which is equivalent in content at the receiving institution. Even if there are no equivalent courses at the receiving institution, transfer credit must be awarded. This credit must be entered on the student record and must apply to degree requirements, at least, toward free electives.
4. Does an institution have the authority to require a student to repeat a course?
   • No, it doesn’t. However, institutions can require students to repeat a course only if there is an institutional policy that applies to transfer and native students alike that authentically places a time limit on the currency of course content (e.g., a technology course that has learning outcomes that often undergo substantial revision to meet employment skills expectations or a health-related course that has a time limit imposed by a regulatory or accrediting agency such as for state licensure or certification).

Appendix K: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs)

Ohio’s Articulation and Transfer Policy (1990) was a major achievement in improving the mobility of students among public colleges and universities within the state. Policy revisions recommended by the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council (2004), together with the mandates from the Ohio General Assembly in Ohio Revised Code 3333.16, extended the impact of the existing policy through more precise advising and the assurance of credit transfer and the application of credits to academic degree/program requirements. A central feature of the enhanced Policy is the development of Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs). TAGs were initially developed to assist students in more than 38 different degree pathways and were guided by the following principles:

1. The initiative builds upon the original Articulation and Transfer Policy adopted by the Ohio Department of Higher Education in 1990. The Ohio Transfer Module continues to be the foundation of this work and provides students the opportunity to transfer courses as a block or on an individual course basis.
2. The purpose of the TAG is to allow students to transfer, in a simple and direct manner, a core of courses that will count toward the major program.
3. The recommendations of the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council and the stipulations of the Ohio Revised Code 3333.16 enhanced the Policy through the creation of Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) that provide more precise student advising and guarantee the application of credits within the TAG to the major. TAGs are groups of foundational courses that represent a commonly accepted pathway to majors within the Bachelor’s degree. Courses or course sequences identified as being a part of the TAG may be offered at any public higher education institution in Ohio.
4. The goal of a TAG is to recognize comparable, compatible and equivalent courses at or above the 70% standard of equivalency adopted by the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council.[1] TAGs apply across, at least, all public higher education institutions in Ohio and embody commonly accepted pathways to majors within the Bachelor’s degree. This does not alter the mission or degree authority of any institution; it does provide guaranteed pathways that enable students to reach their bachelor’s degree goals in the most efficient manner.
5. The TAGs are composed of courses and learning outcomes. Consensus on courses commonly included in particular Bachelor’s degree discipline pathways is based on the evaluation of the content and performance expectations on a course-by-course basis within each TAG. When consensus is established, students are assured not only of the equivalency of the courses, but of their application to the degree objective.
6. Transfer students and students who begin and end study at the same institution will be treated equitably with regard to institutional or major/program admissions requirements. All students will be held accountable to the same admissions and graduation expectations such as grade-point average requirements, residency requirements, and performance requirements/ portfolio requirements specific to certain majors.
7. The role of faculty in the development of the TAGs is paramount, and colleges and universities will continue to have ample opportunity to review and comment on the work of the panels.
8. All campuses are expected to comply with the revised Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy and guarantee the transfer of courses in the TAG for application to degree/program requirements. Campuses may have specific curricular issues in the implementation of TAGs for certain disciplinary fields. An appeals process for institutions focuses on such substantive curricular/programmatic issues as TAGs are implemented. The Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) Oversight Board will handle the appeals process and is the final arbiter of appeals, using the faculty subcommittee of the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Advisory Council as appropriate. The OATN Oversight Board will report to the OATN Advisory Council. 

The Articulation and Transfer Policy was significantly enhanced by the development of the Transfer Assurance Guides. The above principles were developed to provide a context for understanding the enhancements to the Policy and to elucidate the TAGs. The principles are a result of the leadership of the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council and continued support by the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board and Advisory Council, representative committees drawn from various segments of the higher education community.

Policy approved by the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council - February 17, 2005.

Update endorsed by the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board – December 2015.

[1] The Articulation and Transfer Council’s charge and structure was different in 2004 than it is currently.

Appendix L: Guiding Principles for the Development of Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs) Through the Career-Technical Credit Transfer (CT)² Initiative

The following principles will guide the successful implementation of the project.

1. Where applicable, the policies and procedures developed build upon the creation of a comprehensive course equivalency classification system required by section 3333.16 of the Ohio Revised Code.
2. The initiative builds upon the "lessons learned" from previous articulation and transfer alignment work.
3. The development of a Career-Technical Assurance Guide (CTAG) requires a system that enables commonly agreed-upon course or program, based on recognized industry standards, and successfully completed course/program by either adult or secondary career-technical students to be transferable and applicable at any public institution of higher education. This initiative does not alter the mission of participating schools and does not imply the evolution of adult career-technical institutions into associate or baccalaureate degree offering entities.
4. The overall goal of this initiative is to allow identified technical courses/content to transfer "without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers."
5. This initiative is being implemented through the collaborative work by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio Department of Education, and other key stakeholders.
6. Consensus decision-making will guide the initiative work to effect a change in Ohio's educational system by providing a guarantee that enables learners to reach their educational goals in the most efficient manner. However, the primary foci and missions of career-technical institutions or comprehensive high schools and the public institutions of higher education will remain unaltered.
7. Continuous communication about the progress of this initiative is important and will be ensured through a variety of media. A website was developed to disseminate information relevant to the work of the committees.
8. The initial work was completed in a timely manner to support delivery of a progress report to the General Assembly by April 15, 2006 and the implementation of the initiative by April 15, 2007.

