Appendix 1: Student Transfer Policies

Appendix 1. Student Transfer Policies

Appendix 1. Student Transfer Policies

Maryland Higher Education Commission Student Transfer Policies

Authorization

These Student Transfer Policies, as adopted by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, will supersede the transfer policies in effect since 1972, as modified and adopted in 1979. These policies shall be effective and applicable to students first enrolling in Maryland public post-secondary educational institutions in Fall 1990, and thereafter.

Applicability of Policies

These transfer policies and procedures apply to admission, credit transfer, program articulation, and related matters for undergraduate students who wish to transfer between Maryland public colleges and universities. The Maryland Higher Education Commission also recommends them to Maryland independent institutions.

Rationale

A major premise of the Maryland public higher education system is that a student should be able to progress from one segment of higher education to another without loss of time or unnecessary duplication of effort. The Maryland Higher Education Commission’s objective is to ensure that a student who intends to complete a baccalaureate degree and who begins his or her work at a community college is able to move towards the completion of that degree by transferring to a baccalaureate degree-granting institution without loss of credit or unnecessary duplication of course content. At the same time, the Commission recognizes that some students change their educational objectives as they progress in their studies, indeed, sometimes because their studies expose them to new ideas and possibilities. These students should also be able to complete their general education courses and have them transfer without loss of credit.

One means of accomplishing this objective is through the development of recommended transfer programs between two- and fouryear institutions. A recommended transfer program, developed by careful planning and agreement between specific two- and four-year institutions, is that recommended sequence of courses which a student takes at a community college which will constitute the first two years of a baccalaureate degree program at a Maryland public institution of higher education.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission recognizes that students select institutions of higher education for a variety of reasons. These policies also recognize that each Maryland public college or university has a separate and distinct mission, and that each has the responsibility to establish and maintain standards of expectations for courses, programs, certificates, and degrees consistent with that mission. Nevertheless, effective and efficient transfer of credits between and among these institutions must occur within the larger context of the statewide structure of baccalaureate and community college education.

Successful and harmonious articulation depends upon:

Firm agreement that the needs of the student should be a primary concern in developing articulation procedures, while maintaining the integrity of educational programs;
The establishment of clear and equitable policies to assure optimum accessibility for transfer students with minimal loss of credits and minimal duplication of course content;
Mechanisms for evaluating and resolving difficulties students may encounter in moving from one school to another;
Free and continuous communications among institutions;
Mutual respect for institutions and their missions;
Adaptability, within a context of understanding that changes affect not only the institution making changes but also the students and institutions impacted by the changes;
Free exchange of data among institutions;
Timely exchange of information relative to students’ progress.

The intended principal benefactor is the student, whose uninterrupted progress towards a degree — based on successful academic performance — is best served by the open exchange of current information about programs, and is best protected by a clear transfer policy pertaining to the public segments of higher education in Maryland.

The State’s interests are similarly served through such a policy, which results in the optimal use of its higher education resources by reducing the costly duplication that results in the needless waste of the valuable time and effort of Maryland students, faculty, and administration.

Institutional interests and missions are also protected by this systematic approach, which permits them to incorporate into their academic planning more accurate projections about the programmatic backgrounds of transferring students.

In more specific ways this document’s purpose is to:

Define broad areas of agreement among the public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education pertaining to facilitating the transfer of students within these segments;
Provide a mechanism for continuous evaluation of programs, policies, procedures, and relationships affecting transfer of students;
Provide such revisions as are needed to promote the academic success and general well-being of the transfer student;
Provide a system of appeals beginning on the campus level to resolve difficulties that students experience in transfer.

While policies and procedures can be established which facilitate the transfer of students, it is the responsibility of the student, as the principal in the process, to know and follow the procedures defined.

Transfer Policies

I. Policies

The fair and equal treatment of “native” and “transfer” students is the fundamental principle of these policies.

