2.00
Official copies of college transcripts or prior learning credit should be forwarded to the Office of Admissions as part of the application. The Office of the Registrar will use a faculty-approved transfer guide to course equivalencies to evaluate credit. Credits are accepted, grades are not and will not be used to calculate the student's grade point average at Cobleskill. To determine academic standing and eligibility for retention, residence credit and transfer credit hours will be totaled. The total will be used to determine academic progress and standing.
2.01
With verification of the registrar, the appropriate dean, after consultation with department chair(s), may grant credit for courses completed successfully at other accredited institutions of higher education. Credits evaluated and accepted into one major field of study may NOT necessarily be accepted toward the major field requirements in another field of study. Change of major REQUIRES reevaluation of transfer credit by the registrar.
2.02
Credit may be granted for credit courses from accredited colleges, as certified by the registrar, in which grades of "D" (1.0)* or better were earned as long as the overall index of the courses being transferred remains at 2.0 or higher, subject to evaluation by the appropriate dean with input from the department chair. Physical Education transfer credits of Pass/Satisfactory may be applied towards Physical Education requirements regardless of legend.
*Certain degree programs require a grade of “C-” or better in major field requirement/track areas. If this is the case, the “D” grade will NOT satisfy these requirements.
2.03
Residency Requirements – (1) A student must complete a minimum of 25% of their credits from SUNY Cobleskill to meet the residency requirements. (2) A minimum of one-half of the residency requirement (1) must be major field requirements. A student may appeal to the Provost regarding the residency requirements.
2.04
Courses which have been evaluated as "elective" may be used to fulfill degree requirements (e.g., courses which are evaluated as SOSC, HIST or PSYC "elective" fulfill part or all of six hours of social science requirement). The prefix FREL, or Free Elective, is used when there is no equivalent prefix at Cobleskill. When there is an equivalent prefix but there is not an equivalent course at Cobleskill students will receive credit at a 1XX or 2XX level for the subject area. Courses evaluated as a "general elective" may only be used to fulfill the "general elective" requirement. The number of electives required may differ based on the student's curriculum and degree. If necessary, course equivalencies are determined by an appropriate department representative as determined by the dean.
2.05
All hours granted under "Cobleskill Equivalent" are semester hours. Transfer institutions which use quarter hours are so noted on the evaluation. Roughly quarter hour equivalency is 2/3 that of semester hours. 5 Qtr. Credits = 3 Semester Credit Hours at Cobleskill. 4 Qtr. Credits = 2.5 Semester Credit Hours at Cobleskill.
2.06
Refusal of Credits – Cobleskill accepts credits from other accredited institutions when the nature, content, and level of the transfer credit is comparable to courses at Cobleskill. Transfer credit must be appropriate and applicable to the student's degree program and their educational goals. Cobleskill has the right to refuse credit which does not meet these considerations.
2.15
Transfer Credit to Complete Degree Requirements – The date of graduation is determined by the date which SUNY Cobleskill receives the official transcript. In addition, all degree requirements must be met prior to the degree being awarded.
2.20
Approval of Credits Obtained at Other Colleges after Admission to Cobleskill – Students currently enrolled in a degree program must have prior approval from the advisor and dean (via signature on Transfer Course Approval Form) for transfer of credits obtained at other colleges after admission to Cobleskill. Repeat of courses at another college already taken at Cobleskill will not change the grade earned at Cobleskill.
2.30
Categories of Transfer Credit – In addition to credit received from other accredited colleges, the credits accumulated in the following areas also count toward degree: New York State College Proficiency Examination Program, the College External Examination Board Advanced Placement Examination, the College Level Examination Program and challenge examinations administered at Cobleskill College.
2.31
Credit may also be awarded for courses taken in non-collegiate settings. Credit will reviewed by the Office of the Registrar in accordance with established non-collegiate organizational agreements. The department/school faculty must approve the valuative guidelines, such as Guidelines to Educational Programs in Non-Collegiate Organizations, published by New York State Education Department, and Guide to Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces, published by the American Council on Education in establishing non-collegiate organizational agreements.
2.40
Challenge Examinations – Students who are registered and enrolled in courses designated with a (C) in the College catalog may challenge the course via examination within the add/drop period. Application may be made with the instructor, dean or department chair, depending on the department.
2.41
Successful challenges are recorded on the challenge transmittal form, which is forwarded to the registrar. Students are assigned credit on the transcript, and a grade of "S" is recorded. See Section H - Grades, subsection 8.50 S/U Grades.
A part-time student who completes a successful challenge may enroll in another course carrying an equal number of credit hours during the add/drop period without paying additional tuition and fees. Part-time students may add another course providing it does not bring them above 11.5 credits.
2.42
Students who fail the examination may not repeat the attempt. No credit is received and no entry is made on the transcript. Students must continue in the course in order to earn the credit or withdrawal.