The above Articulation and Transfer principles provide a context for understanding the enhancements to the Policy and provide a clearer P-16 continuum and enhancement of workforce development. The principles are a result of the leadership of the Career-Technical Credit Transfer Advisory Committee of the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council and continued support by the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board and Advisory Council, representative committees drawn from various segments of the state's educational community.

Appendix M: Directive for the Baseline Set of Standards and Procedures for the Awarding of College Credit for Military Training, Experience, and Coursework

• DIRECTIVE 2014-022 (October 16, 2014)

Re: BASELINE SET OF STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE AWARDING OF COLLEGE CREDIT FOR MILITARY TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, AND COURSEWORK

Legislation

Ohio Revised Code 3333.164 requires the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents to develop a set of standards and procedures for state institutions of higher education to use in awarding college credit for military training, experience, and coursework.

Purpose

A baseline set of standards and procedures for the awarding of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework is an integral part of Ohio's comprehensive credit transfer system. The purposes of the standards and procedures are to bring uniformity and consistency to the process, make it easier to communicate with and reach a wider audience, and highlight the priority the higher education community places on assisting veterans and service members with their educational and career goals.

Baseline Set of Standards and Procedures

Awarding of College Credit

1. In alignment with Ohio's comprehensive credit transfer system, faculty will play a key role throughout the process of awarding college credit for military training, experience, and coursework. The entire process will be faculty driven and student focused.
2. College credit will be granted to students with military training, experience, and/or coursework that are (is) recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) or institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor military institutions, such as Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).
3. All public institutions of higher education in Ohio will use ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services in evaluating and awarding academic credit for military training, experience, and coursework.
4. If military training, experience, and/or coursework are (is) equivalent to a course that fulfills a general education or major course or degree program requirement at the receiving institution, the credit will count towards graduation and meet a requirement accordingly. Otherwise, appropriate course credit including free elective course credit will be granted.
5. Should credit not be captured through ACE recommendations or institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor military institutions, USO institutions will offer veterans and service members an opportunity for prior learning assessment via another recognized mechanism (i.e., credit-by-examination or portfolio review).

Transparency

6. Each public institution of higher education in Ohio will provide information on awarding of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework, which should include the number of credits awarded and the course equivalents.

Consistency

7. To the greatest extent possible, American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations and/or courses from institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor military institutions will be equated to courses with statewide transfer guarantees by the Ohio Board of Regents, in consultation with faculty experts, such as Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs), Ohio Transfer 36, or Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs). These course equivalencies will be included in each University System of Ohio (USO) institution's transfer articulation database and/or degree audit system, Transferology, and the statewide electronic course reporting systems. These equivalencies will become Military Transfer Assurance Guide (MTAG) courses or Military Transfer Articulation Numbers (MTANs).
8. Credits earned via military training, experience, and coursework are transferable within public institutions of higher education in Ohio according to the state's Ohio Transfer 36, Transfer Assurance Guides, Career-Technical Credit Transfer, Military Transfer Assurance Guides, and transfer policy.
9. For ACE recommendations and courses from institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor military institutions that fall outside the current statewide guarantees, a new statewide MTAG guarantee will be established for military credit, beginning with the courses for which credit is most often awarded.

Training and Professional Development

10. Ohio Board of Regents will provide ongoing training and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff throughout the academic year at USO institutions on evaluation and posting of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework. This will add to the consistency and transparency of the process.
11. An electronic toolkit will be used as a resource to maintain the highest quality in the implementation of the baseline standards and procedures. University System of Ohio institutions will be sharing their promising practices as they become available through the toolkit in order to maintain a strong system-wide effort to fulfill the purposes of the baseline standards and procedures.

At the recommendation of the Staff of the Ohio Board of Regents, based upon their collaboration with the Military Strategic Implementation Team which was comprised of individuals from the University System of Ohio (USO) institutions who were appointed to move forward with the implementation of the recommendations in the Valuing Ohio Veterans Report and subsequently H.B. 488 because of their established expertise and leadership in dealing with service members and veterans issues in higher education, I hereby adopt this, Directive for the Baseline Set of Standards and Procedures for the Awarding of College Credit for Military Training, Experience, and Coursework, and direct that it be used by all USO institutions.

This Directive having been posted for public comment, and any such comment having been given due consideration, is effective immediately upon signature.