A. Admission:

Associate Degree Holders (or those with 56 or more credit hours):
1. Students who have completed the Associate degree or students who have completed 56 semester hours of credit with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0 in college and university parallel courses, shall not be denied direct transfer to an institution. (Only the last grade received in a course repeated by the student shall be used in computing a cumulative grade point average.) If the number of students seeking admission exceeds the number that can be accommodated in a particular professional or specialized program, or certain circumstances exist which limit the size of an upper division program or the total enrollment, admission decisions will be based on criteria developed and published by the receiving institution, providing fair and equal treatment for native and transfer students.
2. Courses taken at a Maryland community college as part of a recommended transfer program oriented toward a baccalaureate degree shall be applicable to related programs at a Maryland public institution granting the baccalaureate degree.
3. The determination of the major program requirements for a baccalaureate degree, including courses in the major taken in the lower division, shall be the responsibility of the faculty of the institution awarding the degree. The receiving institution may set major requirements which may fulfill general education requirements simultaneously. However, in developing its lower division coursework, the degree-granting institution would be expected systematically to exchange information with the community college to ensure the transferability of credits into that program.
4. If the student has attended more than one institution, the cumulative GPA for admission purposes will be computed on grades received in courses at all institutions attended.

B. Transfer of General Education:
TITLE 13B
MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION
Subtitle 02 ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
Subtitle 06 GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRANSFER
Authority: Education Article, 11-201 - 11-206
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Scope and Applicability.

This chapter applies only to public institutions of higher education.

.02 Definitions.

In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.
Terms defined.
1. “A.A. degree” means the Associate of Arts degree.
2. “A.A.S. degree” means the Associate of Applied Sciences degree.
3. “Arts” means courses that examine aesthetics and the development of the aesthetic form and explore the relationship between theory and practice. Courses in this area may include fine, performing and studio art, appreciation of the arts, and history of the arts.
4. “A.S. degree” means the Associate of Sciences degree.
5. “Biological and physical sciences” means courses that examine living systems and the physical universe. They introduce students to the variety of methods used to collect, interpret, and apply scientific data, and to an understanding of the relationship between scientific theory and application.
6. “English composition courses” means courses that provide students with communication knowledge and skills appropriate to various writing situations, including intellectual inquiry and academic research.
7. “General education” means the foundation of the higher education curriculum providing a coherent intellectual experience for all students.
8. “General education program” means a program that is designed to introduce undergraduates to the fundamental knowledge, skills, and values that are essential to the study of academic disciplines, to encourage the pursuit of life-long learning, and to foster the development of educated members of the community and the world.
9. “Humanities” means courses that examine the values and cultural heritage that establish the framework for inquiry into the meaning of life. Courses in the humanities may include the language, history, literature, and philosophy of Western and other cultures.
10. “Mathematics” means courses that provide students with numerical, analytical, statistical and problem-solving skills.
11. “Native student” means a student whose initial college enrollment was at a given institution of higher education and who has not transferred to another institution of higher education since that initial enrollment.
12. “Parallel program” means the program of study (or courses) at one institution of higher education which has comparable objectives as those at another higher education institution, e.g. a transfer program in psychology in a community college is definable as a parallel program to a baccalaureate psychology program at a four year institution of higher education.
13. “Receiving institution” means the institution of higher education at which a transfer student currently desires to enroll.
14. “Recommended transfer program” means a planned program of courses, both general education and courses in the major, taken at the community college which is applicable to a baccalaureate program at a receiving institution; ordinarily the first two years of the baccalaureate degree.
15. “Sending institution” means the institution of higher education of most recent previous enrollment by a transfer student at which transferable academic credit was earned.
16. “Social and behavioral sciences” means courses that examine the psychology of individuals and the ways in which individuals, groups, or segments of society behave, function, and influence one another. They include, but are not limited to, subjects which focus on history and cultural diversity; on the concepts of groups, work and political systems; on the applications of qualitative and quantitative data to social issues; and on the interdependence of individuals, society, and the physical environment.
17. “Transfer student” means a student entering an institution for the first time with academic credit earned at another institution which is applicable for credit at the institution the student is entering.

.03 General Education Requirements for Public Institutions.

