HELP: Glossary of Transfer Terms

Academic Year
Normally, 12 months running from September 1 of one year through August 31 of the following year.

Articulation

1. the system used by post-secondary institutions to determine which courses are equivalent to one another, Articulation is a “course to course” analysis or comparison. For example, UBC’s Math 100 course is equivalent to UCFV’s Math 111 course.
   
   
2. the development and implementation of agreements that provide for inter-institutional movement of students or the connecting of two or more educational systems.

Block transfer
The process whereby a block of credits is granted to students who have successfully completed a cluster of courses, or certificate or diploma, which is recognized by the receiving institution as having an academic wholeness or integrity, and which can be related in a meaningful way to part of the degree program.
 
College, institute and agency system
The system of community colleges, university colleges, provincial institutes and the British Columbia Open University that, in addition to the four provincial universities, delivers public post-secondary education and training in British Columbia.
 
Course
A formal, organized learning experience, usually taught by an instructor from a prepared outline of content and learning outcomes.
 
Course outline
A description of the main content, organization and expected outcomes of a course, normally including the number of credits awarded for successful completion, hours of class time required, evaluation procedures, assignments, texts and readings.
 
Credential
The document acknowledging completion of a particular program or course of study.

Credit
The value assigned to a course.

Exemption
The waiving of a requirement; a student may be excused from completing a course or program requirement if approval is granted by the appropriate institutional representative; usually exemptions are only granted to students who have proven that they have comparable learning; although an exemption may be granted, the student may be required to replace the exempted course with an alternate.

Grade point average (GPA)
A weighted average of a student’s performance in credit courses; in the secondary system, GPA is based upon the following scale in credit courses in Grade 11 and 12: A=4; B=3; C+=2.5; C=2; C-=1; calculation of GPA for admission to post-secondary education varies by receiving institution; GPA in the PSE system is also a weighted average, but the scale may vary by institution.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
Assessment by some valid and reliable means, by a qualified specialist, of what has been learned through non-formal education, training or experience that is worthy of credit in a course or program offered by an institution providing the credit.

Receiving Institution
In a transfer agreement, the institution which grants credit for course work completed at a Sending Institution.

Sending Institution
In a transfer agreement, the institution where the course work was completed.

Transcript
The document provided by the post-secondary institution that verifies the student's enrolment and achievement in the institution; the transcript records course title and number, date of enrolment, grades, and any credential(s) received.

Transfer
Transfer consists of the granting of credit toward a credential by one institution for programs or courses completed at another. In British Columbia, transfer arrangements exist between the secondary and post-secondary systems and, to a greater extent, among the colleges, university colleges, universities and institutes of the post-secondary system. Such arrangements are normally made on a bilateral basis by the individual institutions, but the Open Learning Agency also operates a credit bank to assist the broader accreditation of post-secondary courses and the recognition of valid non-formal learning.