Appendix N: Directive for the Advanced Placement (AP) Policy

• DIRECTIVE 2008-010 (May 30, 2008)

Re: A PROPOSAL FOR AWARDING ADVANCED PLACEMENT CREDITS TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN OHIO.

Guiding Philosophy

The Chancellor recognizes that students can document their achievement in college-level subject matter via the College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP). In order to provide consistency and clarity for students, polices for awarding AP credit are adopted for all public institutions of higher education (PIOHE) in Ohio.

The motivation and guiding philosophy behind these policies include the following:

• There should be consistency across Ohio PIOHE in how AP credits will be awarded and how they count towards degrees.
• It should be clear to prospective students how AP credits will be awarded at any PIOHE in Ohio.
• The policies should promote student success at PIOHE in Ohio.
• The policy should be fair to "native" students, as well as transfer students.
• There should be a balance between maintaining standards and advantaging students in awarding AP credits.
• Students should not be disadvantaged in the acceptance of AP credits when transferring within the PIOHE system.
• Students should consult with academic advisors to determine how AP credits can be used most effectively in meeting degree requirements. It should be recognized that advisors may recommend that students have higher than the minimum required AP score to be successful in courses in their major area or in courses used as prerequisites.

Revised Code 3333.163 was passed in April 2007 and the above philosophy supports the language of the law. While a policy should provide clarity for most cases, any uncertainties should be adjudicated consistent with the guiding philosophy. All PIOHE in Ohio shall adhere to the following policy in awarding AP credits.

Policy

1. A score of 3 or higher will provide credit at any PIOHE in Ohio. The credit must count towards graduation and will meet a general education requirement if the course to which the AP credit is equivalent fulfils a requirement at the receiving institution.
2. When it clearly enhances the opportunity for student success, an institution should strongly advise that an AP score of at least a 4 is needed for a student to be successful in a second course in an highly dependent sequence of courses in a STEM area. For example, an advisor should strongly recommend that an AP score of at least a 4 is needed on the AP Chemistry exam in order for the student to be successful in the second course in Chemistry.

3. A score of 3 or higher on an AP exam in a foreign language area will provide credit for at least the first year of foreign language at any PIOHE.
4. Each PIOHE in Ohio will provide information on awarding AP credits, which should include the number of credits awarded and the course equivalents earned for scores of 3 or higher.
5. Credits earned via AP exams are transferable within PIOHE in Ohio according to the state's Ohio Transfer 36 and transfer policy.

Timeline

The policy will be fully implemented by Fall 2009 and will be applied to students who are enrolled at a PIOHE in the Fall of 2009 and have not had their AP scores evaluated for college credit. The new policy will be communicated to prospective students and to other key stakeholders during the 2008-2009 academic years.

Determining the Effect of the Policy

Within three years of implementation of this policy, the Chancellor, or Chancellor's staff, should review the policy to determine its effect. The Chancellor, or Chancellor's staff, should recommend any needed modifications in the policy to bring it into consistency with the guiding philosophy.

Appendix O: Institutional Requirements for Serving Veterans and Active Duty Service Members

Signed into Law: June 16, 2014
Effective Immediately

The board of trustees of each state institution of higher education shall do all of the following by December 31, 2014:

1. Designate at least one person employed by the institution to serve as the contact person for veterans and service member affairs. Such a person shall assist and advise veterans and service members on issues related to Am. Sub. H. B. No. 488, 130th Ohio General Assembly. The person or persons designated under division (A) of this section shall not be a person currently designated by the institution as a veterans administration certifying official (Ohio Revised Code 3345.421).
2. Adopt a policy regarding the support and assistance the institution will provide to veterans and service members. The chancellor of higher education will provide guidance to state institutions of higher education in their compliance with this section, including the recommendation of standardized policies on support and assistance to veterans and service members (Ohio Revised Code 3345.421).
3. Allow for the establishment of a student-led group on campus for student service members and veterans and encourage other service member- and veteran-friendly organizations (Ohio Revised Code 3345.421).
4. Integrate existing career services to create and encourage meaningful collaborative relationships between student service members and veterans and alumni of the institution, that links student service members and veterans with prospective employers, and that provides student service members and veterans with social opportunities; and, if the institution has career services programs, encourage the responsible office to seek and promote partnership opportunities for internships and employment of student service members and veterans with state, local, national, and international employers (Ohio Revised Code 3345.421).
5. Survey student service members and veterans to identify their needs and challenges and make the survey available to faculty and staff at the state institution of higher education. And periodically conduct follow-up surveys, at a frequency determined by the board, to gauge the institution's progress toward meeting identified needs and challenges (Ohio Revised Code 3345.421).
6. Establish an appeals procedure for students who are veterans or service members for resolving disputes regarding the awarding of college credit for military experience (Ohio Revised Code 3345.423). 