While public institutions have the autonomy to design their general education program to meet their unique needs and mission, that program shall conform to the definitions and common standards in this chapter. A public institution shall satisfy the general education requirement by:
1. Requiring each program leading to the A.A. or A.S. degree to include not less than 30 and no more than 36 semester hours and each baccalaureate degree program to include not less than 40 and no more than 46 semester hours of required core courses, with the core requiring, at a minimum, coursework in each of the following five areas:
  1. Arts and humanities;
  2. Social and behavioral sciences;
  3. Biological and physical sciences;
  4. Mathematics; and
  5. English composition.
2. Conforming with COMAR 13B.02.02.16D(2)(b)- (c).
General education programs of public institutions shall require at least:
1. One course in each of two disciplines in arts and humanities;
2. One course in each of two disciplines in social and behavioral sciences;
3. Two science courses, at least one of which must be a laboratory course;
4. One course in mathematics at or above the level of college algebra; and
5. One course in English composition.
Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues.
1. In addition to the five required areas in §A of this regulation, a public institution may include up to eight semester hours in a sixth category that addresses emerging issues that institutions have identified as essential to a full program of general education for their students. These courses may:
  1. Be integrated into other general education courses or may be presented as separate courses; and
  2. Include courses that:
    1. Provide an interdisciplinary examination of issues across the five areas; or
    2. Address other categories of knowledge, skills, and values that lie outside of the five areas.
2. Public institutions may not include the courses in this section in a general education program unless they provide academic content and rigor equivalent to the areas in §A (1) of this Regulation.
General education programs leading to the A.A.S. degree shall include at least 20 semester hours from the same course list designated by the sending institution for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. The A.A.S. degree shall include at least one 3 semester hours course from each of the 5 areas listed in §.03A(1).
A course in a discipline listed in more than one of the areas of general education may be applied only to one area of general education.
A public institution may allow a speech communication or foreign language course to be part of the arts and humanities category.
Composition and literature courses may be placed in the Arts and Humanities area if literature is included as part of the content of the course.
Public institutions may not include physical education skills courses as part of the general education requirements.
All general education courses shall reflect current scholarship in the discipline and provide reference to theoretical frameworks and methods of inquiry appropriate to academic disciplines.
Courses that are theoretical may include applications, but all applications courses shall include theoretical components if they are to be included as meeting general education requirements.
Public institutions may incorporate knowledge and skills involving the use of quantitative data, effective writing, information retrieval, and information literacy where possible in the General Education Program.
Notwithstanding §A(1) of this Regulation, a public four-year institution may require 48 semester hours of required core courses if courses upon which the institution’s curriculum is based carry 4 semester hours.
Public institutions shall develop systems to ensure that courses approved for inclusion on the list of general education courses are designed and assessed to comply with the requirements of this chapter.
A public college or university shall notify all other public degree-granting institutions of its intention to adopt a new lower-division course for general education credit at least six months prior to offering the course for general education credit.

.04 Transfer of General Education Credit.

A student transferring to one public institution from another public institution shall receive general education credit for work completed at the student’s sending institution as provided by this Chapter.
A completed general education program shall transfer without further review or approval by the receiving institution and without the need for a course-by-course match.
Courses that are defined as general education by one institution shall transfer as general education even if the receiving institution does not have that specific course or has not designated that course as general education.
The receiving institution shall give lower-division general education credits to a transferring student who has taken any part of the lower-division general education credits described in Regulation .03 of this Chapter at a public institution for any general education courses successfully completed at the sending institution.
Except as provided in Regulation .03L of this Chapter, a receiving institution may not require a transfer student who has completed the requisite number of general education credits at any public college or university to take, as a condition of graduation, more than 10-16 additional semester hours of general education and specific courses required of all students at the receiving institution, with the total number not to exceed 46 semester hours. This provision does not relieve students of the obligation to complete specific academic program requirements or course prerequisites required by a receiving institution.
Each sending institution shall designate on or with the student transcript those courses that have met its general education requirements, as well as indicate whether the student has completed the general education program.
A.A.S. Degrees.
1. While there may be variance in the numbers of hours of general education required for A.A., A.S., and A.A.S. degrees at a given institution, the courses identified as meeting general education requirements for all degrees shall come from the same general education course list and exclude technical or career courses.
2. An A.A.S. student who transfers into a receiving institution with fewer than the total number of general education credits as designated by the receiving institution shall complete the difference in credits according to the distribution as designated by the receiving institution. Except as provided in §03M, the total general education credits for baccalaureate degree-granting public receiving institutions shall not exceed 46 semester hours.
Student responsibilities. A student is held:
1. Accountable for the loss of credits that:
  1. Result from changes in the individual’s selection of the major program of study;
  2. Were earned for remedial coursework; or
  3. Exceed the total course credits accepted in transfer as allowed by this Chapter.
2. Responsible for meeting all requirements of the academic program of the receiving institution.

.05 Transfer of Non-General Education Program Credit.

