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Prior Learning - Credit

From Other Institutions of Higher Learning

Applicants for admission who have attended other institutions of higher learning may be admitted with advanced standing depending upon the courses completed and grades earned. Applicants for advanced standing should apply for admission in the same way as other applicants, but in addition, they must request the Registrar of all institutions of higher learning which they have attended to forward official transcripts of work completed to the College. SUNY Canton accepts credit for courses transferred with a grade equivalent to a C or above at SUNY Canton. Prior credits which apply to an earned Associate degree, including grades of D and above, will be accepted in transfer and may be applied towards the total credits for a SUNY Canton Bachelor’s degree. This policy may exempt credits received in the core curriculum when program specific grade requirements supersede this policy.

The College has formalized transfer agreements with a number of higher education institutions. Acceptance of satisfactorily completed credits taken at the prior institution is guaranteed upon transfer to SUNY Canton as specified in the applicable transfer agreement. Credit is awarded at the discretion of the School Dean.

Change of Major

Upon changing a major, all prior college credit, both institutional and transfer, is evaluated for applicability to the new major.

By Proficiency Examination

  1. Published Examinations
    Admission with advanced standing may be granted on the basis of satisfactory completion of published proficiency examinations. The College participates in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DSST (formerly DANTES), Excelsior College Exams (ECE), the International Baccalaureate Program (IB), and the Advanced Placement Program (AP) as well as the Regents College Proficiency Examination Program sponsored by the New York State Education Department.
  2. Locally Developed Examinations
    At the discretion of the School or departmental faculty, advanced standing may be granted for satisfactory completion of proficiency examinations developed by the faculty and in accordance with the following policy:
    1. Locally designed and administered exams are available only to students who are matriculated at SUNY Canton.
    2. Such exams will consist of written and/or practical application tests as deemed appropriate.
    3. Any credit earned via such examinations will not be counted as residency credit, included on official enrollment reports unless requested specifically, included in a faculty member’s reported work-load, and used in calculating the campus FTE credit report.
    4. Any credit earned must fulfill degree requirements.
    5. Such exams will be administered prior to a student’s enrollment in the equivalent course for which a proficiency exam is requested.
    6. Satisfactory completion of a locally designed and administered proficiency exam will be recorded on the student’s transcript following evidence of progress toward an educational objective.
    7. A student is not permitted to enroll in or repeat the equivalent course for which a proficiency exam has been satisfactorily completed.
    8. A student may not repeat the proficiency exam administered for a specific course or portion thereof if not satisfactorily completed.
    9. Copies of all locally designed proficiency examinations will be placed on file with the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and the appropriate School Dean.
    10. Forty dollars ($40) per credit hour will be charged for all locally designed and administered proficiency examinations.

From Secondary School

The College may grant credit for selected courses completed at the secondary level. Transfer credit will be conditional upon evaluation of in-kind courses and experiences by the appropriate School Dean in which the credit will be granted. Approved secondary course work will match or exceed that offered on campus. The course must be subject to an articulation agreement. Students requesting credit must demonstrate superior performance and have the recommendation of the appropriate secondary school faculty member and endorsement of the high school principal.

Credit for Life Experiences

Credit for Life Experiences may be granted to students enrolled in any program at the discretion of the faculty of that program, a Review Committee, and the School Dean in which the program is located. NOTE: Students can apply for Life Experience Credit for a course only if a proficiency exam or a CLEP exam does not exist for that course. The maximum number of credit hours of Credit for Life Experiences that can be applied toward an associate degree is 15 and toward a baccalaureate degree is 30. Such credit will be evaluated according to the following procedure:

  1. The student must apply for Life Experience Credit during the first semester of matriculation in the program. Applicants must complete the Application Form for Credit for Life Experiences, and submit the form to the School Dean in which the program is located.
  2. The School Dean, in consultation with other School Deans as appropriate, will arrange for an advisor selected from the School’s faculty to assist the student in preparing the necessary documentation in support of the number of credits requested. The portfolio must clearly evidence mastery of a preponderance of the learning outcomes as listed in the course outline(s) in order for a request to be viable.
  3. The student will submit a formal letter of request and a portfolio containing all documentation and pertinent adjunct supportive material to the advisor within the first ten weeks of the student’s second matriculated semester. The student will be notified of the decision within five weeks after submitting the portfolio. Only enrollment during the College academic year will count as the first semester of matriculation (Summer school IS NOT part of the College academic year).
  4. The portfolio will be evaluated by the Review Committee, which will be comprised of the advisor; a second faculty member of the School in which the program is housed, appointed by the advisor; and an Academic Standards Committee (ASC) faculty member, appointed by the Academic Standards Committee, who is not a member of the School in which the program is housed. The ASC member of the Review Committee may request review of the portfolio by the entire Academic Standards Committee.
  5. The advisor will provide the Review Committee with a copy of the most recent appropriate course outline(s), including detailed learning objectives.
  6. The Review Committee will submit its recommendation and the recommendation of the Academic Standards Committee, if appropriate, to the School Dean and forward a copy of the recommendation to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  7. Credit for Life Experiences cannot be granted for courses in which the applicant has been, or is, enrolled at SUNY Canton.
    1. Credit determinations in discipline-related fields (e.g., electrical, humanities, social work, etc.) will be made by faculty members in the respective or related department.
    2. Following the decision of the School Dean, a notice will be forwarded to the student, the advisor, the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Registrar regarding the amount of credit granted and the courses for which the credit will be counted in the student’s program.
    3. Forty dollars ($40) per credit hour will be charged for the review of the materials. This fee must be paid and registration procedures completed prior to the beginning of the review.
    4. Forty dollars ($40) per credit hour will be charged for prior learning credit granted. This fee must be paid prior to the granting of credit.
    5. Credit will be recorded as “CR” on the student’s official transcript under the appropriate course number but only following the satisfactory (2.00) completion of one full-time semester or its equivalent in the student’s program.

Military Training and Experience

The College may grant advanced standing for military training and experience as recommended by the American Council on Education. Where courses, service school experience, or subject matter exams are applicable to a curriculum in which a student is enrolled at this college, credit will be determined using the publication “Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.”

Manner of Recording Advanced Standing

Official transcripts of this College will include the appropriate number of credits granted for courses transferred in from other higher education institutions, proficiency examinations completed satisfactorily, validated life experiences, and/or military training and experience as “CR” credit only and be excluded in the calculation of a student’s cumulative grade point average.