State institutions of higher education shall do all of the following by December 31, 2014:

1. Provide a student who is either a veteran or a service member with priority for course registration (Ohio Revised Code 3345.422).  
2. Not charge a student who is a veteran or a service member any fee for the evaluation, transcription, or application of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework (Ohio Revised Code 3345.424).

State institutions of higher education shall do the following by July 1, 2015:

1. Ensure that appropriate equivalent credit is awarded for military training, experience, and coursework that meet the baseline standards and procedures developed by the chancellor pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code 3333.164 (B) (1) (Ohio Revised Code 3333.164 C).

Additional information is available on the Ohio Values Veterans Toolkit, including policy-related frequently asked questions and Ohio Revised Code references.

Appendix P: Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Communication Flowchart 

Reference the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network policy manual. 

Appendix Q: Procedures for Amending the Policy on Articulation and Transfer

Introduction 

Based on issues that have emerged relating to the implementation of the 1990 Articulation and Transfer Policy, at its meeting on June 21, 1991, the Articulation and Transfer Council[1] formed a Subcommittee to develop a process whereby the Policy might be amended. The Subcommittee initially met on August 30, 1991, adopting fundamental assumptions, which have been updated and adjusted over time to improve communication and participation:

1. Written proposals to amend the Policy must emanate from one of the following sources:
   1. Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) Oversight Board
   2. Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) Advisory Council
   3. Any of the standing committees that were formed by and report to the Advisory Council
   4. The Department of Higher Education/Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network
   5. An individual institution
2. Proposals to amend the Policy must adhere to a hierarchical structure of evaluation with no individual level having veto authority.
3. Ultimately, formal amendments to the Policy will be made by the OATN Oversight Board for consideration and action by the Chancellor of the Department of Higher Education.

Structure for the Amendment Process

1. Consideration will be given to written proposals to amend the Policy which emanate from one of the following sources: OATN Oversight Board, OATN Advisory Council, any of the standing subcommittees which report to the Advisory Council, Department of Higher Education/OATN, or an individual institution. A proposal will be "routed" to the appropriate group for consideration.
2. A hierarchical procedure for evaluation will be followed. From each group that evaluates the issue or proposal, a recommendation, accompanied by a rationale and the outcome of a formal vote, will be referred to the next higher level, regardless of the outcome of the vote, until a final recommendation is made by the OATN Oversight Board. 
3. Once a proposal reaches the OATN Oversight Board, it may be acted upon directly by the Board in consultation with the Advisory Council and/or another appropriate work group or subcommittee. Previously, proposals were reviewed by a Standing Amendment Subcommittee (which no longer exists) composed of three members of the Articulation and Transfer Council at that time and at least one member of each of the Articulation and Transfer Council's standing subcommittees.  
4. Within the OATN Oversight Board, a formal vote will be taken (see detailed process below) on all proposals that have been brought to it, and the results will be conveyed to the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education for deliberation and final action.

Detailed Process

The following process is used to communicate, evaluate, and make decisions regarding Policy amendments: 

1. Given the need for a full deliberation of issues relating to implementation and the need to have all members of all groups participating in the deliberation, it should be made clear to those who are asked to serve on the OATN Oversight Board and standing committees that attendance at meetings is mandatory. An alternate may be sent to a meeting; however, the alternate will neither:
   1. Be counted as part of the quorum; nor
   2. Have voting privileges.
2. Within the OATN Oversight Board:
   1. Proposed amendments (from whatever source) must be presented to the Oversight Board with a full rationale and with the result of the formal vote on the proposal from all lower levels in the hierarchical evaluation process. The vote by the Oversight Board will not occur until the meeting following the one where the proposal is presented. In this way, Oversight Board members are given more time to evaluate the proposal personally and to consult with others on their campuses before voting.
   2. Before the Oversight Board may vote on a proposed amendment, there must be a 2/3 quorum in attendance and recorded.
   3. The proposal will be sent to the Chancellor of the Department of Higher Education with the Oversight Board's formal vote on the proposal recorded.

[1] The Articulation and Transfer Council’s charge and structure was different in 1991 than it is currently.

Appendix R: Directive for the Definition of Semester Credit Hour and Length of Semester Term

• DIRECTIVE 2010-016 (March 18, 2010)

Re: DEFINITION OF SEMESTER CREDIT HOUR AND LENGTH OF SEMESTER TERM

On March 31, 2008, pursuant to Sec. 4 of Sub. H.B. 2 of the 127^th General Assembly as amended by Am. Sub. H.B. 119 for the 127^th General Assembly, the chancellor delivered to the General Assembly and the governor a set of recommendations titled The Strategic Plan for Higher Education.

In the Strategic Plan the Chancellor called for a single academic calendar year to increase student transfer and mobility, student success, system-wide efficiencies and cost savings, and integration of the institutions of the University System of Ohio. Recognizing the benefits of a single academic calendar year among the institutions, the Ohio institutions on quarter systems have all adopted plans to convert to semester systems by Fall 2012.

