The more information transfer students at Kent State provide, the better chance they have of having credit hours approved.

Old syllabi are key to a transfer student getting credit, said Barbara Miller, academic advisor / coordinator for the Transfer Center. It can show the student’s advisor, what the student specifically learned in his or her previous courses and how it relates to what is offered at Kent.

“All universities could benefit from telling their students this is a document you should save,” Provost Robert G. Frank said. “Your syllabus is part of the record of this course.”

Faculty Senate approved a measure last week to make it easier for out of state transfer students to receive credit. The grade required for transfer of credit was lowered to D or higher for students enrolled in college starting fall of 2010.

“For the most part, any college level course that you had will transfer,” Miller said.

Even though most credits transfer, Elise Sadie, a senior applied communications major, said that if all she receives is elective credits for classes then it doesn’t help her very much. She said she is still stuck taking repetitive classes.

“I took three math classes at Walsh University, and when I transferred here, they transferred, but none of them counted for my math requirement,” Sadie said.

This semester she is in explorations in modern math, despite passing what she considers to be a more difficult math course. Sadie said, “It’s a waste of my money and time.”

In order for a transfer credit to count for a student’s core or major requirements, there must be a 70 percent match of what is taught in the class.

“We check to see if it has a Kent State equivalent,” Miller said. “If a student doesn’t receive credit, it’s usually because we can’t find enough information.”

Frank echoed this sentiment.

“Students think about it as a commodity. They bought a can of corn ala introduction to philosophy,” Frank said. “And we think about it as you took an introduction to philosophy class that could be a lot of different things, tell us what it is.”

Students also have the option of meeting with an adviser within the specific discipline in question.

“Students should think of their advisers as their advocate to the university on their behalf,” Williams said. “The more information a student provides to their adviser, the more likely their credits are to transfer.”

Contact Anna Staver at [email protected].