• Revise Regent policy so UW campuses can accept occupational courses from technical colleges, such as accounting or computer science, on a course-by-course basis, when determined to be comparable or equivalent to UW courses.
• Encourage the two systems to continue to develop “2+2” degree completion programs in which WTCS students will be able to transfer additional courses toward a UW four-year degree. Students will receive a written program agreement that specifies which courses will transfer, how they will apply, and what additional requirements will be needed for graduation.
• Allow students to confirm how courses will transfer by referencing the Transfer Information System (TIS). The TIS printed report will serve as a written credit transfer contract for students who successfully complete the courses.

The Board of Regents deferred two other proposals for further review in December. Those items would:

• Enable students completing a new WTCS liberal arts degree to transfer up to 72 credits and satisfy UW university-wide general education requirements;
• Create a broad-based committee to explore additional options and develop a plan to increase the number of Wisconsin citizens with bachelor's degrees.

• Identify steps needed to implement each credit transfer initiative, as well as issues and challenges that may arise;
• Identify ways to ensure these transfer initiatives remain consistent with the UW System and WTCS missions;
• Communicate with faculty and staff at each institution about content and implementation of each initiative; and
• Ensure that enhanced student success is the primary driver for any implementation plans or procedures.

• “2 + 2 programs” in which students begin a degree at a technical college, then transfer 50 to 60 credits toward a baccalaureate degree at a UW System institution.
• A web-based “Transfer Information System,” where students and advisers can access information about which credits will transfer (see more below).
• New advocates at each system to help students solve transfer problems.

UW System opposes legislation to alter credit transfer policies
Members of the Wisconsin State Legislature have introduced legislation that would require UW institutions to accept all credits transferred from both the two-year UW Colleges and the Wisconsin Technical College System.

The legislation, AB-366, would also require each technical college district to accept credits transferred from another technical college district or from a UW Colleges campus.

The UW System opposes this legislation. This bill would require the transfer of courses between institutions regardless of academic merit, and would obscure the unique missions of each institution.

Institutions in both systems offer courses that would not be relevant to an academic program at another institution. For example, courses required in the WTCS Technical Communications Associate Degree program may be relevant to a UW program in communications, but probably not to a UW nursing degree program.

The two systems have made significant progress on this issue through the development of appropriate program agreements that maximize opportunities for credit transfer. Further, the UW System and WTCS continually work to increase the numbers of transferable credits without damaging the core mission of each system.

More information about UW System positions on pending legislation is available through the University Relations website.
 

Transferring just got easier!
Students and advisers are turning to the Transfer Information System to ensure transferring to another UW campus is an easy and successful process. This web-based, interactive program allows users to see how credits will transfer to any UW institution. The website is full of current, accurate information, including a comprehensive collection of links and resources for transfer planning.

Features include:

• Credit Transfer Wizards: See how current or future courses will transfer to any UW campus.
• Transfer Planning Guides: Use these valuable resources to help UW Colleges students plan a transfer to a four-year UW campus.
• WTCS Transfer Agreements: Help technical college students better understand their transfer options.

UW Colleges vital for keeping commitment to state
The UW Colleges remain the strongest partner for developing collaborative liberal arts programming in regions where such a need exists, according to UW Colleges Chancellor Bill Messner. In a recent letter to the technical college system, Messner included a reminder that costs and duplications are both reduced when the UW System and technical colleges work together to provide educational opportunities. Messner's letter was in response to a WTCS Board action to consider establishing liberal arts degrees at Western Wisconsin Technical College and Chippewa Valley Technical College.

Visit the UW Colleges website to learn more about transfer policies.
 

UW HELP has the answers
The UW System Higher Education Location Program  -- or UW HELP -- is the primary resource for potential students, parents, counselors, and UW colleagues who seek information on any aspect of the UW System.

UW HELP provides advising services to students on behalf of all 26 UW System campuses and UW-Extension through a toll-free hotline, and also develops "Introduction to the UW System," a publication for prospective students.

The office is responsible for a wide range of electronic services, including on-line applications and UW HELP On-Line, which provides more than 800 pages and 1,800 links to advising and learning resources. UW HELP has also proven vital for outreach efforts that showcase the UW System as a whole.

For those seeking information on credit transfer, UW HELP provides a collection of links about admission and transfer policies, as well as a gateway to the Transfer Information System.

Copyright 2003, University Relations, University of Wisconsin System.