In the course of implementing these conversion plans, issues arose within and among campuses relative to the exact requirements in Ohio for the length of a semester. While Rule 3333-1-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code states an academic semester "should be of 16 weeks duration with no less than 15 weeks devoted to instruction," various interpretations of this rule over many years have led to practical application that varies from a literal reading of the rule.

It was determined to be important for the state to re-examine the published definitions of semester and provide clarity and consistency in support of the conversion effort. Therefore, an ad hoc group was formed to examine the state's existing definition of the duration of a semester.

The ad hoc group had representatives from two-year and four-year Ohio public institutions of higher education going through calendar conversion as well as individuals from institutions presently on semesters. Representatives were leaders from the faculty, academic administration, registrars, and Ohio's articulation and transfer initiatives.

The work of the ad hoc group was performed consistent with the following guidelines:

• An institution's semester calendar will not violate any accreditation regulation, federal guidelines, etc.
• An institution's semester calendar will facilitate the attainment of the University System of Ohio goals, including the transfer process.
• A semester credit hour will mean the same throughout the University System of Ohio.

In forming its recommendations, the ad hoc group also took into consideration Volume 3 Chapter One, "Academic Calendar & Payment Periods" of the 2008-2009 Federal Student Aid Handbook.

The ad hoc group recommended the adoption of the following definitions (See Attachment A for complete document submitted by the ad hoc group):

Formalized Instruction

For purposes of this directive, formalized instruction is instruction for which the instructor bears the primary responsibility for delivery, acknowledging that the delivery may take place in a variety of modes.

Semester Credit Hour Definition

One semester credit hour will be awarded for a minimum of 750 minutes of formalized instruction that typically requires students to work at out-of-class assignments an average of twice the amount of time as the amount of formalized instruction (1,500 minutes). It is acknowledged that formalized instruction may take place in a variety of modes.

While awarding semester credit hours typically occurs for instruction delivered in accordance with an institution's standard semester calendar, it may also occur for instruction that may not follow the typical pattern of an institution's standard semester calendar as long as the criteria for awarding such credit is met.

Week of Instructional Time

For purposes of the definition of semester length and academic year, a week of instructional time is any period of seven consecutive days in which at least one day of regularly scheduled instruction, examination, or (after the last day of classes) at least one scheduled day of examinations occurs. For clarification purposes, a semester consisting of 14 calendar weeks of scheduled classes and 1 calendar week of examinations equals a total of 15 weeks of instructional time.

Semester Length Definition

The length of a semester shall consist of no fewer than 15 calendar weeks and no more than 17 calendar weeks of instructional time. The inclusion of breaks or holidays within any particular semester shall be at the discretion of the institution so long as the institution is in compliance with the criteria that defines a week of instructional time, and is in compliance with the criteria for awarding semester credit hours.

Academic Year Length

The academic year shall be at least 30 weeks in length counting periods of time (terms) that begin on the first day of classes and end on the last day of classes or examinations. The 30-week requirement shall be measured exclusive of compressed terms (e.g., Summer term).

It is further directed that the Ohio Board of Regents Operation Manual for Two-Year Campus Programs be updated with regard to the definition of credit hour, including alternate calculations for other instructional activities listed below, and semester length in a manner that is consistent with this directive.

Credit hours may be calculated differently for the following types of instructional activities:

• Laboratory instruction
• Clinical laboratory instruction
• Directed practice experience
• Practicum experience
• Cooperative work experience
• Field experience
• Observation experience
• Seminar
• Miscellaneous
• Studio experience

It is further directed that staff of the Chancellor prepare and submit amendments to Rule 3333-1-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code consistent with this directive.

With all of Ohio's 13 public universities and 23 community colleges endorsing the new definitions and in response to public comments requesting clarification of the breadth of the amendments in Attachment B, it is the intent that the amendments to the Ohio Board of Regents Operating Manual for Two-Year Campus Programs as presented in Attachment B, be followed by all Ohio public institutions of higher education offering two-year academic programs.

I hereby adopt the above definitions for semester credit hour and semester length, as recommended by the ad hoc group, to be used by all University System of Ohio institutions, and hereby amend the Ohio Board of Regents Operating Manual for Two-Year Campus Programs as presented in Attachment B. All prior documents, including memoranda, conflicting with a definition adopted herein are hereby superseded.

Appendix S: Awarding Credit for Earned Hours at Proprietary Institutions 

Transfer credit shall be reviewed for course credit at Ohio public institutions using transparent institutional course evaluation policies.  To ensure equal treatment for all students, the Ohio Department of Higher Education highly recommends that institutions use the same credit evaluation process for credits earned at domestic public, domestic independent non-profit, and domestic proprietary institutions that have completed the authorization process through the Ohio Department of Higher Education and hold a Certificate of Authorization from the Chancellor. 

Consistent with current state policy, Ohio public institutions must award credit for qualifying scores on CLEP exams taken by students from proprietary institutions, and are encouraged to use challenge exams and other forms of PLA to evaluate credit for students from proprietary institutions when such credit is not evaluated based on institutional course evaluation policies.

