Apr 24, 2024

Catalog 2022-2023 (Revised)

Catalog 2022-2023 (Revised) [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Appendices

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Appendix I - Advanced Placement Exams Appendix II - Cambridge Assessment International Appendix III - CLEP Appendix IV - DSST (formerly DANTES) Appendix V - International Baccalaureate (IB) Appendix VI - Residency Policy Appendix VII - Academic Eligibility Guidelines for Financial Assistance Recipients Appendix VIII Student Transfer Policies Appendix IX - Departmental Examinations	Appendix X - Disclosure of Student Information and Rights of Students Under FERPA Appendix XI - Student Complaint/Grievance Procedure Appendix XII- Statewide Instructional Programs Appendix XIII- Designated Health Manpower Shortage Programs Appendix XIV - Online Programs

Appendix I - Advanced Placement Exams

Advanced Placement	Score	Credit Hours, Course Equivalent	General Education
Art History	3	3 credits, ART 1030	Y
	4-5	3 credits, ART 1010	Y
Biology	3	4 credits, BIO 1010 /BIO 1010L or BIO 1020 /BIO 1020L	Y
	4	8 credits, Choose Two Courses: BIO 1010 /BIO 1010L or BIO 1020 /BIO 1020L or BIO 1060 /BIO 1060L	Y
	5	8 credits, Choose Two Courses: BIO 1010 /BIO 1010L , BIO 1020 /BIO 1020L , BIO 1060 /BIO 1060L , BIO 1070 /BIO 1070L	Y
Chemistry	3	4 credits, CHE 1200 /CHE 1200L	Y
	4 or 5	8 credits, CHE 1200/CHE 1200L and CHE 1210 /CHE 1210L	Y
Chinese Language and Culture	3	3 credits, LAN Elective	Y
	4-5	6 credits, LAN Elective	Y
Comparative Government and Politics	3-5	3 credits, POL 1050	Y
Computer Science
Computer Science A	3-5	3 credits, CSC 1110	N
Principles	3-5	3 credits, ITS 1050	N
Economics
Macro	3	3 credits, ECN 1200	Y
	4-5	3 credits, ECN 2025	Y
Micro	3	3 credits, ECN 1200	Y
	4-5	3 credits, ECN 2020	Y
English
Literature and Composition	3-5	3 credits, ENG 1020	Y
Language and Composition	3-5	3 credits, ENG 1010	Y
Environmental Sciences	3-5	4 credits, ENV 1300 /ENV 1300L	Y
European History	3 4-5	3 credits, Humanites General Education Elective 6 credits, Humanities General Education Elective	Y Y
French Language and Culture	3 4-5	3 credits, FRE 2010 [Inactive] [Inactive] 6 credits, FRE 2010 [Inactive] and FRE 2020 [Inactive]	Y Y
German Language and Culture	3 4-5	3 credits, LAN Elective 6 credits, LAN Elective	Y Y
Human Geography	3-5	3 credits, GRY 1020	Y
Italian Language and Culture	3 4-5	3 credits, LAN Elective 6 credits, LAN Elective	Y Y
Japanese Language and Culture	3 4-5	3 credits, LAN Elective 6 credits, LAN Elective	Y Y
Latin	3 4-5	3 credits, LAN Elective 6 credits, LAN Elective	Y Y
Mathematics
CALC AB	3-5	3 credits, MTH 1200	Y
CALC BC	3-5	3 credits, MTH 1200 or MTH 1210	Y
Statistics	3-5	3 credits, MTH 1015	Y
Music Theory	3, 4 or 5	3 credits, Music Elective	N
Physics
PHY C Part I - Mechanics	3-5	4 credits, PHY 1310	Y
PHY C Part II - Electricity and Magnetism	3-5	4 credits, PHY 2300	N
Physics - 1	3-5	4 credits, PHY 1110	Y
Physics - 2	3-5	4 credits, PHY 1120	Y
Psychology	3-5	3 credits, PSY 1010	Y
Spanish Language and Culture	3	6 credits, SPA 1010 and SPA 1020	Y
Spanish Language and Culture	4-5	6 credits, SPA 2010 and SPA 2020	Y
Studio Art	3-5	3 credits, ART 1030	Y
World History: Modern	3-5	3 credits, HST 1015	Y
United States Government and Politics	3-5	3 credits, POL 1010	Y
United States History	3	3 credits, HST 1031 or HST 1032	Y

Appendix II - Cambridge Assessment International

AICE Exam Name	AS Level Credit Awarded For CSM Course	Passing Score	A Level Credit Award for CSM Course	General Education
Accounting	3 credits, ACC 2010	A-C	6 credits, ACC 2010 , ACC 2020	N
Biology	4 credits, BIO 1060 /BIO 1060L	A-B	8 credits, BIO 1060 /BIO 1060L , BIO 1070 /BIO 1070L	Y
Business	3 credits, BAD 1015	A-C	3 credits, BAD 1015	N
Chemistry	4 credits, CHE 1200 /CHE 1210L	A-B	8 credits, CHE 1200 /CHE 1200L , CHE 1210 /CHE 1210L	Y
Economics	3 credits, ECN 2020	A-C	6 credits, ECN 2020 , ECN 2025	Y
English - Language OR	3 credits, ENG Elective	A-C	6 credits, ENG 1010 , ENG 1020	Y
Language & Literature		A-C
English Literature	3 credits, ENG Elective	A-C	6 credits, ENG 2010 , ENG Elective	Y
History-American	3 credits, HST Elective	A-C	6 credits, HST 1031 HST 1032	Y
History	3 credits, HST Elective	A-C	3 credits, HST 1015	Y
Mathematics	3 credits, MTH 1010	A-D	6 credits, MTH 1010 , MTH 1015	Y
Music	3 credits, MUS 1020	A-D	3 credits, MUS 1020	Y
Physics	4 credits, PHY 1110	A-B	8 credits, PHY 1110 , PHY 1120	Y
Psychology	3 credits, PSY Elective	A-C	3 credits, PSY 1010	Y
Sociology	3 credits, SOC Elective	A-C	3 credits, SOC 1010	Y
Spanish	3 credits, SPA Elective	A-C	6 credits, SPA 1020 , SPA 2010	Y

Appendix III - CLEP

CLEP General Examinations: No credits may be earned by taking the CLEP general examinations.

CLEP and DSST (formerly DANTES) Subject Examinations: These college-level subject examinations have been approved for credit in specific courses at the College of Southern Maryland:

CLEP and DSST scores and subject exam names may change. See the college’s website at www.csmd.edu/student-services/testing-services/credit-by-examination.

CLEP Subject Exam Name	Equivalent Course(s)	Acceptable Score	General Education
Financial Accounting	ACC 2010	50	N
Principles of Management	BAD 1210	50	N
Introductory Business Law	BAD 2070	50	N
Principles of Marketing	BAD 2610	50	N
Biology	BIO Elective	50	N
Chemistry	CHE 1050	50	Y
Principles of Macroeconomics	ECN 2020	50	Y
Principles of Microeconomics	ECN 2020	50	Y
College Composition	ENG 1010	50	Y
*College Composition Modular	ENG 1010	50	Y
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature	ENG 1020	50	Y
English Literature	ENG 2010	50	Y
English Literature	ENG 2020	50	Y
American Literature	ENG 2200	50	Y
American Literature	ENG 2210	50	Y
French Language - Level I	FRE 2010 [Inactive]	50	Y
French Language - Level II	FRE 2010 [Inactive]	62	Y
French Language - Level II	FRE 2020 [Inactive]	62	Y
Western Civilization I: Ancient Far East to 1648	HST 1011	50	Y
Western Civilization II: 1648 to present	HST Elective	50	N
History of the United States I: Early Colonizations to 1877	HST 1031	50	Y
History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present	HST 1032	50	Y
Humanities	Humanities General Education Elective	50	Y
*Social Sciences and History	HST Elective	50	N
Information Systems and Computer Applications	ITS 1010	50	N
German Language - Level 1	LAN Elective	50	Y
German Language - Level II	LAN Elective	62	Y
College Mathematics	MTH 1010	50
College Algebra	MTH 1120	50	Y
*Precalculus	MTH 1150	50	Y
Calculus	MTH 1200	50	Y
American Government	POL 1010	50	Y
Introductory Psychology	PSY 1010	50	Y
Human Growth and Development	PSY 2050	50	Y
*Introduction to Educational Psychology	PSY Elective	50	N
Natural Sciences	SCE Elective	50	N
Introductory Sociology	SOC 1010	50	Y
Spanish Language - Level I	SPA 1010	50	Y
Spanish Language - Level I	SPA 1020	50	Y
Spanish Language - Level II	SPA 2010	63	Y
Spanish Language - Level III	SPA 2020	72	Y