Credit earned at any public institution in the State shall be transferable to any other public institution if the:
1. Credit is from a college or university parallel course or program;
2. Grades in the block of courses transferred average 2.0 or higher; and
3. Acceptance of the credit is consistent with the policies of the receiving institution governing students following the same program.
Credit earned in or transferred from a community college is limited to:
1. One-half the baccalaureate degree program requirement, but may not be more than 70 semester hours; an
2. The first two years of the undergraduate educational experience.
Nontraditional Credit.
1. The assignment of credit for AP, CLEP, or other nationally recognized standardized examination scores presented by transfer students is determined according to the same standards that apply to native students in the receiving institution, and the assignment shall be consistent with the State minimum requirements.
2. Transfer of credit from the following areas shall be consistent with COMAR 13B.02.02. and shall be evaluated by the receiving institution on a course-by-course basis:
  1. Technical courses from career programs;
  2. Course credit awarded through articulation agreements with other segments or agencies;
  3. Credit awarded for clinical practice or cooperative education experiences; an
  4. Credit awarded for life and work experiences.
3. The basis for the awarding of the credit shall be indicated on the student’s transcript by the receiving institution.
4. The receiving institution shall inform transfer students of the procedures for validation of coursework for which there is no clear equivalency. Examples of validation procedures include ACE recommendations, portfolio assessment, credit through challenge, examinations and satisfactory completion of the next course in sequence in the academic area.
5. The receiving baccalaureate degree-granting institution shall use validation procedures when a transferring student successfully completes a course at the lower division level that the receiving institution offers at the upper division level. The validated credits earned for the course shall be substituted for the upper division course.
Program Articulation.
1. Recommended transfer programs shall be developed through consultation between the sending and receiving institutions. A recommended transfer program represents an agreement between the two institutions that allows students aspiring to the baccalaureate degree to plan their programs. These programs constitute freshman/sophomore level coursework to be taken at the community college in fulfillment of the receiving institution’s lower division coursework requirement.
2. Recommended transfer programs in effect at the time that this regulation takes effect, which conform to this chapter, may be retained.

.06 Academic Success and General Well-Being of Transfer Students.

Sending Institutions.
1. Community colleges shall encourage their students to complete the Associate degree or to complete 56 hours in a recommended transfer program which includes both general education courses and courses applicable toward the program at the receiving institution.
2. Community college students are encouraged to choose as early as possible the institution and program into which they expect to transfer.
3. The sending institution shall:
  1. Provide to community college students information about the specific transferability of courses at 4-year colleges.
  2. Transmit information about transfer students who are capable of honors work or independent study to the receiving institution.
  3. Promptly supply the receiving institution with all the required documents provided the student has met all financial and other obligations of the sending institution for transfer.
Receiving Institutions
1. Admission requirements and curriculum prerequisites shall be stated explicitly in institutional publications.
2. The receiving institution shall admit transfer students from newly established public colleges that are functioning with the approval of the Maryland Higher Education Commission on the same basis as applicants from regionally accredited colleges.
3. The receiving institution shall evaluate the transcripts of degree seeking transfer students as expeditiously as possible, and notify students of the results no later than mid-semester of the students’ first semester of enrollment at the receiving institution provided that all official transcripts have been received at least 15 working days before mid-semester. The receiving institution shall inform students of which courses are acceptable for transfer credit and which of those are applicable to the student’s intended program of study.
4. The receiving institution shall give transfer students the option of satisfying institutional graduation requirements that were in effect at the receiving institution at the time the student enrolled as a freshman at the sending institution. In the case of major requirements, a transfer student may satisfy the major requirements in effect at the time when the student was identifiable as pursuing the recommended transfer program at the sending institution. These conditions are applicable to the student who has been continuously enrolled at the sending institution.

.07 Programmatic Currency.

Receiving institutions shall provide to the community college current and accurate information on recommended transfer programs and the transferability status of courses. Community college students shall have access to this information.
Recommended transfer programs shall be developed with each community college whenever new baccalaureate programs are approved by the degree-granting institution.
When considering curricular changes, institutions shall notify each other of the proposed changes that might affect transfer students. An appropriate mechanism shall be created to ensure that both two and four-year public colleges provide input or comments to the institution proposing the change. Sufficient lead time shall be provided to affect the change with minimum disruption. Transfer students are not required to repeat equivalent coursework successfully completed at the community college.

.08 Transfer Mediation Committee.

