douglas college / sfu degree partnership program · program overview • students apply for...
TRANSCRIPT
Kathy Denton, President, Douglas College
Louise Legris, Director, Admissions, Simon Fraser University
Douglas College / SFU
Degree Partnership
Program
Program Conception
2007
• BCCAT Degree Partnership Symposium
• Oregon State University partnership program
2008
• Changing post-secondary landscape
• Douglas submits a proposal to SFU
2009
• An MOU is drafted and signed by VPs
• An implementation committee is struck
Program Overview
• Students apply for admission to program
• SFU admission standards must be met
• Eligible students are also granted admission to
Douglas College
• Students can attend either or both institutions
• SFU residency requirements set maximum limit
on “transfer credits”
• Transfer credits processed every semester
Implementation Committees
• An initial implementation meeting
• The cast of characters included:
– Registrars
– Associate Registrars
– Deans
– Managers/Directors responsible for
recruitment/retention, applications,
records, financial aid…
– Managers/Directors of student services,
advising…
• Sub-Committees struck for specific tasks
Guiding Principles
• Admission standards and course requirements
are defined by the degree program
• Revenue follows the student or where the majority
of the work takes place
• Collaboration will guide this initiative
• Seamless transition, minimum duplication will
inform our processes, practices, and policies
• Work with existing processes, practices, and
policies before creating new ones
1. Admissions Sub-Committee
Key principle: Work with existing processes, policies…
• Students apply through ApplyBC
• Applications processed by SFU(fee to SFU)
• SFU Admission standards apply
– 24 UT credits or < admitted based on high school grades
– 25-45 UT credits admitted based on college grades
– Students with 46+ UT credits are ineligible
• Students accepted by SFU are automatically approved at Douglas
2. Records Sub-Committee
Key principle: Seamless transition and minimization
of duplication
• Students agree to information exchange upon
entering the program
• Information will flow back and forth between
institutions each semester to update transcripts
• No action is required on the part of students
3. Financial Aid Sub-Committee
Key principle: Revenue follows the student or
where the majority of the work/activity takes place
• Importance of “home institution”
Students are eligible for financial aid opportunities at
the institution where they are taking the most credits
each term
• The home institution is responsible for processing
government student loans.
• Joint award established for the program
4. Student Services Sub-Committee
Key principle: We will work within existing
processes, practices, policies…
• All student fees “follow the tuition”
• Students attending both institutions will pay two
sets of fees. Note: fees are prorated according to
number of credits.
• U-Pass follows tuition
• Students may opt out of medical/dental
5. Academic Sub-Committee
Key principle: Work with existing processes,
practices and policies before creating new
ones
• Academic policies/practices “follow the tuition”(e.g., grades, withdrawals, appeals)
• No attempt to align academic policies, but
differences noted for information session
• Academic advising critical, SFU advisor assigned
Institutional Considerations
• This type of collaboration increases the workload
of several areas at both institutions:
– Registrar’s Offices
– Academic Advising
– Financial Aid
• Both institutions have to be committed to the
collaboration for it to work
• Guiding principles are critical
• The students’ perspective is useful to take when
problems arise
Successes/Challenges to Date
• Launched in Spring 2010; 47 entered the program
and 24 of those have since graduated
• 472 applications to date, 268 students have
enrolled in the program, 41 graduates
• Admit to registered yield is higher for this group
than general transfer students
• Lower than expected student enrolment in the
program
Contact Information
Louise Legris
Director, Admissions
SFU
Kathy Denton
President
Douglas College