2.43
Limits on Challenge: Challenge examinations may not be used for (a) courses previously taken (whether passed or failed), or (b) courses at a level lower than the one in which the student has been placed or has completed earlier at any college.
2.50
Credit by Published Examinations – Matriculated students may receive credit by passing published proficiency examination(s) (see sections 2.54-2.56) provided the content is that of college course(s). Credit by Examination is reviewed for application of credit by the Office of the Registrar. When necessary, the registrar will consultation with departmental leadership if a course equivalency has not been determined.
2.51
The registrar may grant credit if a grade of "C" or better is earned on the CPE or CLEP examinations, or if a “3” or better is earned on the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Examination (CEEB). Students should be advised that in transferring to other colleges, their AP credit may not be accepted at that level.
2.52
Results from the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Examination (CEEB) should be sent to the director of admissions.
2.53
The registrar will evaluate the scores for CEEB and CLEP. The College will not count credit hours toward fulfillment of degree requirements in the areas that would normally not receive credit when transfer credits are evaluated.
2.54
CEEB Examinations: The College will accept requests for advanced placement and/or credit based on the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Examination. Students must meet College entrance requirements and be accepted and enrolled. A score of no less than 3 on the CEEB Advanced Placement Examination must be earned in order for students to receive equivalent credit at Cobleskill.
2.55
CLEP Examinations: The College will grant up to six credits in each exam area for successful completion of CLEP General Examinations in English Composition, Mathematics, Humanities, Natural Science, Social Sciences, Foreign Language and History. Accepted scores are based on the American Council on Educations recommended scores and vary based on the exam.
2.56
CPE Examinations: A score of "C" or better must be earned on the College Proficiency Examination or the student must have passed the college course examination.
2.57
International Baccalaureate Course Equivalents (Adopted from U Albany Policy): The college will award 30 credits to students completing the requirements for the IB Diploma with a cumulative score of at least 30 (including both Standard Level and Higher Level exams) and no score lower than a 4 (satisfactory). The credits will be awarded as follows:
In addition, the college will consider for credit and/or placement on a course-by-course evaluation those IB subjects completed at the Higher Level without completion of the IB Diploma if a score from 4 (satisfactory) to 7 (excellent) is earned.
2.60
One Plus One Programs – Articulation agreements have been developed with several other SUNY colleges. Students may complete a prescribed first year at one of the colleges stated in the agreements and transfer to Cobleskill to complete a degree program. Admission to Cobleskill is contingent upon completing the first year with a grade point average of 2.00.
2.65
Transfer Credit Appeals - Students may appeal transfer credit evaluation decisions after an official transcript has been evaluated and processed by the Office of the Registrar. Appeals can be submitted if a course transfer is denied or a student wants to have it reevaluated for a specific SUNY Cobleskill course or applied to a particular degree requirement. The appeal must be made during the student's first semester of enrollment at SUNY Cobleskill.
Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Registrar with supporting (justification statement, syllabus, student learning outcomes, course material examples, and/or list of associated texts). Following submission of an appeal, the Registrar will coordinate review of the appeal with the appropriate department chair and dean. The Registrar will determine if a revision can be made immediately or will explain the appeal process. If a formal appeal is requested, the student will complete the Transfer Credit Appeal Form and submit it to the Registrar's Office for review with the appropriate department and dean. The appeal will be reviewed, and a decision made, within seven working days of receipt of the form. The department chair will email the decision to the student. If the appeal is approved, the form will be processed. If the appeal is not approved, the student will have seven working days to appeal to the vice president for academic affairs (VPAA) for the final review. The VPAA will have the chairperson of the Academic Policies Committee convene a three (3) member review panel to make ret9mmendations to the VPAA. The decision of the VPAA shall be final and not subject to further appeal. Notice will be sent to the student in writing. The form will be returned to the Registrar's Office. Students transfsrring from SUNY schools, who are not satisfied with the Cobleskill decision, can appeal to the SUNY Provost. The appeal form and instructions are available at: http://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/student-mobility/student-transfer-appeal-process/
2.70
Credit for Prior Learning - 1) Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) provides students the opportunity to document verifiable, college-level learning gained outside of a traditional classroom. It is important to note that though 'prior learning' is a widely used term, the award of academic credit by evaluation can be applied to learning concurrent to one's program of study (pursuant to SUNY Award of Academic Credit by Evaluation Policy - memo dated 2-7-2023). Examples may include professional and industry certifications and licenses or other credentials, non-credit and continuing education study, non-credit microcredentials (credit-bearing microcredentials follow pqlicies 2.0 -2.20), on-the-job training/education, and work experience. 2) Students must complete an application through the Dean's Office and pay a processing fee. Students are encouraged to apply for CPL within the first year of study. 3) Evaluation, assessment, and approval will be conducted by teaching faculty/content experts from the relevant area of study.