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) does not direct that institutions accept credits only from institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor institutions. HLC policies for institutions on transfer of credits are Assumed Practice A.5 (CRRT.B.10.020) and Publication of Transfer Policies (FDCR.A.10.040).

Appendix T: Guidance on Award/Transcript of non-CCP Course Credit Prior to High School Graduation of CCP Students

Students enrolled in a college or university to earn College Credit Plus (CCP) credit may also have non- CCP course credit transcripted at the discretion of the institution in which they are enrolled.  Neither Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy nor administrative rules related to CCP prohibit institutions from transcribing completed and validated non-CCP credit earned prior to or concurrent with the student’s participation in CCP.

Non-CCP course credit types include credit for statewide guaranteed Career Technical Assurance Guides (CTAG), College Board Advanced Placement ® (AP) exams, College Board College Level Examination Program ® (CLEP) exams, as well as credit awarded according to local bilateral articulation agreements and local course credit opportunities for International Baccalaureate ® (IB) Diploma Programme ® (DP).

Each college or university may, at its discretion, develop institutional policies and procedures related to the award and transcription of non-CCP credit types for students who are participating in the College Credit Plus program.  If developed, it is suggested that such policies address the timeline and process for the transcription of non-CCP credit.  Institutional policies and procedures that are transparent, address the variety of non-CCP credit types equitably, and allow for student consultation and choice in the award and transcription processes are encouraged.  

This guidance does not change, nor alter, the requirements of awarding course credit toward degree requirements for statewide guaranteed AP exams, CLEP exams, or CTAGs for students once they graduate from high school and enroll as degree-seeking students at public colleges and universities.

Appendix U: Career-Technical Assurance Guide Grade Policy Revision Pilot

Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs) provide the assurances for statewide-articulated career-technical education (CTE) credit required by ORC 3333.162. Career-Technical Assurance Numbers (CTANs) identify discrete course-level articulations within a CTAG.

The Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network) engage statewide faculty from public institutions of higher education in the development of a CTAN.

Once endorsed, ODHE, ODE, and ODE’s test development vendors prioritize faculty-aligned secondary CTE competencies in the development of standard end-of-course exams where a CTAN is proposed.

Post-secondary faculty participate in end-of-course test item writing and endorse the exam used for articulated credit. ODE monitors its vendor as passing cut scores are established and updated. In June 2015, the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) Oversight Board established that, in addition to end-of-course exam passage, students must also complete the course with a grade of “C” or better.

At the July 2, 2018 meeting of the OATN Oversight Board, there was considerable discussion about revising this policy as a result of innovations in test development and student credit award process.

ODHE has implemented one suggestion from this meeting and is making funds available for localized studies of CTAG student performance. Additionally, ODHE and ODE are moving forward with a statewide technical process that will simplify burdensome paper processing in the identification of CTAG credit-eligible students.  To accomplish that goal the policy that requires a grade of “C” or better for CTANs where an end-of-course examination is available needs to be suspended. Instead of a minimum course grade expectation for secondary-CTAG aligned course completion, student-level course completion data will be used in future technology-aided credit award processes. Course completions reported to ODE and to institutions of higher education will vary according to district grading policy.

Together, course completion and the passage of course-level end-of-course examinations shall be the requirements for student credit award where the course-level CTAG assurances permit this.

A pilot will immediately go into effect for a period of two years using these new requirements for student credit with an assessment of this change of policy at the end of the pilot.

Appendix V: Policy on Inactive Faculty Panel Members

The Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network (OATN) provides guidance for statewide panel leads and active faculty panel members in order to avoid inactive faculty panel participation. This policy is specific to faculty panel members serving on OATN panels including but not limited to: Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs), Ohio Transfer 36, Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs), Military Transfer Guides (MTAGs), and Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways (OGTP).

In an effort to advance articulation and transfer policy and practices required by ORC 3333.16, contributions made by over a thousand statewide faculty content experts from universities, community colleges, and career-technical institutions ensure that articulation and transfer work to approve courses and program equivalencies, initiative progress, and prior learning result in the awarding of college credit. Faculty involvement and panel participation help facilitate progress and implementation of statewide initiatives. Their guidance and valuable knowledge of subject matter continues to strengthen courses and programs for the students and citizens of Ohio.

This policy acknowledges the value of statewide faculty participation and recognizes this is performed on a volunteer basis. Since service on a faculty review panel is an agreement with an institution (Provost Office) and faculty member, non-participating faculty will be reported to the appropriate institutional office once deemed inactive. This policy limits the amount of time a faculty member may be considered inactive within the review process to two consecutive review cycles. Inactive status is determined at the discretion of faculty panel leads and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

To maintain comprehensive credit transfer, faculty play a key role throughout the process of awarding college credit, and thus require active faculty participation.