Appendix IV - DSST (formerly DANTES)

DSST Subject Exam Name	Equivalent	Acceptable Score	General Education
Personal Finance	ACC 1025	400	N
*Principles of Finance	ACC 2681	400	N
*Art of the Western World	ART 1010	400	Y
Astronomy	AST 1010	400	Y
Introduction to Business	BAD 1015	400	N
Business Mathematics	BAD 1300	400	N
Human Resource Management	BAD 2700	400	N
Organizational Behavior	BAD 2710	400	N
Money and Banking	BAD Elective	400	N
*Principles of Supervision	BAD 1210	400	N
Criminal Justice	CJS 1015	400	N
*Introduction to Law Enforcement	CJS 1015	400	N
*Principles of Public Speaking	COM 1010	400	Y
*Foundations of Education	EDU Elective	400	N
*Principles of Advance English Composition	ENG Elective	400	N
*Technical Writing	ENG Elective	400	N
Environmental Science (formerly Environment and Humanity: the Race to Save the Planet)	ENV 1300 /ENV 1300L	400	Y
*Human/Cultural Geography	GRY 1020	400	Y
*Health and Human Development (formerly Here’s to Your Health)	HEA Elective	400	N
*Substance Abuse (formerly Drug and Alcohol Abuse)	HMS 1021	400	N
*Fundementals of Counseling	HMS 1032	400	N
*A History of the Vietnam War	HST Elective	400	N
*History of the Soviet Union (formerly the Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union)	HST Elective	400	N
*The Civil War and Reconstruction	HST Elective	400	N
Computing and Information Technology	ITS 1010	400	N
*Management Information Systems	ITS Elective	400	N
*Fundmental of Cybersecurity	ITS 1050	400	N
*Math for Liberal Arts	MTH 1010	400	Y
*Principles of Statistics	MTH 1015	400	Y
*Principles of College Algebra	MTH 1120	400	Y
Topics in Comptemporary America	PHL Elective	400	N
*Introduction to World Religions	PHL Elective	400	N
Ethics in America	PHL Elective	400	N
*Business Ethics and Society	PHL 1430	400	Y
*Principles of Physical Science I	PHY Elective	400	N
*Lifescan Developmental Psychology	PSY 2050	400	Y
*General Anthropology	SOC Elective	400	Y

Appendix V - International Baccalaureate (IB)

Subject Area	Exam Title/Exam Level	Score	CSM Equivalents	General Education
Anthropology	Social and Cultural Anthropology-Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, SOC Elective	N
Arts	Visual Arts-Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, ART 1030	Y
Biology	Biology-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, BIO Elective	N
Biology	Biology-Higher	5,6,7	4 credits, BIO 1060 /BIO 1060L	Y
Business	Business-Standard & Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, BAD Elective	N
Chemistry	Chemistry-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, CHE 1050	Y
Chemistry	Chemistry-Higher	5,6,7	4 credits, CHE 1200 /CHE 1200L	Y
Chinese	Chinese-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, LAN Elective	N
Chinese	Chinese-Higher	5	3 credits, LAN Elective	N
Chinese	Chinese-Higher	6,7	6 credits, LAN Elective	N
Computer Science	Computer Science-Standard & Higher	5,6,7	8 credits, CSC 2591 /CSC 2592	N
Design Technology	Design Techology-Standard & Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, ART Elective	N
Economics	Economics-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, ECN 1200	Y
Economics	Economics-Higher	5,6,7	6 credits, ECN 1200 /ECN 2025	Y
English	English A Literature-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, ENG Elective	N
English	English A Literature-Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, ENG Elective	N
Environmental Science	Environmental Science and Societies-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, ENV 1300	Y
Film	Film-Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, ENG Elective	Y
French	French-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, FRE 2010 [Inactive]	Y
French	French-Higher	5,6,7	6 credits, FRE 2010 [Inactive] /FRE 2020 [Inactive]	Y
Geography	Geography-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, GRY 1020	Y
Geography	Geography-Higher	5,6,7	6 credits, GRY 1020 /GRY Elective	Y
German	German-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, LAN Elective	N
German	German-Higher	5	3 credits, LAN Elective	N
German	German-Higher	6,7	6 credits, LAN Elective	N
Health	Health-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, WFS 1701	Y
History	History-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, HST Elective
History	History-Higher	5,6,7	6 credits, HST Elective
Information Techology	Information Technology in a Global Society-Standard or Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, ITS Elective	N
Italian	Italian-Standard or Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, LAN Elective	N
Latin	Latin-Standard or Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, LAN Elective	N
Mathematics	Mathematical Methods	4,5,6,7	3 credits, MTH 1010	Y
Music	Music-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, MUS 1020	Y
Music	Music-Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, MUS 1020	Y
Philosophy	Philosophy-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, PHL 1010	Y
Philosophy	Philosophy-Higher	5,6,7	6 credits, PHL 1010 /PHL Elective	Y
Physics	Physics-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, PHY Elective	N
Physics	Physics-Higher	5,6,7	4 credits, PHY 1110	Y
Psychology	Psychology-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, PSY 1010	Y
Psychology	Psychology-Higher	5,6,7	6 credits, PSY 1010 /PSY Elective	Y
Russian	Russian-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, LAN Elective	N
Russian	Russian-Higher	5,6,7	6 credits, LAN Elective	N
Spanish	Spanish-Standard	5	3 credits, SPA 2010	Y
Spanish	Spanish-Standard	6,7	6 credits, SPA 2010 /SPA 2050	Y
Spanish	Spanish-Higher	5	6 credits, SPA 2010 /SPA 2020	Y
Spanish	Spanish-Higher	6,7	9 credits, SPA 2010 /SPA 2020 /SPA 2050	Y
Theatre	Theatre-Standard	5,6,7	3 credits, THE 1010	Y
Theatre	Theatre-Higher	5,6,7	3 credits, THE 1010	Y

Appendix VI - Residency Policy

Policy

The residence status of students is determined at the time of admission to the college. Students will be considered in-county residents if they or the person who contributes more than one half of the student’s financial support maintain legal domicile in Charles County, Calvert County, or St. Mary’s County and have done so for a period of not less than three months prior to the date of admission to the college. Some non-immigrant visa holders and students without a valid status are not eligible to claim in-county residency, and they are subject to out of state tuition rates.

Students will be considered in-state residents if they or the person who contributes more than one half of the student’s financial support have maintained legal domicile in other parts of the state for not less than three months. Otherwise, the student shall be considered an out-of-state resident. Once residency requirements have been met, the student may petition to change the residency decision by completing a Residency Status Change Form as well as providing the appropriate Proof of Domicile documentation to the Admissions Department. Forms are available in the Admissions Department and online at www.csmd.edu/apply-register/forms and should be returned to the Admissions Department.

Domicile

For tuition purposes, domicile may be defined as a person’s permanent place of abode, where physical presence and possessions are maintained and where he or she intends to remain indefinitely; or the permanent place of abode of any person or persons contributing more than one half of the student’s financial support during the most recently completed year.

Proof of Domicile

At the time of admission, students will indicate their residency status. If information is received that would contradict or call into question the validity of the residency status, the student will be asked to provide proof of domicile and registration will be restricted until the question is resolved.

