1. To guide the University of the Fraser Valley, as a receiving institution, in the establishment and maintenance of practices for acknowledging course work undertaken previously by students of the B.A. -- Adult Education degree program, through educational institutions or programs of study offered by institutions or agencies other than the UFV.
   
   
2. As a voluntary way to exchange information with stakeholders, about the practices by which transfer credit may be granted for students of the UFV B.A. -- Adult Education degree program.

Particular Circumstances

• Adult education as a field of study is diverse and interdisciplinary. Postsecondary education institutions and agencies, for a variety of very legitimate reasons, "cut the pie" of adult education study in many different ways. While adult education programs often display common programmatic themes and elements, it is rare that any two programs set out their program structure and prescribed content in any
  standardized fashion.
• Adult education programs and courses often offer considerable learner discretion in terms of depth, breadth, and choice of specific interest areas. Adult education program students at UFV display diverse backgrounds and personal/career development interests. In such circumstances, there will be situations where there is similarity, but a lack of precise match, between an external course and potential UFV course analogues. Where the matter appears open to discretion, it may be appropriate for the final decision to be negotiated in light of the particular individual's background and learning intentions as set out in his/her program plan.
• Because of the diversity of the field and the particular needs of any given potential client segment, it is not clear that inter-institutional standardization is an appropriate or achievable objective. To the degree that the above conditions are the case, efforts to develop a "snug" and comprehensive course transfer structure remain problematic.

The following principles will guide adjudication and decision making regarding the determination of transfer credits for the UFV B.A. - Adult Education degree program:

PRINCIPLE #1: It is our intention to aim at achieving fairness in granting transfer credit.

PRINCIPLE #2: In a time of limited resources, it is in the interests of all parties that neither learners nor educational providers be placed in a position of having to duplicate teaching/learning activities unnecessarily.

PRINCIPLE #3: Assigned Credit may be determined based upon approximations rather than on exact matches between described course content.

PRINCIPLE #4: Determination of Assigned Credit can be linked with the process of program planning for individual students. Due to diversity of backgrounds and future learning intentions among students, and ambiguity in the match between some external courses and potential UFV course analogues, there may be variations across students in the selection of UFV course analogues.

PRINCIPLE #5: In circumstances where there is no similarity between an external course and UFV course offerings, Unassigned Credit may be granted, equivalent to elective course elements of a given student's program plan.

General Conditions

• As a receiving program, the B.A. Adult Education program at UFV will use transfer categories based on the British Columbia Transfer Guide (1994-95, p.3). Specifically, the following categories shall
  apply:

Assigned Credit - a course taken elsewhere which is equivalent to a given UFV analogue course (may be a required or an elective course),

Unassigned Credit - a course not identifiable as equivalent to a specific UFV course offering but which is evaluated as being appropriate for academic credit or transfer. A completed program of study which may or may not be identifiable with specific UFV course offerings, but which is evaluated as being appropriate for
academic credit or transfer.

• In general, the University of the Fraser Valley will honour courses with a "C" grade or better, earned by a student at another institution recognized by the University.
• Unassigned credit for a completed program may include credit for successfully completed individual courses at a grade lower than"C" (eg., at a UFVgrade equivalent to a C- or P) provided that the  average grade for all the courses being assessed is at least "C." 
• Recognition by the University, of studies completed elsewhere, does not imply, or in any way guarantee, that these transfer credits will be recognized by another institution.
• Transfer credit will not automatically be granted for prior learning credit awarded by other institutions.  Transfer credit allowed for previous work in a particular subject area does not necessarily excuse the student from meeting the prerequisites or other requirements for entry into a course or program.

Specific Conditions

The UFV B.A. -- Adult Education degree program has the following conditions and categories for earning program credits:

• a minimum of 30 credits must be obtained from UFV course work,
• a maximum of 90 credits may be obtained through prior learning assessment, including transfer credit,
• a maximum of 30 credits may be obtained through portfolio assessment,
• a maximum of 60 credits may be transferred from recognized institutions, agencies, or programs.
• a maximum of 45 credits may be acknowledged as unassigned "block" credit for completed programs through recognized institutions, agencies, or programs.

Credits for learning related to any of the above categories, which is judged to be duplication, through course work or otherwise, will not accumulate for UFV program credit.

There is no general time limit on the transfer of credits, but courses completed more than seven years prior to the request for transfer will not automatically be given credit. In the assessment of learning undertaken in some subject areas where there is rapid change in the knowledge base (eg., Educational Technologies), the
currency and applicability of the subject matter will be taken into account in making the decision to grant transfer credit .

Students enrolled in the B.A. -- Adult Education program who wish to take courses at other institutions and who wish to be assured that such courses will be recognized for credit toward the B.A. in Adult Education, must obtain prior written permission. The courses so taken must satisfy an element identified in the student's
program plan.

Document last updated, Feb. 15, 2011

Feb 2011
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