(a) Institutions of higher education shall apply the
following procedures in the resolution of credit transfer disputes
involving lower-division courses:
(1) If an institution of higher education does not
accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of
higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice
to the student and to the sending institution that it intends to deny
the transfer of the course credit and shall include in that notice
the reasons for the denial. The receiving institution must attach
the procedures for resolution of transfer disputes for lower-division
courses as outlined in this section to notice. The notice and procedure
must include:
(A) clear instructions for appealing the decision to
the Commissioner; and
(B) the name and contact information for the designated
official at the receiving institution who is authorized to resolve
the credit transfer dispute.
(2) A student who receives notice as specified in paragraph
(1) of this subsection may dispute the denial of credit by contacting
a designated official at either the sending or the receiving institution.
(3) The two institutions and the student shall attempt
to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with this
section.
(4) If the student or the sending institution is not
satisfied with the resolution of the credit transfer dispute, the
student or the sending institution may notify the Commissioner in
writing of the request for transfer dispute resolution. A receiving
institution that denies course credit for transfer shall notify the
Commissioner in writing of its denial and the reasons for the denial
not later than the 45th day after the date the receiving institution
provided the required notice of the transfer credit denial under subsection
(a)(1) of this section.
(b) The Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee
shall make the final determination about a credit transfer dispute
and give written notice of the determination to the student and institutions.
The decision is not a contested case. The Commissioner's decision
is final and may not be appealed.
(c) Each institution of higher education shall publish
in its course catalogs the procedures specified in this section.
(d) The Board shall collect data on the types of transfer
disputes that are reported and the disposition of each case that is
considered by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee.
(e) If a receiving institution has cause to believe
that a course being presented by a student for transfer from another
institution is not of an acceptable level of quality, it should first
contact the sending institution and attempt to resolve the problem.
In the event that the two institutions are unable to come to a satisfactory
resolution, the receiving institution may notify the Commissioner
who may investigate the course. If its quality is found to be unacceptable,
the Board may discontinue funding for the course.
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