The college shall consider any or all of the following as factual bases for determining residency and will require two forms of evidence for substantiation:

Ownership or rental of local living quarters
Substantially uninterrupted physical presence, including the months when the student is not in attendance at the college
Pay stub with address or savings/investments statements
Payment of Maryland state and local piggyback income taxes on all income earned, including income earned outside the jurisdiction
Registration to vote in the state and county
Registration of a motor vehicle in the state, with a local address specified, if the person owns such a vehicle
Possession of a valid Maryland driver’s license, with a local address specified, if the person is licensed anywhere to drive a motor vehicle
Military orders

Change and Appeal of Residency Classification

A student shall be provided the opportunity to request a change in residency classification by submitting the Residency Status Change Form found on the Admissions Forms webpage and supporting Proof of Domicile evidence sited above. This form and documentation should be returned to the Admissions Department not later than the start date of the course(s) for which the residency status change is being requested. Residency changes are not retroactive for prior semesters attended. Change of physical address does not constitute automatic change of residency to in-county. The Residency Status Change Form and evidence must be submitted to change residency to in-county. A change of address to an out of service area (not within Charles, Calvert, or St. Mary’s Counties) will result in automatic residency change to in-state residency.

Nonresident Programs

Statewide Program

If any student is a resident of this state and enrolls in an instructional program that has been designated by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) as a statewide or regional program, the student shall pay only the student tuition and fees payable by a resident of the county that supports the community college. Students enrolling in a statewide program are eligible for the in-county tuition rate if the designated statewide program is not available at the community college in the student’s county of residence, or the program at the community college in the student’s county of residence has reached the program’s capacity. Students enrolling in a CSM statewide designated program must complete additional forms for verification of eligibility. These forms are available through the Admissions Department and must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the payment of tuition. A list of statewide programs can be found in Appendix IX. An up-to-date list can be found on the MHEC web site at www.mhec.state.md.us.

Health Manpower Program

A Maryland resident from outside Calvert, Charles, or St. Mary’s counties who enrolls in an instructional program that has been designated by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) as a health manpower shortage program, may be eligible for reduced tuition rates - pending State funding. Out-of-county students enrolling in a Health Manpower Shortage Program are required to pay out-of-county rates at the time of registration. If the State of Maryland funds this program, the College will apply State funds to a student’s account and issue any appropriate refunds in accordance with College policies and procedures. A list of designated programs, effective in January 2010, is included in Appendix X. An up-to-date list can be found on the MHEC web site at www.mhec.state.md.us. Students applying for designated programs must contact the Admissions Department for application information.

Out-of-State Nursing Students

Out-of-state nursing students may be considered residents for tuition purposes under the conditions set forth in COMAR 13B.07.02.03.G.

Contract Training

A student enrolled in a course contracted between the college and a business or industry that maintains facilities, operates, or does business in the state may be considered a Maryland resident or county resident for tuition purposes.

Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, as amended by Public Law 114-315 Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016, and Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.

As amended 38 U.S.C 3679(c) and sections 3510 require the following individuals be charged a rate of tuition not to exceed the in-state rate for tuition and fee purposes:

A veteran using educational assistance under either Chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill ® - Active Duty Program), Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment), or Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill ®), of title 38, United States Code, who lives in the state of Maryland, in which the institution is located (regardless of his/her formal State of residence).

A dependent or spouse using transferred Post-9/11 G.I. Bill ® benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) or Chapter 35 (Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program [DEA],who lives in the state of Maryland, in which the institution is located (regardless of their formal State of residence).

Anyone using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9)) who lives in the state of Maryland, in which the institution is located (regardless of their formal State of residence).

Anyone using benefits under Chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill ®- Active Duty Program) who lives in the state in which the institution is located (regardless of their formal State of residence).

Anyone using benefits under Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment) who lives in the state in which the institution is located (regardless of their formal State of residence).

Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, Section 103 of Public Law 115-407

In accordance with Section 103 of Public Law 115-407, College of Southern Maryland will not:

Charge late fees on the portion of tuition and fees billable to the VA while VA tuition and fees payment is pending;
Withdraw the student for non-payment of the portion of tuition and fees billable to the VA while VA tuition and fees payment is pending;
Restrict student access to college facilities for non-payment on the portion of tuition and fees billable to the VA while VA tuition and fees payment is pending;
Require the student to access student loans or other financial assistance for the purpose of paying the portion of tuition and fees billable to the VA while VA tuition and fees payment is pending;

To qualify, by or on the first day of the enrollment period a student may be required to:

Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
Provide a written request to be certified (Benefits Request Form);
Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies.

Foreign Nationals

An individual immigration status will not preclude award of Maryland residency for tuition purposes if the individual has the legal capacity to establish domicile in Maryland.

Non-Immigrant Status

Some non-immigrant students are subject to out-of-state tuition rates. Students with an F-1 visa must enroll for a full-time course of study, which is a minimum of 12 credits/billable hours each semester. Prospective students with a temporary visa status such as J or B (visitors, business, exchange, etc.) should contact the Admissions Department to have their applications approved before registering for classes. Non-immigrant students other than F-1 international student visa holders may take as many credit courses as their college admission status permits, as long as the semester begins and ends within the duration of stay indicated on the I-94 in their passport. They are subject to the out-of-state tuition rates.

Appendix VII - Academic Eligibility Guidelines for Financial Assistance Recipients

The U.S. Department of Education requires the college to establish standards and monitor the academic progress of students receiving Title IV federal financial assistance. All forms of federal, Maryland, and college financial assistance are subject to the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standard, outlined as follows. This policy includes three key elements: achieving an overall grade point average, completing your program within a maximum time frame that may not exceed 150 percent of the length of the student’s program, and successfully completing the necessary credits each academic year.

Students must complete (associate’s degree or certificate) requirements within a maximum time frame based on their credits attempted (150%). Credits attempted include AU, I, IP, F, FX, NA, P, W, WD, and WE. Example: A two-year degree program that requires 60 credits to complete is 60 x 1.5 = 90 credits; a one-year certificate program that is 32 credits/maximum time frame to complete is 32 x 1.5 = 48 credits.

NOTE: What does this mean for students changing academic programs? Example: You change your program from AA in business requiring 60 credits to AA in biology requiring 60 credits. You need 20 credits to receive your biology degree. At the time you changed the program, you have 85 credits attempted. Based on the 150% rule, you have 5 credits of eligibility, 60 on your first AA program in business x 1.5 = 90 credits; 90 credits minus 85 = 5 credits remaining of financial assistance eligibility. Prior to changing a program, consult with a financial assistance advisor on your campus.

In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress and continued eligibility for financial assistance, the time frames set in (1) require students to successfully complete 67% of attempted credits each academic year while maintaining the required minimum cumulative grade average (GPA), according to the chart below. Successful completion means a grade of A, B, C, D, or P. Audited classes are counted towards your total number of attempted credits and do count towards your completion rate.

NOTE: When the college calculates satisfactory academic progress, it includes all grades/classes and does nothing special for academic clemency (AC). Example: Official CSM transcript of 18 credits-6 are AC; GPA is figured on 12 credits SAP is calculated on all 18 credits attempted, which includes the 6 credits that are marked AC.

The student must meet minimum grade point average (GPA) requirements based on the number of credits attempted. Please see the chart below:

Credits Attempted	Minimum GPA	Required Completion %
0-5	N/A	67%
6-18	1.50	67%
19-31	1.75	67%
32-44	1.85	67%
45 or more	2.00	67%

Students enrolled in an associate’s degree program will be evaluated once each academic year. This will take place at the end of the spring semester. Students enrolled in a certificate program will be evaluated at the end of the fall and spring semesters. The student’s cumulative record will be used to determine satisfactory progress, not just the most recently completed semester. Semesters during which the student did not receive financial assistance will also be considered in determining satisfactory progress. If the student does not meet the minimum standards outlined above, his/her eligibility for financial assistance will be lost.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Example

Susan, a freshman at the college, enrolled in an associate’s degree program and attended full-time (12 credits per semester) during the past academic year. Her transcript reads as follows:

Fall 2021			Spring 2022
Course	Credits	Grade	Course	Credits	Grade
IRW 0900A	3*	P	MTH 1015	3	WD
FYS 1010	3	B	ENG 1010	3	D
PSY-1010	3	F	COM-1010	3	C
HST 1011	3	W	PSY-1010	3	AU

*equivalent credit

Susan’s cumulative GPA at the end of Spring 2022 is 1.50.

