Transfer of Credit

All transfer students who enroll and are seeking a degree from SPC should meet with a faculty advisor or the Counseling Center to complete a degree plan and to have their transcript evaluated to determine the amount of college-level credit that will transfer to South Plains College. Specific degree requirements met by transfer credits will be evaluated by the Counseling Center or the student’s faculty advisor and will be determined when the student declares the intention to seek a degree from SPC.

College-level credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities (U.S.) are accepted in transfer, but only those courses with a passing grade are acceptable toward fulfillment of graduation requirements at South Plains College.

Transfer Dispute Resolution

South Plains College makes every effort to ensure that courses taught at the college are fully transferable. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has established procedures to assist students in resolving disputes arising from transfer of college credits.

When a student receives written notification by a receiving institution that credit for a course or courses is denied, an official at the receiving institution or at South Plains College should be contacted. The official at South Plains College is the dean of the corresponding areas of instruction. If, after 45 days, the dispute is not resolved, the receiving institution is required to notify the Commissioner of Higher Education at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board of the denial and reasons for the denial of credit. The Commissioner shall make final determination of resolution and notify the student and institutions involved.

South Plains College is pleased to serve as the educational entity offering specialized Tech Prep programs in cooperation with the South Plains Tech Prep Consortium. Students enrolled in specific Tech Prep programs of study offered through affiliated high schools will receive semester hour credit for courses identified in the articulation agreement.

The conditions for awarding credit are as follows:

• No tuition, fees or qualification exam will be required for the credit hour courses identified in the articulation agreement.
• College credit will be awarded without grade point consideration for semester hours. Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in their high school class in order to earn college credit.
• College semester hour credit for Tech Prep classes will be awarded upon enrollment at the college. Hours will automatically be added to the transcript.
• Credit will automatically be transcripted if a student enrolls at SPC within 15 months of high school graduation. Beyond 15 months, program faculty can recommend Tech Prep credit be accepted based on approval of appropriate departmental chair and divisional dean.

Students completing a Tech Prep program will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate and be ready to transition into jobs that are in demand in the South Plains region.

Tech Prep credit will not automatically transfer to a university. Credit may be transferred under articulation agreements between SPC  and a university, but this is on a program by program basis only. Students should consult their program advisor for additional information.

South Plains College provides a testing program which allows students to receive college credit for certain courses based on their performance on recognized standardized tests. Policies and guidelines regulating this program are described in this section of the catalog. Complete information concerning the credit by examination program, its policies and regulations and the costs of the exams may be obtained from the Counseling Center. Credit gained through any testing, such as CLEP, AP, SAT and ACT, for which SPC awards credit must be claimed within five years of the administration date of the test. This credit is not granted until the student is enrolled at SPC.

College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Test

College credit from College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Program Tests or Achievement Tests will be given based on the evaluation of scores by the Coordinator of Testing.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

South Plains College is an open National Testing Center for the College-Level Examination Program. Tests offered by the CLEP program are scheduled on a monthly basis on the Levelland Campus. Pre-registration is required in order for a student to sit for the test. Students may send their scores to other colleges.

South Plains College will award credit by examination according to the table found here . The credits stated here are in accordance with South Plains College policies and do not guarantee acceptance by transfer universities. When a student plans to transfer to another institution, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the university for policies on acceptance of credit by examination. Credit earned by CLEP examination will only be posted on the SPC transcript if the student enrolls and earns other course credits at South Plains College. Except as noted under the section “Credit by Institutional Examination,” credit will not be awarded to a student who has attempted the same course or its equivalent. A student must be currently enrolled at SPC to receive CLEP credit hours. For information, contact the Testing Office on the Levelland Campus at 806-894-9611, ext 2367 or 2577.

Credit by Institutional Examination

The Credit by Institutional Examination Program is established to provide a means whereby college credit may be granted to a student who is able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge or competencies which have been acquired through non-traditional educational experiences.

To determine whether an institutional examination(s) is offered for a particular course, the student should contact the chairperson of the department in which the course is taught.

The method(s) of assessment of student competence in each course will be determined by the faculty in the department involved in teaching the course. All examinations are thorough and comprehensive and are equated with a specific South Plains College course number and description. The format of an examination is determined by the subject matter. A student may attempt a specific examination only one time.

Granting of Credit.

Credit is awarded only when the student is already officially enrolled at South Plains College at the time of the examination or when the student officially enrolls at South Plains College after taking the examination. Credit by examination may not be granted to a student for a course in which the student is or has been officially enrolled except upon the written request of the instructor and departmental chairperson.

Upon successful completion of an examination, the Office of Admissions and Records will post the appropriate course title, number and credit hours to the official permanent record. Credit earned through institutional examination is not calculated in determining grade point average.

Eligibility.

Eligibility requirements may vary by department, program or instructional area as necessary to validate specialized competencies.

Fees.

A fee of $60 is charged for each institutional examination attempted. For more information, please contact the Testing Office on the Levelland Campus at 806-894-9611, ext. 2367 or ext 2577.

DANTES Program

South Plains College recognizes credit by examination from the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) and the American College Testing Proficiency Examination Program (ACT/PEP) credit by examination. Students may present DANTES and ACT/PEP scores to the Office of Admissions and Records, where the evaluation procedure will be initiated. Appropriate instructional departments and the Counseling Center will assist with the evaluation when needed.

Credit will be advanced for DANTES for either South Plains College equivalent courses or for electives. When a student is seeking an Associate in Applied Science degree at South Plains College, DANTES credit will be granted as an equivalent course if it is determined that the test is equivalent to the course in the Associate of Applied Science degree the student is seeking. If DANTES is not considered for equivalent course credit, the test scores can be evaluated for elective credit toward any degree offered by South Plains College. Credit will be based upon scores recommended by “The American Council of Education Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services.”

Credit by examination from the ACT/PEP Tests will be awarded for elective credit only. No credit will be given for either required or equivalent courses at South Plains College. Criteria for granting credit by examination for the ACT/PEP will be based upon scores recommended by “The American Council on Education Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.”

Certain examinations for credit are equivalent in content. Credit will be advanced for successful completion of only one examination if the student submits test results for any two corresponding examinations.

Credit by examination awarded to students to meet South Plains College graduation requirements is no guarantee that such credit will transfer to other institutions.

Generally, the combined credit by examination from all sources shall not exceed 16 semester hours toward degree requirements. If rare and unique circumstances indicate that an exception to exceed the 16 semester hour limit on credit by examination should be considered, the exception shall be granted only upon recommendation by the departmental chairperson, where applicable, and with the approval of the appropriate Divisional Dean.

Except for satisfying the course-in-residence and the state mandated American History and American Government requirements, credit earned by examination is equivalent to credit earned by taking the course. Credit will be awarded only when the student is already officially enrolled at South Plains College at the time of the examination or when the student officially enrolls at South Plains College after taking the examination.

After the student receives the examination score, he/she may choose to accept or decline the credit and placement for which he/she is eligible. The student should contact the Testing Center on the Levelland Campus to accept credit and have the results placed on his/her transcript.

For a student who attended college prior to taking the examination, the amount of credit awarded will depend upon what college courses he/she had taken before the credit examination. Except as noted under the section, “Credit by Institutional Examination”, credit will not be awarded to a student who has attempted the same course or its equivalent.