There shall be a Transfer Mediation Committee, which shall be representative of the public four-year colleges and universities and the community colleges, appointed by the Secretary.
Sending and receiving institutions that disagree on the interpretation of the transfer of general education courses as defined by this Chapter shall submit their disagreements to the Transfer Mediation Committee. The Transfer Mediation Committee shall also address questions raised by any institutions about the acceptability of new general education courses. As appropriate, the Committee shall consult with faculty on curricular issues.
The findings of the Transfer Mediation Committee shall be considered binding on both parties.

.09 Appeal Process.

Notice of Denial of Transfer Credit by the Receiving Institution.
1. Except as provided in §A(2) of this Regulation, the receiving institution shall inform a transfer student in writing of the denial of transfer credit not later than mid-semester of the transfer student’s first semester provided that all official transcripts have been received at least 15 working days before mid-semester.
2. If transcripts are submitted after 15 working days before mid-semester of the student’s first semester, the receiving institution shall inform the student of credit denied within 20 working days of receipt of the official transcript.
3. The receiving institution shall include in the notice of denial of transfer credit:
  1. A statement of the student’s right to appeal; and
  2. A notification that the appeal process is available in the institution’s catalog
4. The statement of the student’s right to appeal the denial shall include notice of the time limitations in §B of this regulation.
A student believing that the receiving institution has denied the student transfer credits in violation of this chapter may initiate an appeal by contacting the receiving institution’s Transfer Coordinator or other responsible official of the receiving institution within 20 working days of receiving notice of the denial of credit.
Response by Receiving Institution.
1. The receiving institution shall establish expeditious and simplified procedures governing the appeal of a denial of transfer of credit.
2. The receiving institution shall respond to the student appeal within 10 working days.
3. The institution may either grant or deny the appeal. The institution’s reasons for denying an appeal must be consistent with these policies and conveyed to the student in written form.
4. Unless the student appeals to the sending institution, this written decision constitutes the receiving institution’s final decision and is not subject to appeal.
Appeal to Sending Institution.
1. If the student has been denied transfer credit after an appeal to the receiving institution, the student may request the sending institution to intercede on his/her behalf by contacting the Transfer Coordinator of the sending institution.
2. The student must make this appeal to the sending institution within 10 working days (2 weeks) of having received the decision of the receiving institution.
Consultation between Sending and Receiving Institutions.
1. Representatives of the two institutions shall have 15 working days (3 weeks) to resolve the issues involved in the appeal.
2. As a result of this consultation, the receiving institution may affirm, modify, or reverse its earlier decision.
3. The receiving institution shall inform the student in writing of the result of the consultation.
4. The decision arising out of this consultation shall constitute the final decision of the receiving institution and is not subject to appeal.

.10 Periodic Review.

Reports by Receiving Institutions.
1. The receiving institution shall annually report the progress of students who transfer from two-year and four-year institutions within the State to each community college and to the Secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
2. The annual reports shall include longitudinal reports on the subsequent academic success of enrolled transfer students, including graduation rates, by major subject areas.
3. The receiving institution shall include in the reports comparable information on the progress of native students.
Transfer Coordinator. Each public institution of higher education shall designate a Transfer Coordinator, who serves as a resource person to transfer students at either the sending or receiving campus. The Transfer coordinator is responsible for overseeing the application of the policies and procedures outlined in this plan and interpreting transfer policies to the individual student and to the institution.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission shall establish a permanent Student Transfer Advisory Committee that meets regularly to review transfer issues and recommend policy changes as needed. The Student Transfer Advisory Committee shall address issues of interpretation and implementation of this chapter.

C. Credit Transferability:

Traditional Credit
1. Credit earned at any public institution in Maryland shall be transferable to any other public institution provided:
  - the credit is from a college or university parallel course or program;
  - the grades in the block of courses transferred average 2.0 or higher; and
  - the acceptance of the credit is consistent with the policies of the receiving institution governing students following the same program. (For example, if a “native” student’s “D” grade in a specific course is acceptable in a program, then a grade of “D” earned by a transfer student in the same course is also acceptable in the same program.)
2. Credit earned in or transferred from a community college normally shall be limited to half the baccalaureate degree program requirement, but in no case more than 70 credits, and to the first two years of the undergraduate educational experience.
Non-Traditional Credit
1. The assignment of credit for AP, CLEP, or other nationally recognized, standardized examination scores presented by transfer students will be determined according to the same regulations that apply to native students in the receiving institution, and such assignment must be consistent with the State minimum requirements
2. Transfer of credit from the following areas shall be consistent with the State minimum standards and shall be evaluated by the receiving institution on a course-by-course basis:
  - technical courses from career programs;
  - course credit awarded through articulation agreements with other segments or agencies;
  - credit awarded for clinical practice cooperative education experiences; and
  - credit awarded for life and work experiences.
    