Thus far in her studies at the college, Susan has attempted 24 credits (12 in the Fall plus 12 in the Spring). Of those 24 attempted, Susan has successfully completed (received a grade of A, B, C, D, or P) 12 credits. To calculate her completion percentage:

12 credits completed = 50% completion percentage
24 credits attempted

Susan has not met the minimum GPA requirement of 1.75 based on 24 attempted credits and she has not met the minimum completion percentage requirement of 67%, and would therefore be considered to be making unsatisfactory academic progress. Susan would be ineligible to receive further financial assistance until she increased her completion percentage to 67% or higher and raised her cumulative GPA to the minimum standards based on the total number of attempted credits.

Appeal Process

A student whose academic progress is deemed “unsatisfactory” may appeal that determination to the Appeal Committee. The SAP appeal form and documentation of mitigating circumstances claimed by the student is required. Students can request the SAP appeal form by meeting with a Financial Assistance Advisor or can be downloaded from the CSM website at www.csmd.edu/costs-aid/scholarships-financial-aid/forms. Under most circumstances appeals may be granted for the low GPA or less than 67% completion but not for the 150% rule.

Students who lost their eligibility to receive financial assistance and have regained the required 67% credits attempted vs. credits earned ratio and/or have regained the required minimum cumulative GPA may request reinstatement of financial assistance eligibility in writing (such as e-mail) to the Financial Assistance Department.

Students who have their SAP appeals approved are considered to be on Financial Aid Probation and may be required to meet with an Academic Advisor to complete a Financial Aid Success Plan. Students on Financial Aid Probation will have their SAP status reviewed every semester and if they are not meeting the terms of the appeal, the appeal will be revoked and the student will lose eligibility for financial assistance at CSM until such point as they are meeting the minimum SAP standards.

Effect of Course Withdrawals, Incompletes, Repetitions, or Non-Credit College Prep Courses on Satisfactory Progress

Withdrawals (“WD” grade): Withdrawal from a course will be considered unsatisfactory completion of that course.

Withdrawals (“WE” grade): Withdrawal from a course due to extreme circumstances, as defined by a national emergency. This course is not included in financial aid eligibility calculations.

Incomplete grade (“I” grade): An incomplete grade will be considered unsatisfactory completion of that course. If the student satisfactorily completes all outstanding work to make up the incomplete grade and later receives a satisfactory grade, the student’s financial assistance status will be re-evaluated accordingly.

Course repetition: Repeating a course counts as attempted credits, but does not count as completed credits. It also counts toward the 150% maximum time frame.

*** Non-credit College Prep courses: College Prep courses will be considered in the same way as any other courses (using their credit equivalencies) in calculating satisfactory progress. Students may not receive financial assistance for more than 30 equivalent credits of college prep courses. These credits will not affect the 150% time frame to complete their degree. Example: AA in business equals 60 credits. However, you must take 15 credits in college prep courses to assist you in obtaining that degree. So you would have 60 x 150% plus the 15 credits of college prep course work.

Audits: Changing a credit to an audit will affect your financial assistance. Audited classes are considered attempted credits for financial assistance eligibility purposes.

Return of Federal Funds Policy

When a student completely withdraws from the college while receiving Federal Title IV financial assistance, the Financial Assistance Department must determine what portion of the student’s semester federal financial assistance (not including Federal Work-Study funds) will need to revert to the federal programs. A student is considered to be completely withdrawn from CSM when they withdraw from all their classes and are not currently enrolled in any additional classes. The department must use a statutory return of federal funds policy, required by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended most recently in 2008.

The statutory formula requires the Financial Assistance Department to determine what portion of federal aid disbursed has been “earned” and what portion must be considered “unearned.”

Calculation of Title IV Financial Assistance Earned

The college must first determine the percentage of assistance earned by the student at the point in time when she/he withdraws completely. Up through the 60 % point in time in the term, the percentage of assistance earned is equal to the percentage of the term completed as of the day the student withdraws. If the withdrawal occurs after the 60 % point, the percentage of aid earned is 100 %.

Calculation of Title IV Financial Assistance Not Earned

The amount of assistance not earned by the student is calculated by subtracting the percentage earned (when less than 60 %) from 100 %. That percentage is then applied to total amount of grant and loan assistance that was disbursed for the semester.

Difference Between Amounts Earned and Amounts Received

If the student has received more grant or loan assistance than the amount earned, the unearned funds must be returned to the Title IV programs by the college or the student or both.

Responsibility of the College

The college must return to the Title IV programs the lesser of the following:

the unearned amount of Title IV assistance; or
the institutional charges (tuition, fees, and, in some cases, books) incurred for the semester, multiplied by the unearned percentage of Title IV grant and loan assistance.

Responsibility of the Student

The student returns unearned Title IV assistance minus the amount of the college returns. The U.S. Department of Education does not allow the college or the student any discretion regarding non-institutional costs. In most cases, when a student receives Title IV assistance greater than the amount of institutional charges, and completely withdraws from the college, they will have to return some of those federal funds.

Special considerations: When a student (or parent in the case of PLUS loans) is required to return a portion or all of loan proceeds, the calculated amount will be repaid according to the terms of the loan. In addition, the Department of Education recognizes that the neediest students have up-front school expenses and limited resources to meet those expenses. Therefore, students who must return grant funds themselves (over and above what the school returns) are given an additional consideration: the student’s grant repayment is reduced by half.

Order in Which Federal Funds Must Be Returned

Whether the college or the student or both must return federal funds, there is a prescribed order as to which federal program receives returned funds first, second, third, etc. That order is as follow

Unsubsidized Direct Loan
Subsidized Direct Loan
Direct PLUS Loan
Pell Grant
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
Federal SEOG
TEACH Grant

Return of Federal Funds Example

John, a freshman at the college, enrolls for the fall semester and incurs institutional charges of $1,260. He received a Federal Pell Grant of $1,000 and a Federal Direct Loan of $1,260. He withdraws from the college after completing 37 percent of the semester.

Percent of unearned Title IV aid: 100% - 37% = 63% unearned
Amount of unearned Title IV aid: $2,260 total Title IV aid x 63% unearned = $1,424 unearned
Amount of aid the college must return to the Title IV programs:

The college must return the lesser of the unearned amount of Title IV aid ($1,424 shown above), or the semester charges incurred, multiplied by the unearned percentage (63 percent shown above): $1,260 total semester charges x 63 percent unearned = $794 unearned.

The amount of $794 is the lesser of the two calculated unearned amounts, and the college must return this amount. In accordance with the return of federal funds formula, this amount will reduce the Federal Direct Loan that John borrowed for the fall semester.

As a result of this return of funds to the Title IV programs, John will owe $794 to the college for unpaid institutional charges.

Amount of aid the student must return:

The student must return the difference between the amount of unearned Title IV aid and the amount returned by the college: $1,424 unearned aid amount - $794 returned by the college = $630 to be returned by the student.

John will repay $466 of the required $630 to his Federal Direct Loan lender according to the terms of his loan. The remaining $164 amount that John must return is Federal Pell Grant funds, subject to the 50 percent reduction consideration given to the student; therefore, John will have to return $82 to the Pell Grant Program.

Appendix VIII - Student Transfer Policies

Title 13B MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION

Subtitle 06 GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRANSFER

Chapter 01 General Education Requirements for Public Institutions of Higher Education

Authority: Education Article, §11-105 and Title 11, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Scope.

This chapter applies only to public institutions of higher education.

.02 Definitions.

A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

B. Terms Defined.

(1) “A.A. degree” means the Associate of Arts degree.

(2) “Arts” means courses that examine aesthetics and the development of the aesthetic form and explore the relationship between theory and practice.

(3) “A.S. degree” means the Associate of Sciences degree.

(4) “Biological and physical sciences” means courses that examine living systems and the physical universe. They introduce students to the variety of methods used to collect, interpret, and apply scientific data, and to an understanding of the relationship between scientific theory and application.

(5) “English composition courses” means courses that provide students with communication knowledge and skills appropriate to various writing situations, including intellectual inquiry and academic research.

(6) “General education” means the foundation of the higher education curriculum providing a coherent intellectual experience for all students.

(7) “General education program” means a program that is designed to:

(a) Introduce undergraduates to the fundamental knowledge, skills, and values that are essential to the study of academic disciplines;

(b) Encourage the pursuit of life-long learning; and

(8) “Humanities” means courses that examine the values and cultural heritage that establish the framework for inquiry into the meaning of life.

