Appendix B

Transfer Module Guidelines

Approved – December 8, 2005
Effective Fall 2006

Guidelines Specific to Each Area

English Composition

In addition to the Common Guidelines described above, the courses in the English Composition category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions.

The major learning emphasis shall include the teaching, practice, and evaluation of expository 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 Transfer Module will not be subjected to a diagnostic placement test at the receiving institution (unless required of native students who have completed comparable coursework).

One college-level writing course adapted for students whose first language is not English may be included in the Transfer Module if this course is equivalent to the approved college composition course at the institution. Courses in which the main focus is understanding the English language (ESL course), basic grammar, and paragraph writing are not acceptable.
A second-level disciplinary course in a program such as Writing Across the Curriculum or Writing in the Disciplines is acceptable only when preceded by a required college-level writing course and if the course and syllabus description emphasizes writing instruction and evaluation.

Oral Communication

In addition to the Common Guidelines described above, the courses in the Oral Communication category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions.

Courses in oral communication are an option for elective courses within the Transfer Module. If a student completes a course in oral communication but does not complete a Transfer Module, the course may only apply as an elective upon transfer, because not all institutions have this requirement.

The major emphasis of the 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 presentations 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 public speaking.
Courses in oral communication are in addition to English composition and may not replace or substitute for composition courses.

Excluded: Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, upper division courses, and narrowly focused technical or pre-technical courses. Also excluded are courses that are courses in which the main focus is theory, the study of communication styles, or oral interpretation and performance. (Students should research and prepare their own oral presentations, not give a recitation of existing work.)

Mathematics, Statistics and Formal/Symbolic Logic

In addition to the Common Guidelines described above, the courses in the Mathematics, Statistics and Formal/Symbolic Logic category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions.

All students admitted to an institution of higher education are expected to meet criteria for mathematics proficiency. If students do not demonstrate proficiency sufficient for placement into college algebra, they will be required to take developmental mathematics courses to achieve the necessary proficiency. Developmental mathematics courses are not part of a Transfer Module. Rather, Transfer Module courses in this category assume entry-level proficiency in mathematics.1

College-level courses in this area will develop the student's mathematical power and problem-solving ability beyond the 12thgrade high school exit standards. Courses in this area may include formal/symbolic logic, college algebra, statistics, mathematics in everyday life, pre-calculus, and calculus.

Excluded: Pre-college courses and developmental mathematics such as college arithmetic, plane geometry, beginning and intermediate algebra.

Arts/Humanities

In addition to the Common Guidelines described above, the courses in the Arts/Humanities category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions.

Courses must be introductory-level courses that focus on the study of human endeavors spanning historical periods, regions, and cultures. Courses may be selected from the following areas: art, music, theatre, film, literature, religion, philosophy, ethics, and history. Students must select courses from at least two of the areas listed above.

Skills-based activities, whether graded or not, may be a part of courses in the Transfer Module provided that the courses meet the fundamental criteria (that they emphasize at least one of the learning outcomes for the Transfer Module, and that they assume entry level college proficiencies).
To be acceptable, foreign language courses must devote a majority of the course content to literature and not be grammar and/or skills based.

Excluded: Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, upper division courses, and narrowly focused technical or pre-technical courses. Also excluded are courses that are primarily designed for skill development or as preparation for advanced study in a major (e.g., applied music lessons, studio art, symbolic logic, theatre skills, and creative writing).

Social and Behavioral Sciences

In addition to the Common Guidelines described above, the courses in the Social and Behavioral Sciences category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions.

Courses must be introductory-level courses that explain through empirical investigation and theoretical interpretation the behavior of individuals and/or various groups in societies, economies, governments, and subcultures. Courses may be selected from the social and behavioral science disciplines, including anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology. Students must select courses from at least two of the areas listed above.

Excluded: Remedial or developmental courses, special topics courses, upper division courses, and narrowly focused technical or pre-technical skill-based courses. Also excluded are courses that are career preparation courses, non-credit continuing education courses, and life experience courses.

Natural Sciences

In addition to the Common Guidelines described above, the courses in the Natural Sciences category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions.

Courses of an introductory nature must make clear the importance of experimental inquiry in the sciences and the way in which such inquiry into the natural world leads scientists to formulate principles that provide universal explanations of diverse phenomena. These courses should have as a goal the development of an understanding of how scientific principles are built and used in the modern world and of the impact of science on society. Through these courses, students should develop an understanding of structured thinking involving induction and deduction. Courses may be selected from natural science disciplines such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, physical geography, and physics. At least one of the courses must have a laboratory component as follows:

The laboratory component of courses must carry at least one credit hour and must meet an average of no less than two hours per week.
All course descriptions must include a breakdown of lecture and laboratory hours per course.

Interdisciplinary Studies

In addition to the Common Guidelines described above, the courses in the Interdisciplinary Studies category are subject to the following guidelines and restrictions.

Courses with content or methodology drawn explicitly from more than one of Natural Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts/Humanities; English Composition; Oral Communication; and Mathematics, Statistics and Formal/Symbolic Logic are defined as "Interdisciplinary."

The fundamental criteria for inclusion of Interdisciplinary courses in a Transfer Module are the general ones that apply to all courses, specifically: A) that they emphasize at least one of the learning outcomes of the Transfer Module, and B) that they assume entry-level college proficiencies.
Inasmuch as one of the purposes of general education is to provide a "breadth of knowledge," Interdisciplinary courses directly serve one of the purposes of general education and the Transfer Module. It is possible that an entire Transfer Module could be constructed from Interdisciplinary courses, provided the courses in aggregate did not neglect any one of Natural Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts/Humanities; English Composition; or Mathematics, Statistics and Formal/Symbolic Logic.In terms of providing breadth of knowledge, two courses that each span (for instance) the Natural Sciences and the Social Sciences should be considered equivalent to the combination of one Natural Science and one Social Science course. Consequently, each Interdisciplinary course should specify which areas of knowledge it draws on.
Interdisciplinary courses must be approved by a panel comprising faculty who teach interdisciplinary courses.

When a course is submitted for approval as an Interdisciplinary course, the proposal must specify which areas (viz., Natural Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts/Humanities; English Composition; or Mathematics, Statistics and Formal/Symbolic 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 half-credit hours. For instance, if a 3-hour course in environmental studies is roughly half natural science and half social science, then 1.5 hours of the course will be attributed to natural science and 1.5 hours to social science.

1: Algebra 1: basic algebra techniques: simplifying and evaluating algebraic expressions, factoring, an introduction to graphing, solutions to first degree equations, inequalities, together with the analysis and solution to word problems.
Plane Geometry: basic properties of geometric figures, applications of geometric formulas, right triangles, trigonometry, basic postulates of Euclidean geometry, and construction of proofs of geometric theorems.
Algebra 2: intermediate algebra techniques: extension of basic algebra techniques, roots, radicals, rational exponents, quadratic equations; solution of second degree equations and applications, more linear inequalities, absolute value equations and inequalities; an introduction to functions, together with the analysis and solution of word problems.