Appendix W: MTAG Additional Credit Options Guidance 

Foreign Language                  

The OATN Oversight Board strongly recommends that Ohio’s public institutions of higher education consider awarding appropriate credit for military foreign language courses from the Defense Language Institute-Foreign Language Center (institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor 2-year institution).  DLI-FLC’s courses were evaluated for alignment to current foreign language TAG courses by a consultant, who was a former Commandant of DLI-FLC (equivalent to a College/University President).  The recommendations from the consultant were shared (and can be found here) and explained to the appropriate TAG panels.  In addition to those courses, DLI-FLC offers significantly more language courses than current foreign language TAGs exist.  Students from DLI-FLC who complete a Foreign Language Basic Program (45 semester hour block) earn a DLI-FLC Diploma.  The OATN Oversight Board strongly recommends that students with this Diploma should be considered, at a minimum, to have met the requirements of foreign language course Beginning Language I & II and Intermediate I & II that are required in some degree programs (typically 4 semesters of a single language). 

General Education Military Credit Project

The OATN Oversight Board strongly recommends that Ohio’s public institutions of higher education consider awarding appropriate credit in areas such as diversity or multiculturalism.  The “General Education Military Credit Project” research document provides examples that current Ohio institutions are using to award credit.  The most appropriate method of credit award should be chosen by the institution and tailored to their specific degree requirements.  The option chosen by the institution should be communicated to incoming veterans and service members as a potential credit option. In addition to the general education recommendations, the “General Education Military Credit Project” document contains additional information to consider regarding infantry coursework, as well as sexual assault prevention and response coursework and certification.  This is only a possibility to be considered as academic credit and in no way would forgo Title IX requirements of institutions.

Appendix X: Guidelines for the Use of Third-Party Evaluation Services

The Ohio Department of Higher Education recognizes the value of third-party evaluation services such as, but not limited to, the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS).  Currently, for the evaluation of military training, experience, and coursework, use of the ACE recommendations is an institutional requirement.  Various education and training entities are recognized by ACE and NCCRS.  However, ACE and NCCRS are only a review service, they are not a stand-alone institutional accreditors that were formerly regional accreditor institution. 

ODHE would expect institutions to follow The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines on transfer credit.  HLC policies for institutions on transfer of credits can be found in HLC’s Assumed Practice A.5 (CRRT.B.10.020) and Publication of Transfer Policies (FDCR.A.10.040).  There are also guidelines that were established by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and ACE in a joint document signed by those three entities in 2017 titled “Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit”. 

The Ohio Articulation and Transfer Oversight Board, along with the ODHE, expects Ohio’s public institutions to develop and use their own processes, which involve appropriate faculty members, when evaluating credit recommendations from third-party evaluation services.  The evaluation process is paramount when considering the credit award and transcription, as that credit will be transferable to Ohio’s public institutions. 

Appendix Y: Industry Recognized Credential Transfer Assurance Guides (ITAGs)

ITAGs (Industry-Recognized Credential Transfer Assurance Guides) are a statewide transfer initiative that guarantees the award of college level credit to students earning agreed upon industry-recognized credentials. Students meeting credentialing requirements, regardless of where the learning was achieved, will be eligible to earn credit for specified courses deemed equivalent by faculty and endorsed by Ohio’s public institutions of higher education to the stated industry-recognized credential. ITAGs are not meant to replace Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs). Knowing some CTAGs use credentials to align with college credit, ITAGs expand the concept of the value of credentials.

To reduce variability in the transfer credit evaluation and application process, a set of college level learning outcomes will be established for each ITAG. The set of learning outcomes, which will be aligned with applicable third-party program accreditation, credentialing, and/or other industry standards, will be vetted by faculty and industry as needed.

The goal of ITAGs is to recognize that learning can be validated by an industry-recognized credential and to provide a framework for the application of that learning at Ohio’s public colleges and universities, Ohio Technical Centers, plus Ohio independent institutions. To help facilitate this goal, a steering committee will be formed to establish criteria for identifying which industry-recognized credentials shall be considered for ITAGs, to determine a priority order for evaluation and to make policy recommendations regarding ITAGS to the Chancellor. The steering committee will be comprised of representation from Ohio’s public colleges, universities and technical centers, Ohio Department of Education, Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, and others as determined to be appropriate by the Chancellor. The steering committee will be facilitated by the ODHE staff members in the Ohio Articulation Transfer Network, Program Approval, and Higher Education Workforce Alignment.

Appendix Z: Articulation and Transfer Policy Updates Due to COVID-19

With all the challenges we have been facing with the coronavirus’ impact on education, we have been getting many questions about our transfer policies. It is a very fluid situation, as you know—as one decision is made, it influences another. The Chancellor has approved the following temporary changes to Articulation and Transfer policy; these changes were developed after consultation with the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board and other stakeholders:

The Acceptance of FY20 Spring AP Exam Scores for College Credit

The College Board recognized that high schools were closing and teaching and learning options for AP courses varied across the country. The College Board also needed to close its own testing sites across the country.  These necessary changes impacted the ability of students to complete their Spring AP coursework and take AP Exams.  The College Board quickly responded.  First, they are offering free on-line instruction that AP students can access.  Second, they adjusted the content of the AP exam so that only content taught through March would be tested.  Third, they found a way for the FY20 Spring AP exams to be taken remotely.  These decisions were made in consultation with their stakeholders, including secondary and higher educational faculty, administrators, and counselors.