(9) “Mathematics” means courses that provide students with numerical, analytical, statistical, and problem-solving skills.

(10) “Social and behavioral sciences” means courses that are concerned with the examination of society and the relationships among individuals within a society.

.03 General Education Requirements for Public Institutions.

A. While public institutions have the autonomy to design their general education program to meet their unique needs and mission, that program shall:

(1) Incorporate coursework in each of the following core areas, at a minimum:

(a) Arts and humanities;

(b) Social and behavioral sciences;

(d) Mathematics; and

(e) English composition;

(2) Conform to the definitions and common standards in this chapter; and

(3) Incorporate the general education knowledge and skills required by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Standards for Accreditation.

B. A public institution shall require each:

(1) Program leading to an A.A. or A.S. degree to include at least 28, but not more than 36, credit hours of general education courses;

(2) Associate’s degree program that does not lead to an A.A. or A.S. degree to include at least 18, but not more than 36, credit hours of general education courses; and

(3) Bachelor’s degree program to include at least 38, but not more than 48, credit hours of general education courses.

C. Each course used to satisfy the credit requirements of §B of this regulation shall carry at least 3 credit hours.

D. General education programs within the A.A. or A.S. degree or the bachelor’s degree at public institutions shall require at least:

(1) Two courses in arts and humanities;

(2) Two courses in social and behavioral sciences;

(3) Two science courses, at least one of which shall be a laboratory course;

(4) One course in mathematics, having performance expectations demonstrating a level of mathematical maturity beyond the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards in Mathematics (including problem-solving skills, and mathematical concepts and techniques that can be applied in the student’s program of study); and

(5) One course in English composition, completed with a grade of C- or better.

E. Institution-Specific Requirements.

(1) In addition to the five required areas in §A(1) of this regulation, a public institution may include up to 8 credit hours in coursework outside the five areas. These courses may be integrated into other general education courses or may be presented as separate courses. Examples include, but are not limited to, Health, Diversity, and Computer Literacy.

(2) Public institutions may not include the courses in this section in a general education program unless they provide academic content and rigor equivalent to the areas in §A(1) of this regulation.

F. A course in a discipline listed in more than one of the areas of general education may be applied only to one area of general education.

G. A public institution may allow a speech communication or foreign language course to be part of the arts and humanities category.

H. Composition and literature courses may be placed in the arts and humanities area if literature is included as part of the content of the course.

I. Public institutions may not include physical education skills courses as part of the general education requirements.

J. General education courses shall reflect current scholarship in the discipline and provide reference to theoretical frameworks and methods of inquiry appropriate to academic disciplines.

K. Courses that are theoretical may include applications, but all applications courses shall include theoretical components if they are to be included as meeting general education requirements.

L. Each public institution shall designate on the student transcript those courses that have met a general education requirement, including the specific core area or requirement it has fulfilled under this regulation.

Title 13B MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION

Subtitle 06 GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRANSFER

Chapter 02 Transfer Students and Transfer of Courses and Credits

Authority: Education Article, §§11-105 and 11-207, Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Purpose and Scope.

A. This chapter sets forth requirements for institutions of higher education in the State for:

(1) Admission of transfer students to public institutions;

(2) The transfer of courses and awarding of credit for transferred courses; and

(3) Collaboration and communication between institutions on issues relating to transfer.

B. This chapter is intended to:

(1) Maximize the transferability of courses to:

(a) Support timely completion of academic programs by transfer students;

(b) Minimize the need for transfer students to repeat coursework completed at a previous institution; and

(2) Foster collaboration and communication between institutions regarding proposed academic program changes that could impact the efficacy of transferring courses and credits;

(3) Establish a process and timeline for institutional review of a denial of a course or credit transfer; and

(4) Make public and easily accessible all policies and procedures regarding transfer students and the transfer of courses and credits.

C. This chapter is not intended to affect a student’s eligibility for and use of federal financial aid, and nothing in this chapter shall be construed in a manner that would prevent a student from being eligible for or using federal financial aid.

D. Except for Regulations .02 and .13A-H of this chapter, this chapter applies only to public institutions of higher education.

.02 Definitions.

A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

B. Terms Defined.

(1) Academic Credit.

(a) “Academic credit” or “credit” means the certification by the Registrar of a student’s successful completion of a course leading to a formal award granted by an institution of higher education.

(b) “Academic credit” or “credit” does not include credit awarded for remedial education.

(2) “Articulation agreement” means a written agreement for the awarding of credit by an institution of higher education for the completion of coursework or prior learning at another institution or entity.

(3) “Commission” means the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

(4) “Course” means a collection of lessons that is intended to meet specific learning objectives and is measured in academic credits.

(5) “Course Transfer Agreement” means an articulation agreement regarding the award of credit by a receiving institution for courses completed at the sending institution that are not specific to the completion of an academic program at the receiving institution.

(6) “Credit for prior learning” means credit granted to a student from an institution of higher education for experiential learning or a nationally recognized standardized examination that has been assessed by the institution to be the equivalent of learning gained through formal collegiate instruction.

(7) “Cumulative grade point average” means the average of grades received for completed coursework at an institution.

(8) “First-time student” means a student who:

(a) Has earned a high school diploma or equivalent; and

(b) Has not earned any college credit from an institution of higher education subsequent to earning the high school diploma or equivalent.

(9) “First-time student with advanced standing” means a first-time undergraduate student who earned college credit from an institution of higher education prior to earning a high school diploma or equivalent.

(10) General Admission.

(a) “General admission” means admission to enroll as an undergraduate student at an institution of higher education.

(b) “General admission” does not include admission to a specific degree or certificate program.

(11) “General education requirement” means an institutional requirement under COMAR 13B.06.01.03.

(12) “Institution of higher education” has the meaning stated in Education Article, §10-101, Annotated Code of Maryland.

(13) “Institution of postsecondary education” has the meaning stated in Education Article, §10-101, Annotated Code of Maryland.

(14) “Learning outcome” or “learning objective” means a description of the knowledge, skills, competencies, or expertise that a student is expected to obtain, exhibit, or meet upon the successful completion of a specific course or program.

(15) “Non-transfer student” means an undergraduate student who attends the same institution of higher education at which they initially enrolled and has not enrolled in a course of study at another institution of higher education since that initial enrollment.

(16) “Prior Learning Transfer Agreement” means an articulation agreement for a receiving institution to award academic credit for demonstrated proficiency, a satisfactory score on a specific assessment, applied experience, or other learning experience completed at an institution of postsecondary education or other entity.

(17) “Program” or “academic program” means a structured and coherent course of study with clearly defined learning objectives and intended student learning outcomes, leading to the award of a certificate or degree, that requires the completion of a specified number of course credits from among a prescribed group of general education, elective, and discipline-specific courses.

(18) “Program Transfer Agreement” means an articulation agreement between a receiving institution and a sending institution that sets forth the course and other degree requirements within a single bachelor’s degree program offered by the receiving institution that may be completed at the sending institution.

(19) “Receiving institution” means the institution of higher education to which a student desires to transfer courses and credits.

(20) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Higher Education.

(21) “Sending institution” means an institution of higher education at which a student was previously enrolled and earned academic credit.

(22) “Transfer student” means an undergraduate student entering an institution for the first time who has successfully completed, after earning a high school diploma or equivalent, at least one course at another institution of higher education that is transferable to the institution the student is enrolling in.

.03 Institutional Policies and Responsibilities.

A. An institution shall establish written policies and procedures for transfer between public institutions that are consistent with this chapter.

B. The policies and procedures established under §A of this regulation shall address, at a minimum:

(1) Information sharing and communication between institutions;

(2) Availability of information to students and the public;

(3) Admission of transfer students to the institution;

(4) Admission of transfer students into specific academic programs;

(5) Number of credits that may transfer and the application of credits to program requirements;

(6) Transfer of general education courses and credits;

(7) Processes and standards for the evaluation of individual course equivalencies and credit for prior learning;

(8) Processes for the establishment of course transferability, including, but not limited to, Program Transfer Agreements and other articulation agreements;

(9) Process for individual students to request credit and course transfer; and

(10) The roles of the institutional transfer coordinator and other faculty and staff.

