I. Introduction

The Ohio Board of Regents is required by law to coordinate the Ohio institutions of higher education in the development, implementation and improvement of a statewide student credit-hour transfer policy to facilitate student transfer among institutions of higher education. An initial policy was developed and implemented in1990 so that a transfer student with an equivalent academic record could complete a degree comparable to that of the student who began at the receiving institution. All curricular residency requirements must be successfully completed by incoming transfer students at the receiving institution prior to the granting of a degree.

The Commission on Articulation and Transfer, which drafted the original policy, was guided by assumptions that it should:

Create an academically sound and facilitative system to afford students an opportunity to attain their goals.
Encourage students to move as far through the educational system as they can.
Maintain a balance between good public policy and administrative burden.
Recognize the diversity of Ohio institutions without perpetuating barriers to articulation and transfer.
Continue the institutional autonomy of curricula and degree requirements.
Create a coherent statewide policy that encourages cooperation and that can be maintained over time.
Assure equitable consideration and treatment for both native and transfer students.
Assure students that they will not be required to repeat course work successfully completed at another institution.
Encourage independent institutions to adopt this policy.

The assumptions above were still viewed as valid 14 years later when a complete policy review was initiated by the Ohio Board of Regents. Recommendations adopted from that review, together with the requirements of H.B. 95 from the 125th Ohio General Assembly, form the foundation of the revised Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, which was adopted on March 22, 2007, by the Ohio Board of Regents.