dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution whose credit is denied for transfer shall notify the commissioner of the denial. The Commissioner of Higher Education or the commissioner's designee shall make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and the institutions. The following procedures will be followed by public institutions of higher education in the resolution of credit transfer disputes involving lower division courses according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Texas Education code 61.826: 1. If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution will give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that the transfer of the course credit is denied. A receiving institution will also provide written notice of the reasons for denying credit for a particular course or set of courses at the request of the sending institution. 2. A student who receives the notice of denial for transfer credit may dispute the denial of credit by contacting a designated official at either the sending institution or the receiving institution. 3. The two institutions and the student will attempt to resolve transfer of the course credit in accordance with Board rules and regulations. 4. If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution that denies the course credit for transfer will notify the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board of its denial and the reason for its denial. 5. The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner’s designee will make the final determination about a dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions. 6. The Board will collect data on the types of transfer disputes that are reported and the disposition of each case that is considered by the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee. 7. If a receiving institution has cause to believe that a course being presented by a student for transfer from another school is not of an acceptable level of quality, it should first contact the sending institution and attempt to resolve the problem. In the event that the two institutions are unable to come to a satisfactory resolution, the receiving institution may notify the Commissioner of Higher Education, who may investigate the course. If the quality is found to be unacceptable, the Board may discontinue funding for the course. More information on the guidelines of the resolution of transfer disputes is available in the office of the Director of Admissions/Registrar or Vice President of Student Services.
CREDIT BY EXAMINATION/EXPERIENCE Galveston College supports the concept that learning can and does occur outside the traditional college classroom. In today’s world, many students acquire substantial education through intensive reading, travel, correspondence courses, continuing education, military experiences, and other non-traditional avenues of learning. A maximum of 24 semester hours of credit may be earned by examination or other non-traditional forms of education and applied towards the degree. Students may not establish credit by examination for any course which has been previously attempted at Galveston College or another college. Students should visit with a counselor or advisor for more information. Every effort has been made to interrelate the College’s credit by examination program with transferring four-year institutions; however, final acceptance of these credits for specific degree purposes is determined by the accepting institution. A student must be enrolled and complete at GC in at least 6 semester credit hours of non-developmental courses to be posted on their permanent record. Credit established through examination becomes part of the student’s record and may not be removed or changed. Students who successfully complete an examination receive a grade of a “CR” on their transcript. The semester credit hours will apply toward graduation requirements, but are not calculated in the grade point average. Students should visit Counseling/Advising to inquire regarding eligibility for credit by examination. Evaluated Credit – Evaluation of Credentials Students may earn credit by an evaluation of various credentials, including but not limited to the following: • State or national board exams/certifications (LVN, RN, Law Enforcement, etc.) • Non-traditional transcripts (hospital-based schools, cosmetology, etc.)
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