C. All policies and procedures established under this chapter shall ensure:

(1) Equitable treatment of non-transfer students, first-time students with advanced standing, and transfer students;

(2) That the evaluation of courses and credits for transfer maximizes the amount of credit awarded to a student;

(3) That students are not required to repeat equivalent coursework successfully completed at a sending institution; and

(4) That all information regarding transfer is available to other institutions, students, and the public.

D. Applicability of Policies to Students from Private and Out-of-State Institutions. Institutions are encouraged to use the standards set forth in Regulations .07-.11 of this chapter and the process set forth in Regulation .14D of this chapter to evaluate the transfer of courses and credits that were completed at a private or out-of-State institution of higher education.

E. Transfer Coordinators.

(1) An institution of higher education shall designate at least one transfer coordinator, who:

(a) Serves as a resource person to students seeking to transfer courses and credits;

(b) Is responsible for coordinating the application of the policies and procedures established under §A of this regulation; and

(c) Is responsible for overseeing the process in Regulation .14 of this chapter for the evaluation of student transfer requests.

(2) A transfer coordinator is not responsible for evaluating individual course equivalencies or credit for prior learning under Regulations .10 and .11 of this chapter.

.04 Coordination Between Institutions and Segments.

A. Information for Students and the Public. Institutions shall collaborate to develop and provide to students and the public current, accurate, and consistent information on transfer that is consistent with this chapter.

B. Changes to Curriculum.

(1) When considering any curricular change, including non-substantial modifications to existing programs and changes to individual courses, an institution shall, at the earliest possible time, discuss any changes that might affect transfer students with all applicable public institutions.

(2) For curricular changes that are substantial modifications under COMAR 13B.02.03 and for new programs, an institution shall:

(a) Follow the procedures set forth in COMAR 13B.02.03.19; and

(b) Within 60 days of approval by the Commission, update all relevant student information.

(3) After making non-substantial modifications to existing programs, changes to individual courses, or other curricular changes that do not require Commission approval, institutions shall, within 60 days of the change:

(a) Update all articulation agreements affected by the change;

(b) Provide notification of the curricular change to any other applicable institutions of higher education; and

C. Establishment of Transferability. Institutions shall collaborate to establish transferability of courses and credits by entering into Program Transfer Agreements, Course Transfer Agreements, or Prior Learning Transfer Agreements whenever possible.

D. Uniform Policies. Institutions and segments shall coordinate to create uniform policies and procedures when practicable.

E. Student Transfer Advisory Committee. The Secretary shall convene a permanent Student Transfer Advisory Committee that meets regularly to review and provide recommendations on issues relating to student transfer and any matters referred by the Secretary.

.05 Information for Students.

A. All Institutions.

(1) An institution shall ensure that all articulation agreements and all information pertaining to transfer students and the transfer of courses and credits are:

(a) Written in language that is clear and explicit;

(b) Comprehensive, accurate, and regularly updated; and

(2) Student information shall include, at a minimum:

(a) Admissions requirements for transfer students at public senior higher education institutions;

(b) Curriculum prerequisites at receiving institutions;

(d) Information about other articulation agreements and sources of established course and credit transferability;

(e) Transferability of general education courses;

(f) Transferability of individual courses;

(g) Credit transfer limits; and

(h) The credit transfer process, including:

(i) How to make a transfer evaluation request; and

(ii) The standards that are used to determine course and credit equivalency.

(3) Institutions shall:

(a) Promptly inform students of changes to admissions requirements, academic program requirements, and any of the other information in this regulation; and

(b) Notify students that:

(i) Students are accountable for the loss of credits resulting from changes to the student’s academic program; and

(ii) Credits earned for remedial coursework are not transferable.

(4) Institutions shall encourage all prospective transfer students to complete an associate’s degree.

B. Community Colleges. Community colleges shall encourage their students to select, as early as possible, the institution and academic program into which they desire to transfer.

.06 Admission of Transfer Students.

A. General Admission to Public Institutions.

(1) General admission of a transfer student to an institution under >S1>A(2) and (3) of this regulation does not guarantee admission into a specific degree or certificate program at that institution.

(2) Except as provided in §A(4) of this regulation, a student transferring from a public institution may not be denied general admission to another public institution if the student:

(a) Has completed an associate’s degree or at least 60 credit hours; and

(b) Attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent at the sending institution.

(3) A student transferring from a public institution who has not completed an associate’s degree or at least 60 credit hours is eligible for general admission to another public institution if the student:

(a) Satisfies the same admission criteria as a non-transfer student at the receiving public institution; and

(b) Attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent at the sending institution.

(4) If the number of students seeking admission exceeds the number that can be accommodated at a receiving public institution, admission decisions for transfer students shall:

(a) Be based on criteria developed by the receiving institution that are publicly available and easily accessible on the institution’s website; and

(b) Maintain fair and equitable treatment for non-transfer students, transfer students, and first-time students with advanced standing.

B. Admission to Specific Academic Programs.

(1) A receiving public institution may require additional admission requirements to a specific degree or certificate program.

(2) The standards for admission to the program shall:

(a) Be based on criteria developed by the receiving public institution that are publicly available and easily accessible on the institution’s website; and

(b) Maintain fair and equitable treatment for non-transfer students, transfer students, and first-time students with advanced standing.

.07 Transfer of Courses and Credits Generally.

A. A receiving institution shall accept for transfer and award credit for a course or credit completed at a sending institution if:

(1) The course is transferable under §B of this regulation; and

(2) The acceptance of and awarding of credit for the completed course or credit is consistent with the requirements of this chapter.

B. Transferability.

(1) General education courses required under COMAR 13B.06.01 are transferable as set forth in Regulation .09 of this chapter.

(2) An individual course that is not being applied toward a general education requirement is transferable if:

(a) The course is deemed equivalent to a course at the receiving institution under the standards set forth in Regulation .10 of this chapter; or

(b) The course is part of a Program Transfer Agreement.

(3) Credit for prior learning is transferable if deemed equivalent using the standards set forth in Regulation .11 of this chapter.

(4) Establishment of Transferability by Institutions.

(a) Whenever practicable, the transferability of courses or credits shall be established via Program Transfer Agreement or other mechanism consistent with Regulation .12 of this chapter.

(b) Documents establishing course equivalencies and course and credit transferability shall be publicly available and easily accessible for students and the public.

C. Awarding of Credit Toward Academic Program Requirements.

(1) A receiving institution’s award of credit for a transferred course or credit may be applied toward any academic program requirement at the receiving institution, regardless of the program requirement that the course fulfilled at the sending institution,

(2) The award of credit for a transferred course or credit may be applied toward multiple program requirements at the receiving institution consistent with the institution’s policies for non-transfer students.

.08 Number of Credits Accepted for Transfer.

A. Required Award of Credit by Public Senior Higher Education Institution for Courses Completed at Community College.

(1) Except as provided in §A(2) of this regulation and subject to §C of this regulation, a public senior higher education institution in the State shall accept for transfer at least 60, but not more than 70, credits that were earned toward an associate’s degree at any community college in the State.

(2) A Program Transfer Agreement between a community college and a public senior higher education institution may allow for the transfer of more than 70 credits earned at the community college.

B. Required Award of Credit by Community College for Courses Completed at Public Senior Higher Education Institution.

(1) Subject to §C of this regulation, a community college shall accept for transfer at least 30, but not more than 45, credits that were earned at any public senior higher education institution in the State.

(2) A student may transfer credit under §B(1) of this regulation without enrolling in the community college if:

(a) The student earned at least 15 credits at the community college prior to attending the public senior higher education institution from which they desire to transfer credit; and

(b) The transfer of the credits will satisfy all remaining requirements to receive an associate’s degree from the community college.

C. Awarding and Application of Credit by Receiving Institution. An institution accepting the transfer of completed courses and credits under §A or B of this regulation shall award credit for those courses and apply the awarded credit toward academic program requirements as follows:

(1) For any course determined to be equivalent to a course at the receiving institution under this chapter, credit shall be awarded for the equivalent course.

(2) Credit awarded for an equivalent course shall be applied toward any general education, elective, major, or other program requirement that the course would fulfill for a non-transfer student.

