Articulation Policy

Reference

Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA), the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO), and the American Council of Education (ACE), Joint Statement of Transfer and Award of Academic Credit, December 15, 2021.

Background and purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the guidelines for:

the transfer of students to Windward Community College (WCC), and
the articulation of the curriculum of other campuses to WCC.

The College subscribes to the principles and practices regarding the transfer of credits approved by national professional education organizations.

E5.209 has set general parameters for the UH System to follow and this policy is intended to further clarify E5.209 as it relates to WCC. This document will also serve to consolidate the information from various documents.

Articulation of Windward Community College curricula with other University of Hawaii campuses is a complex matter, which must involve faculty, staff, and administration. To assure that the process of program articulation functions smoothly, the campus is committed to the following general principles:

Documentation: The specifics of articulation between WCC and other institutions shall be detailed in a written agreement signed by the Chancellor and other appropriate administrators. Articulation agreements shall include provisions for regular review, evaluation, and revision. (E5.209 page 4 11.L)

Coordination and Communication: Changes in degree requirements, curricula, and other academic policies at WCC which involve prior consultation with the campuses affected by the changes. When another University of Hawaii campus agrees to a similar policy, WCC agrees that major changes in degree requirements at WCC shall be announced at least one year in advance of their implementation to allow other campuses sufficient time to consider appropriate action at such time.

Continuity: “Hold Unharmed” provisions in academic policy and curriculum changes shall be applicable to students from sending campuses, as long as the student maintains continuous registration. Provision shall be made for exceptions to continuous registration by appeal to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. (E5.209 page 5 11.0)

Accountability: WCC will designate a single individual as being a contact person for students or University personnel with articulation questions or concerns.

Authority

Counselors and Vice Chancellor of Student Affair

Definitions/Categories

Official Transcript – Transcript that is sent from originating campus to WCC’s Admissions & Records.

Procedures

Transfer of Students:

Students who are either high school graduates or at least 18 years of age may transfer to WCC regardless of the number of credits completed at another institution. (E5.209 page 8 IV.B.l.c)

Students who have taken courses at other institutions are not obligated or required to submit transcripts or seek evaluation of their credits for transfer to WCC. In general, only degree-seeking students will need to have prior work evaluated, and a student must declare a program before a transcript evaluation can be made.

Articulation of the Curriculum

Foundation Courses: WCC joined the University of Hawaii General Education: Multicampus Articulation Consortium in 2008. (E5.209 page 6 111.B.3)

Campuses that have an approved common foundations program, as described in the Procedures for Articulation to UH Manoa’s General Education Foundations Requirements memorandum dated May 20, 2004 will have the authority to review their own courses for foundations designations. Once a campus’s common foundations program is fully approved, its students’ foundation courses can be readily transferred to other UH campuses that have an approved common foundations program. Campuses that do not have an approved common foundations program may propose individual courses for articulation.
Hawaiian Asian Pacific (HAP) Board: In January 2008, WCC’s Faculty Senate signed the articulation agreement that would allow WCC to have its own HAP Board. WCC’s portfolio was approved in March 2008. (E5.209 page 6 IV.B.3)
Diversification Courses: In May 20 IO the UH System approved this MOA regarding the Transfer of General Education Core Requirements and amends E5.209 Section IV.B.3. (MOA May 20 IO Transfer of General Education Core Requirements)

Other Related Issues:

To assure the smooth transfer of students within the University of Hawaiʻi, the following shall be the policy at WCC:

Transfer of Previously Earned Credits: An evaluation and acceptance of credits earned at a non-UH institution by any campus within the University of Hawaii also shall be accepted at WCC, as no less than electives. Where there are no equivalent courses or similar requirements between the sending campus and WCC, credits transferred may be accepted as electives rather than the designation assigned by the original campus. In order to facilitate student mobility in meeting educational goals, courses designated as meeting University of Hawaii general education requirements at one campus shall be judged as applicable toward meeting similar requirements at WCC. (E5.209 page 7 111.B. I0)
Transfer of Grade Point Ratio: The student’s grade point ratio(GPR) is not transferable to WCC. To obtain a degree, however, a student must have a 2.0 grade-point-ratio including those courses transferred from other campuses. (E5.209 page 7 111.B.8)
Graduation Requirements: Students in undergraduate general and pre-profession classifications who maintain continuous enrollment shall be eligible to graduate under the general education core requirements in place at the time of their first enrollment in the University of Hawaii System, unless the student chooses to graduate using the requirements of a later catalog. (MOA May 20 IO Transfer of General Education Core Requirements)
Degree Residency Requirements: To be eligible for an associate degree, at least 12 credits must be earned at WCC. To be eligible for a certificate, at least twenty percent (20%) of program courses in the certificate/major must be earned at WCC. (E5.209 page 8 IV.B.5, UHCCP 5.208)

Exclusion: None.

Responsibilities: Counselors and WCC Vice Chancellor of Student Affair

Effective date: Fall 2019

Reviewed October 2024