    The basis for the awarding of the credit shall be indicated on the student’s transcript.
3. The baccalaureate degree-granting institution shall inform transfer students of the procedures through which coursework for which there is no clear equivalency can be validated, such as ACE recommendations, portfolio assessment, credit through challenge examinations, and satisfactory completion of the next course in sequence in the academic area.
4. The baccalaureate degree-granting institution shall use validation procedures when a transferring student successfully completes a course at the lower division level which the degree-granting institution offers at the upper division level, and once validated, the credits earned for the course shall be substituted for the upper division course.

D. Program Articulation

Recommended transfer programs will be developed through consultation between the sending and receiving institutions. As such, each recommended transfer program represents an agreement between the two institutions that allow students aspiring to the baccalaureate degree to plan their programs. These programs will constitute freshman/sophomore level coursework to be taken at the community college in fulfillment of the receiving institution’s lower division coursework requirement.

II. Policies to Promote the Academic Success and General Well-Being of Transfer Students

By the Sending Institutions:
1. Students who enroll at Maryland community colleges shall be encouraged to complete the Associate degree or to complete 56 hours in a recommended transfer program which includes both general education courses and courses applicable toward the program at the receiving institution.
2. Community college students are encouraged to choose as early as possible the institution and program into which they expect to transfer.
3. Sending institutions shall provide to community college students information about the specific transferability of courses at four-year colleges.
4. Information about transfer students who are capable of honors work or independent study shall be transmitted to the receiving institution.
5. The sending institution should promptly supply the receiving institution with all the required documents provided the student has met all requirements of the sending institution for transfer.
By the Receiving Institutions:
1. Admission requirements and curriculum prerequisites shall be stated explicitly in institutional publications.
2. Transfer students from newly established public colleges which are functioning with the approval of the Maryland Higher Education Commission shall be admitted on the same basis as applicants from regionally accredited colleges.
3. The receiving institution shall evaluate the transcripts of possible, and shall notify students of the results no later than at the completion of the students’ first semester of enrollment at the receiving institution. Students shall be informed both of which courses are acceptable for transfer credit and which of those are applicable to the student’s intended program of study.
4. Transfer students shall be given the option of satisfying institutional graduation requirements which were in effect at the receiving institution at the time they enrolled as freshmen at the sending institution. In the case of major requirements, the transfer student has the option of satisfying the major requirements in effect at the time when the student was identifiable as pursuing the recommended transfer program at the sending institution. These conditions are applicable to the student who has been continuously enrolled at the community college by completing a minimum of 12 hours within the calendar year.