(3) For any completed course that has no equivalent at the receiving institution, if the student earned a passing grade in the course at the sending institution, general credit or discipline-specific credit shall be awarded, as appropriate.

(4) Credit awarded for a course with no equivalent at the receiving institution may be applied toward any general education or elective requirement, if the institution has a written, publicly available policy regarding such an application that ensures the equitable treatment of all transfer students.

.09 Transfer of General Education Courses.

A. A receiving institution shall accept for transfer any completed course that fulfilled a general education requirement at the sending institution.

B. Credit for a general education course completed at a sending institution shall be applied toward any general education requirement in the same core area at the receiving institution to which it was applied at the sending institution, regardless of whether an equivalent course exists at the receiving institution.

C. Credit for any completed course that fulfills any general education requirement at the sending institution, that cannot be applied pursuant to §B of this regulation, shall be applied toward any elective within the general education requirements at the receiving institution, regardless of whether an equivalent course exists at the receiving institution.

.10 Evaluation of Individual Course Equivalencies.

A. Equivalency Standard.

(1) A receiving institution shall accept a course or combination of courses completed at a sending institution for transfer when the receiving institution determines that at least 70 percent of the course learning objectives of the course or combination of courses completed at the sending institution are equivalent to the course learning objectives of a course or combination of courses at a receiving institution.

(2) An institution may not use any other standard or method of determining the equivalency of an individual course or combination of courses at a sending institution to a course or combination of courses at a receiving institution, other than the standard set forth in §A(1) of this regulation.

(3) An institution may not consider the course numbers or levels assigned to the sending or receiving institution’s course or combination of courses when making a determination under §A(1) of this regulation.

B. Equivalencies shall be determined by faculty who are subject matter experts and may not be determined by non-academic staff.

C. An equivalent course shall only be transferred if the grade achieved at the sending institution for the completed course is the same or higher than the grade required for a non-transfer student in the equivalent course at the receiving institution.

D. The number of credits awarded to the student by the receiving institution for a course or combination of courses deemed equivalent under this regulation may not be less than the number of credits earned for that course or combination of courses at the sending institution.

E. An institution shall include in the policies and procedures established under Regulation .03 of this chapter the process the institution will use for the evaluation of course learning objective equivalencies.

.11 Transfer of Previously Awarded Credit for Prior Learning.

A. Transfer by a receiving institution of previously awarded credit for prior learning, whether credit by exam, for nationally recognized standardized examination scores, or experiential learning, shall be:

(1) Evaluated using the same standards that apply to the awarding of credit for prior learning to non-transfer students at the receiving institution;

(2) Indicated on the student’s transcript at the receiving institution, including the basis for awarding the credit for prior learning; and

(3) Consistent with COMAR 13B.02.02.16H.

B. Equivalency for prior learning which has no explicit course equivalency, such as experiential learning, shall be established by the receiving institution using the same validation procedures for evaluating specific learning outcomes that are used for non-transfer students at the institution.

.12 Establishment of Transferability.

A. Institutions may establish transferability of courses and credits through:

(1) A Program Transfer Agreement, as set forth in Regulation .13 of this chapter;

(2) A Course Transfer Agreement or Prior Learning Transfer Agreement;

(3) A list of courses that have already been evaluated and deemed equivalent under Regulation .10 of this chapter; or

(4) Any other mechanism that enables a student to determine, prior to registering for a course at a sending institution, whether the course will transfer to a specific receiving institution.

B. Institutions shall, to the fullest extent possible, systematically establish the transferability of courses and credits to facilitate maximum transferability of courses and credits and support degree planning for students.

C. All articulations agreements, lists, and other information that establish transferability shall be:

(1) Published in a central location that is easily accessible for students and the public; and

(2) Reviewed to ensure accuracy on a regular basis, but no less than once a year.

D. Any information regarding the transferability of the course that is publicly available in an institutional source at the time of a student’s transfer evaluation request shall be honored by the institution.

.13 Program Transfer Agreements.

A. Except for §§I and J of this regulation, this regulation applies to all institutions of higher education operating in the State.

B. Institutions are encouraged to leverage the use of Program Transfer Agreements to facilitate the transparent, seamless, and equitable transfer of a student from a sending institution into a specific academic program at a receiving institution.

C. A Program Transfer Agreement between two institutions of higher education in the State shall specify:

(1) The course(s) at the sending institution, including any minimum grade required in the course(s), that will be accepted for transfer to fulfill each degree requirement within the academic program at the receiving institution;

(2) Any other degree requirements, including, but not limited to, internships and other experiential learning, that may be completed at the sending institution; and

(3) If the receiving institution will accept for transfer any credit for prior learning awarded by the sending institution.

D. A Program Transfer Agreement may also include provisions regarding:

(1) Procedures for admissions, registration, and advising;

(2) Access to student services, including financial aid;

(3) Cost of tuition; and

(4) Any other information that may facilitate the transfer of academic credit from the sending institution to the receiving institution.

E. A Program Transfer Agreement may have more than one sending institution and more than one receiving institution.

F. A Program Transfer Agreement shall be signed by the president, executive director, chief academic officer, or equivalent designee of each institution that is a party to the agreement.

G. A final, signed copy of a Program Transfer Agreement shall be deposited with the Commission no more than 30 days after all institutions have signed the agreement.

H. Each institution that is a party to a Program Transfer Agreement shall include the full agreement on their website and in other publicly accessible sources.

I. A transfer student at a public institution shall be provided the same opportunity as a non-transfer student at the same institution to pursue the program requirements that were in effect at the time that the transfer student enrolled at the sending institution, provided the student has been continuously enrolled and has fulfilled the requirements of the corresponding Program Transfer Agreement.

J. A public institution of higher education may not deny the transfer of any course that is set forth in a publicly available version of a Program Transfer Agreement.

.14 Evaluation and Review Process for Transfer of Courses and Credits.

A. Purpose. The purpose of the evaluation and review process is to maximize the courses and credits accepted for transfer by a receiving institution.

B. Transfer Evaluation Request by Student.

(1) A current or prospective transfer student who desires to transfer courses or credits from a prior institution of higher education to a receiving institution shall submit to the receiving institution a request to conduct an evaluation of official transcripts and other relevant materials.

(2) The request shall be in the form and manner required by the receiving institution and shall identify each completed course and each credit awarded for prior learning that the student desires to transfer to the receiving institution.

C. Timing of Evaluation by Receiving Institution.

(1) Except as set forth in §C(2) of this regulation, in response to a complete request submitted under §B of this regulation, a receiving institution shall conduct and complete an evaluation of the student’s official transcripts and other relevant materials no later than 20 business days after receipt of the official transcripts.

(2) If the official transcripts are received more than 30 business days before the start of the student’s first semester at the receiving institution, the evaluation shall be conducted and completed no later than 10 business days prior to the start of the student’s first semester.

D. Evaluation of Course and Credit Transfer by Receiving Institution.

(1) In accordance with §D(2) and (3) of this regulation, a receiving institution shall evaluate each completed course or credit in a transfer evaluation request to determine:

(a) First, if the course or credit is transferable; and

(b) Second, the academic program requirement(s) to which a transferable course or credit will be applied.

(2) Transferability.

(a) The transferability of the course or credit shall be evaluated by determining:

(i) If the transferability of the course or credit has been established in a Program Transfer Agreement, other transfer agreement, course equivalency list, or other institutional publication;

(ii) If the course fulfilled a general education course at the sending institution;

(iii) If, under the standard in Regulation .10 of this chapter, as determined by an appropriate academic staff member, the course is equivalent to a course at the receiving institution; or

(iv) If, under the standard in Regulation .11 of this chapter, as determined by an appropriate academic staff member, the credit is equivalent to credit for prior learning at the receiving institution.

(b) A course that is not transferable under §D(2)(a) shall be denied.

(3) Application of Credit.

(a) In accordance with Regulation .08C of this chapter, and consistent with the standards set forth in this chapter and the institutional policies and procedures established under Regulation .03 of this chapter, each course or credit accepted for transfer shall be evaluated to determine if it fulfills:

(i) A general education requirement;

(ii) A requirement of the student’s academic program;

(iii) An elective requirement;

(iv) Any other institutional or program requirement; or

(v) Two or more of the requirements in §D(3)(a)(i)-(iv) of this regulation.

