I want to add my voice to those of Elise and Roger in opposition to Monday’s opinion piece.

It suggests that the Career College Association (CCA), of which I am President, favors restrictive regulations governing the transfer of credit issue.

If by calling our policies “restrictive” one means favoring efficiency, transparency, nondiscrimination and a higher education community that is striving to meet the needs of the 21st century workforce, and putting students first, then this is an accurate statement.

The transfer of credit issue is of growing import as more and more students in America seek to maximize their educational experiences by transferring schools, either mid-course or to pursue more advanced degrees. Each receiving institution wants control over the credits deemed appropriate for earning a degree, and that’s understandable.

But let’s add some transparency to the process to assist students who are making costly and life-altering higher education decisions. Doing so will establish clear expectations for student progress through the byways of higher education and help avoid wasting student and taxpayer dollars on redundant coursework, wasting time that might otherwise go towards meeting truly necessary degree requirements, wasting productivity as the student’s entry into the workforce is delayed, and wasting human capital as the student decides the uphill battle for a degree is simply too frustrating to continue.

CCA does not advocate for the blind acceptance of credits. What we do advocate is requiring receiving institutions to provide more information to potential students and the public about the transfer credit. We do not propose to restrict academic freedom and recognize that receiving institutions must have real flexibility in their credit transfer decisions. Colleges and universities need flexibility, but not carte blanche.

The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill requiring institutions to have and publicly disclose a detailed policy on transfer of credit and acceptance of degrees. We agree. We also believe that institutions consider fairly proffered credits or degrees without regard to whether the sending institution is nationally or regionally accredited, so long as the accreditation is issued by an agency recognized by the Department of Education.

To do otherwise is simply to discriminate. The 1,200-plus CCA member institutions must meet rigorous requirements in order to be accredited, whether by a regional or national accrediting organization (about 60 to 65 percent of our members are nationally accredited, and about 35 to 40 percent are regionally accredited). Those accredited by national accrediting agencies meet standards that are as strict as those of regional agencies.

Yet students who attend nationally accredited institutions who attempt to transfer credits to another institution or have degrees recognized to pursue graduate work are most often told that their credits or degrees will not be accepted. End of story. No meaningful explanation offered. Why? These regionally accredited, traditional, not-for-profit public and private institutions frequently base their decision not to accept transfer credits solely on the source of the accredited institution granting those credits.

“Discrimination” is an ugly word, particularly when it is used to describe behavior in the exalted halls of academia. But the blanket rejection of college credits is discrimination, plain and simple. And all too often, it’s discrimination against those in the less advantaged socioeconomic sectors of society, people who are simply trying to gain skills while maximizing their earning potential as early as possible. Many career college students know exactly what they want to do in life and wish to take the shortest path possible to pursue their work life goals. Career college students may have entered the workforce directly after high school and, months or years later, realized the need for additional skills and education. Those juggling family, job and other commitments may benefit from the more flexible approaches to education career schools offer, including online education and far more frequent class starts.

The 21st century workforce is evolving. Why can’t the attitudes of academia do likewise? American global economic competitiveness is increasingly based on our ability to produce workers with the technical skills needed to keep high paying jobs within our borders. Career colleges, which educate 2.1 million students per year, are a critical piece of the higher education continuum and are building those skills in the American workforce. That mission should be supported, not blocked by institutional prejudice and bureaucratic myopia.

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognized the need to end the bias against nationally accredited schools seven years ago in its statement of principles. Unfortunately, the practice of most schools has not matched the rhetoric enshrined in those words. That is why it is time for Congress to take affirmative action to change the landscape.

Whatever the reasons students select a career college, those wishing to continue their educations at a traditional college or university and meeting objective admissions criteria should be able to do so. Their credits earned at career colleges should transfer.

Harris N. Miller, President at Career College Association, at 5:40 am EDT on August 17, 2007

Transfer Credit

At least in some cases where there is a claim made that “sending” institution’s course is not equivalent, sample final examinations or comprehensive examinations which are passed by students of the course in the “receiving” institution might be made into a challenge test for the transfer students. Whether the course is more demanding and the receiving institutions grading is more rigorous ought to be put to the test in this way. Otherwise the denial of transfer credit is shamefully arbitrary. It is like saying: “Everybody knows our team is better than yours, but we won’t let our team play against yours to test our claim.”

Stanislaus Dundon, Professor Emeritus at California State University, Sacramento, at 1:30 pm EDT on August 17, 2007

Last I checked, some Community Colleges offered reduced cost remedial courses that could be repeated. For example, I worked at a center that offered self-paced courses. The students paid ONCE. They had to meet certain benchmarks, but they were able to work up to three or four semesters to complete these courses based on the mastery concept. To continue in the course for an additional semester, they paid only a nominal fee (like $20.00 or so).

I don’t see why the Nationals couldn’t do this as well. There are many innovative ways to accomplish the goal without dramatically increasing students’ or institutional costs.

kgotthardt, at 5:10 pm EDT on August 17, 2007

The reality check is in the mail.

kgotthardt:Registrars and department heads might be overly taxed, but that doesn’t mean student needs should be disregarded. It means there must be more effort and resources on the part of the receiving institution. The receiving institution must take the time to evaluate classes and content, and options for the student need to be presented.

* How about if the student pays a transfer evaluation fee?

kgotthardt:Last I checked, some Community Colleges offered reduced cost remedial courses that could be repeated. For example, I worked at a center that offered self-paced courses. The students paid ONCE. They had to meet certain benchmarks, but they were able to work up to three or four semesters to complete these courses based on the mastery concept.

* WOW! My company wants to hire just this type of student! Really! We do a lot of cost plus government contracts you see. The slower the better we always say! Tell them to send their resumes to Halliburton Inc. right away. www.halliburton.com/careers/

Prof, at 9:10 pm EDT on August 23, 2007