III. Maintaining Programmatic Currency, Student Appeals, and Periodic Review

Programmatic Currency:
1. Receiving institutions shall provide to the community college current and accurate information on recommended transfer programs and the transferability status of courses. Community college students shall have access to this information.
2. Recommended transfer programs will be developed with each community college whenever new baccalaureate programs are approved by the degree-granting institution.
3. When considering curricular changes, institutions shall notify each other of the proposed changes that might affect transfer students. An appropriate mechanism shall be created to ensure that both two- and four-year public colleges provide input or comments to the institution proposing the change. Sufficient lead time shall be provided to affect the change with minimum disruption. Transfer students shall not be required to repeat equivalent coursework successfully completed at the community college.
Appeal Process:
1. Notification of denial of transfer credit by the receiving institution:
  A receiving institution must inform a transfer student in writing of the denial of transfer credit no later than mid-semester of the transfer student’s first semester provided that all official transcripts have been received at least 15 working days before mid-semester. If transcripts are submitted after 15 working days before mid-semester of the student’s first semester, the receiving institution must inform the student of credit denied within 20 working days of receipt of the official transcript. A statement of the student’s right to appeal the denial and a notification that this appeal process is available in the institution’s catalog shall accompany the notification of denial of transfer credit.
2. Student appeal to receiving institution:
  If a student believes she/he has been denied transfer credits in violation of the State Student Transfer Policy, she/he must initiate an appeal by contacting the receiving institution Transfer Coordinator or other responsible official of the receiving institution within 20 working days (four weeks) of receiving notice of the denial of credit. The receiving institution shall inform the student of this time limitation at the same time as the transfer of credit is denied.
3. Response by receiving institution:
  The receiving institution must respond to the student appeal within 10 working days (two weeks). The institution may either grant or deny the appeal. The institution’s reasons for denying an appeal must be conveyed to the student in written form.
4. Appeal to sending institution:
  If the student has been denied transfer credit after an appeal to the receiving institution, the student may request the sending institution to intercede on his/her behalf by contacting the Transfer Coordinator of the sending institution. The student must make this appeal to the sending institution within 10 working days (two weeks) of having received the decision of the receiving institution.
5. Consultation between sending and receiving institutions:
  Representatives of the two institutions shall have 15 working days (three weeks) to resolve the issues involved in the appeal. The sending institution will inform the student of the result of the consultation.
6. Appeal to the Student Transfer Advisory Committee:
  If the transfer of credit is still denied after consultations between the sending and receiving institutions and the sending institution considers the student’s appeal to have sufficient merit, the sending institution may appeal in writing to the Secretary of Higher Education to request that the Student Transfer Advisory Committee review the student’s appeal and make a ruling on the merit of the appeal. The sending institution must make this appeal to the Secretary within 10 working days (two weeks) of having informed the student of the result of the consultation between the two institutions.
  In the absence of an appeal to the Secretary by the sending institution, if the credit is still denied, the student may appeal in writing to the Secretary to request that the Student Transfer Advisory Committee review the student’s appeal and make a ruling on the merit of the appeal. The student must make this appeal to the Secretary within 10 working days (2 weeks) of either being informed of the result of the consultation between the two institutions or, if the student receives no notification, within 10 working days (2 weeks) of the expiration of the time period of the sending institution’s right to appeal.
7. Consideration and action by the Student Transfer Advisory Committee:
  The Student Transfer Advisory Committee shall receive relevant documentation, opinions, and interpretations in writing from the sending and receiving institutions and from the student at its next regularly scheduled meeting after the Secretary has received an appeal from a sending institution or from a student. The Committee will hold a hearing if it deems a hearing to be necessary to act upon the appeal.
8. Advisory opinion of the Secretary:
  After receiving testimony on the merits of the appeal from the sending and receiving institutions, the Student Transfer Advisory Committee shall render an advisory opinion on the merits of the appeal to the Secretary of Higher Education.
  The Secretary will then convey the opinion of the Student Transfer Advisory Committee to the appropriate segmental chief executive for disposition.
Periodic Review:
1. The progress of students who transfer from two-year and four-year institutions within the State shall be reported annually by the receiving institution to each community college and to the Secretary of the Maryland Commission of Higher Education. Such information shall include longitudinal reports on the subsequent academic success of enrolled transfer students, including graduation rates by major subject areas. Comparable information on the progress of native students shall be included.
2. Each public institution of higher education shall designate a Transfer Coordinator, who serves as a resource person to transfer students at either the sending or receiving campus, and who is responsible for overseeing the application of the policies and procedures outlined in this plan. The Transfer Coordinator shall also assist in interpreting transfer policies to the individual student and to the institution.
3. The Maryland Higher Education Commission shall establish a permanent Transfer Advisory Committee that meets regularly to review transfer issues and recommend policy changes as needed. The committee shall also arbitrate disagreements as necessary and receive written appeals as described in the “student appeals” section above.
4. The Transfer Advisory Committee shall review these transfer policies at least every five years and recommend changes as necessary.

IV. Definitions

Native Student: A student whose initial college enrollment was at a given institution of higher education and who has not transferred to another institution of higher education since that initial enrollment.
Parallel Programs: The program of study (or courses) at one institution of higher education which has comparable objectives as those at another higher education institution, e.g. a transfer program in psychology in a community college is definable as a parallel program to a baccalaureate psychology program at a four-year institution of higher education.
Receiving Institution: The institution of higher education at which a transfer student currently desires to enroll.
Recommended Transfer Program: A planned program of courses, including both general education and courses in the major, taken at the community college level which is applicable to a baccalaureate program at a receiving institution; ordinarily the first two years of the baccalaureate degree.
Sending Institution: The institution of higher education of most recent previous enrollment by a transfer student at which transferable academic credit was earned.
Transfer Student: A student entering an institution for the first time with academic credit earned at another institution which is applicable for credit at the institution the student is entering.