The OATN recognizes the need for these changes and the need to hold students harmless in light of these changes.  Consequently, it is OATN policy that the FY 20 Spring AP Exam scores will be accepted for college credit, using the same guarantees that exist in current policy. 

Pass/Fail Grades Accepted for Ohio Transfer 36 and Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) Courses for FY20 Spring Term

Ohio's Articulation and Transfer Policy currently states that students will receive college credit for Pass/Fail grades in most situations; exceptions exist for accreditation requirements or when native students are required to earn a C grade.  Due to COVID-19, many of Ohio’s colleges and universities are offering students the option to receive Pass/Fail (or credit/no credit) on their transcript in lieu of a letter grade.  In order to provide students with certainty in the transfer process, students who receive Pass (or credit) for a course taken during the Spring FY20 and Summer FY21 terms will be guaranteed to receive transfer credit and have that credit applied as if it were a letter grade according to current OATN policy.

Ensuring Career-Technical Assurance Guide (CTAG) College Credit

The Ohio Department of Higher Education, working closely with our partners at the Ohio Department of Education and other stakeholders, developed this guidance to ensure that secondary career technical education junior and senior students remain eligible for the CTAG credit.

• WebXam Alternative Memo (March 30, 2021) 
• WebXam Alternative Guidance (March 30, 2021) 
• Career-Technical Education Information (link sends e-mail) (ODE)
• Career-Technical Education FAQ (link sends e-mail) (ODE)

Virtual Labs Meet Natural Science Ohio Transfer 36 and Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) Requirement

The Ohio Department of Higher Education recognizes that faculty in the discipline and their institutional leaders are in the best position to understand the unique needs of their students and the disruptions that have occurred to coursework, including natural science laboratory courses.  

The OATN understands that faculty members are, as they believe appropriate, providing alternative learning experiences, including virtual experiences, to allow students to achieve the required outcomes of the laboratory experiences. Consequently, the OATN is temporarily suspending its policy prohibiting virtual natural science laboratory experiences; virtual laboratory experience will meet the natural science OT36/TAG lab requirement from Spring Term 2020 through Spring Term 2021.

Spring Term 2022 Information

• Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) and Ohio Transfer 36 Natural Sciences Laboratory Clarification Statement 
• Teaching of Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) and Ohio Transfer 36 Natural Sciences Laboratory Courses during Spring Term 2022 

Fall Term 2021 Information

• Teaching of Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) and Ohio Transfer Module (OTM) Natural Sciences Laboratory Courses during Fall Term 2021 

Fall Term 2020 and Spring Term 2021 Information

• Teaching of OTM Natural Sciences Laboratory Courses During Covid-19 Pandemic (May 6, 2020) 
• Teaching of Organic Chemistry Laboratory Courses During Covid-19 Pandemic (May 6, 2020) 
• Ohio Transfer Module Natural Sciences (Revised and Endorsed – April 25, 2017) 
• OTM Laboratory Requirement (Fall 2020 Term) 
• Natural Science OTM/TAG Virtual Laboratory Experiences (Spring 2021 Semester) 

Natural Sciences Lab Requirements for Summer Term 2021 and Fall Term 2021

For Summer Term 2021, if students are not able to meet in-person for their natural science lab requirement, the policy of not requiring in-person or hybrid natural science labs for Ohio Transfer 36 courses and TAG courses will still be in effect.  Organic Chemistry highly recommends in-person lab experiences if possible.

After discussions with the TAG and Ohio Transfer 36 Natural Sciences faculty leads, the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board, and with challenges of COVID-19 still being a reality for Fall Term 2021, the following waiver for Natural Sciences Laboratory Courses will continue to apply: If students are not able to meet in-person for their Natural Science Lab requirement due to COVID-19 and capacity issues, the policy of not requiring in-person or hybrid natural science labs for Ohio Transfer 36 courses and TAG courses will still be in effect for Fall Term 2021. The Organic Chemistry TAG faculty highly recommend in-person lab experience, if possible. 

Appendix AA: Recommendations to Strengthen Ohio Public Institutional Advising 

In order for transfer to be successful in the state of Ohio, institutions need strong advising that includes:

1. Clarity in student facing advising centers/offices within institutional websites.
2. Dissemination of OATN announcements, statewide meetings, and faculty review and writing panel advancements to appropriate institutional transfer specialists and advising centers/offices.

To further support a transfer-receptive culture for student advising, OATN will convene postsecondary advisors and secondary councils to participate in statewide advisory meetings.