Narrative

The institution awards academic credit for course work taken on a noncredit basis only when there is documentation that the non-credit course work is equivalent to a designated credit experience.

Compliance Certification Rationale for Judgment of Compliance

Southwest Texas Junior College awards academic credit for selected courses offered on a non-credit basis through Continuing Education. These credits may be applied to an Associate’s degree, consistent with the SWTJC mission goal of preparing students “to successfully transfer to senior colleges and universities.”

Equivalency of this course work was determined by SWTJC faculty and administration on a course-by-course basis through the examination of course competencies and student learning outcomes.

Off-Site Committee Judgment and Commentary: Non-Compliance

The institution does award academic credit for noncredit coursework. The institution employs processes that allow noncredit courses taken for criminal justice or vocational nursing to be converted to credit. The institution does not provide evidence of the policy. The institution does not provide policies that govern other types of noncredit to credit transfer such as outlined in 3.4.4. The institution allows certain non-credit courses in the areas of criminal justice and vocational nursing. The criteria that must be met to allow the award of credit are provided. However, the college does not provide any documentation to indicate how the non-credit courses are equivalent to the for-credit courses.

Institutional Response

Southwest Texas Junior College policy EFAB (Legal) provides the basic framework for establishing the relationships between non-credit (continuing education) courses and career/technical credit courses and programs.

Policy EFAB (Local) sets the course clock-hour length requirements for non-credit courses to be eligible for application to a credit program. In addition, the SWTJC Dean of Applied Sciences reviews either the licensing credentials of a student applying to have non-credit courses count toward an SWTJC credit program or the syllabus requirements of the non-credit courses to determine equivalency to credit courses.

For an illustration of this syllabus comparison for Child Development Associate and Child Development, please click here. For an illustration of this syllabus comparison for Nurse Aide and Vocational Nursing, please click here.

When the Dean of Applied Sciences determines equivalency, the Dean submits to the Registrar’s Office the syllabi and the appropriate authorization form, either the Child Development Advanced Placement Credit Form, or the Vocational Nursing Advanced Placement Credit Form. As also noted in the SWTJC Compliance Certification, the policy for awarding credit for Nurse Aide work is provided on page 181 of the college Catalog.

To petition for application of non-credit Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice course work to the SWTJC Criminal Justice credit program, an applicant must present licensing credentials. As was noted in the SWTJC Compliance Certification, the college Catalog provides the Criminal Justice Advanced Placement Policy on page 154. Those requirements are also provided on the Criminal Justice Advanced Placement Credit Form, which the Dean of Applied Sciences completes and submits to the Registrar’s office upon receiving proof of the applicant’s licensure(s). Such licenses may only be earned by the student’s having passed the required State test for “Licensed Peace Officer,” “Basic Jail Guard,” or “Telecommunications Operator.”