(b) If the number of credits assigned to all transferable courses and credits exceeds the limits set forth in Regulation .08 of this chapter, the courses that are not accepted for transfer shall be:

(i) Determined after evaluating the application of credit under §D(3)(a) of this regulation; and

(ii) Selected to minimize the number of courses a student will need to take at the receiving institution to complete a degree.

E. Transfer Evaluation Report.

(1) No later than the applicable deadline set forth in §C of this regulation, a receiving institution shall issue a Transfer Evaluation Report to inform a student in writing of the outcome of the evaluation.

(2) The Transfer Evaluation Report shall include, for each course and credit requested for transfer:

(a) If the course or credit has been accepted for transfer or denied;

(b) For each course and credit accepted for transfer:

(i) The basis for transferability; and

(ii) The program requirement(s) it fulfills under §D(3) of this regulation;

(c) For each course or credit denied because it is not transferable, a clear and detailed explanation of the reason for the denial;

(d) For each course or credit denied because the total number of transferable credits exceeded the limits set forth in Regulation .08 of this chapter, a clear and detailed explanation of the basis for the determination of which transferable course(s) or credit(s) were denied;

(e) If any course or credit is denied, a statement explaining that all course and credit transfer denials will be reviewed by the sending institution, in conjunction with the receiving institution, without further action on the part of the student; and

(f) The name, title, email address, and phone number of the individual at the receiving institution whom the student can contact with questions.

(3) A copy of the Transfer Evaluation Report shall be provided to all sending institutions simultaneously with the issuance of the report to the student.

F. Receiving Institution Transcript. As soon as possible after acceptance of a course or credit for transfer, the receiving institution shall ensure that the student’s transcript reflects the credits awarded.

G. Review of Denials by Sending Institution.

(1) If any course or credit is denied, the sending institution, in conjunction with the receiving institution, shall conduct an evaluation to review each denial of a course or credit.

(2) The transfer coordinator or institutional designee of the sending institution shall conduct the evaluation in accordance with §D of this regulation.

(3) The evaluation shall be completed, and a copy of the sending institution’s analysis shall be provided to the receiving institution, no later than 20 business days after receipt of the Transfer Evaluation Report.

(4) The sending institution’s analysis shall indicate, for each course or credit denied by the receiving institution, whether the sending institution agrees or disagrees with the receiving institution’s evaluation and rationale.

(5) Meeting Between Sending and Receiving Institutions.

(a) The sending and receiving institutions shall meet to discuss the analyses no later than 20 business days after the sending institution’s analysis is provided to the receiving institution.

(b) During the meeting, the institutions shall review and discuss each course or credit denial determination with which the sending institution disagrees.

(d) Waiver.

(i) For good cause, a sending institution may request that the Secretary waive the meeting requirement for any individual review.

(ii) A request for a waiver shall be made, in writing, with a copy to the receiving institution, no later than 5 business days of providing the analysis to the receiving institution.

(iii) The Secretary shall approve or deny a request for a waiver of the meeting within 10 business days of receipt.

(6) No later than 10 business days after the meeting, a sending institution shall provide to the receiving institution:

(a) A revised version of the sending institution’s analysis; or

(b) Written notification that no revisions to the sending institution’s analysis are necessary.

H. Final Determination by Receiving Institution.

(1) No later than 10 business days after receipt of a revised analysis from the sending institution or a notification under §G(6) of this regulation, the receiving institution shall provide to the student:

(a) A Revised Transfer Evaluation Report; or

(b) Written notification that the review process has not resulted in any changes to the Transfer Evaluation Report.

(2) The decision arising out of the review process regarding the transferability of courses and credits under §D(2) constitutes the final decision of the receiving institution and is not subject to appeal.

I. Records.

(1) A receiving institution shall keep records of all denied courses and credits, including but not limited to, the Transfer Evaluation Report, the sending institution analysis, any revisions to the sending institution analysis, and any Revised Transfer Evaluation Report, for at least 5 years after the student ceases enrollment at the institution or 2 years after the student completes a bachelor’s degree, whichever is earlier.

(2) An institution shall annually report to the Commission, in a form prescribed by the Commission, each denial of a course or credit transfer, including the reason for each denial.

Title 13B MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION

Subtitle 06 GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRANSFER

Chapter 01 Public Institutions of Higher Education

Authority: Education Article, §§11-105(u) 11-207 and Title 11, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland

.02 Definitions.

A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

B. Terms Defined.

(1) “A.A. degree” means the Associate of Arts degree.

(2) “A.A.S. degree” means the Associate of Applied Sciences degree.

(3) “A.A.T. degree” means the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree.

(4) “A.F.A. degree” means the Associate of Fine Arts degree.

(5) “Arts” means courses that examine aesthetics and the development of the aesthetic form and explore the relationship between theory and practice.

(6) “A.S. degree” means the Associate of Sciences degree.

(7) “A.S.E. degree” means the Associate of Science in Engineering degree.

(8) “Associate’s degree” includes an:

(a) A.A. degree;

(b) A.S. degree;

(d) A.A.T. degree;

(e) A.F.A. degree; and

(f) A.S.E degree.

(9) “Biological and physical sciences” means courses that examine living systems and the physical universe. They introduce students to the variety of methods used to collect, interpret, and apply scientific data, and to an understanding of the relationship between scientific theory and application.

(10) “Cumulative grade point average” means the average of grades received for completed coursework at all institutions attended.

(11) “English composition courses” means courses that provide students with communication knowledge and skills appropriate to various writing situations, including intellectual inquiry and academic research.

(12) “First-time student” means a student who:

(a) Has earned a high school diploma or equivalent; and

(b) Has not earned any college credit from an institution of higher education subsequent to earning the high school diploma or equivalent.

(13) First-time student with advanced standing” means a first-time student who earned college credit from an institution of higher education prior to earning a high school diploma or equivalent.

(14) “General education” means the foundation of the higher education curriculum providing a coherent intellectual experience for all students.

(15) “General education program” means a program that is designed to:

(a) Introduce undergraduates to the fundamental knowledge, skills, and values that are essential to the study of academic disciplines;

(b) Encourage the pursuit of life-long learning; and

(16) “Humanities” means courses that examine the values and cultural heritage that establish the framework for inquiry into the meaning of life.

(17) “Mathematics” means courses that provide students with numerical, analytical, statistical, and problem-solving skills.

(18) “Native student” means a student whose initial college enrollment was at a given institution of higher education and who has not transferred to another institution of higher education since that initial enrollment.

(19) “Parallel program” means the program of study or courses at one institution of higher education that has parallel courses and comparable objectives as those at another higher education institution, for example, a transfer program in psychology in a community college is definable as a parallel program to a baccalaureate psychology program at a 4-year institution of higher education.

(20) “Receiving institution” means the institution of higher education at which a transfer student currently desires to enroll.

(21) “Recommended transfer program” means a planned program of courses, both general education and courses in the major, taken at a community college, which is applicable to a baccalaureate program at a receiving institution, and ordinarily the first half of the baccalaureate degree.

(22) “Reverse transfer” means a process whereby credits that a student earns at any public senior higher education institution in the State toward a bachelor’s degree are transferrable to any community college in the State for credit toward an associate’s degree.

(23) “Sending institution” means the institution of higher education of most recent previous enrollment by a transfer student at which transferable academic credit was earned.

(24) “Social and behavioral sciences” means courses that are concerned with the examination of society and the relationships among individuals within a society.

(25) “Transfer student” means a student entering an institution for the first time having successfully completed a minimum of 12 semester hours at another institution that are applicable for credit at the institution the student is entering.

.02-1 Admission of Transfer Students to Public Institutions.

A. Admission to Institutions.

(1) Subject to §B a student attending a public institution who has completed an associate’s degree or who has completed 60 or more semester hours of credit, may not be denied direct transfer to another public institution if the student attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent at the sending institution, except as provided in §A(4) of this regulation.

(2) Subject to §B of this regulation, a student attending a public institution who has not completed an associate’s degree or who has completed fewer than 60 semester hours of credit, is eligible to transfer to a public institution regardless of the number of credit hours earned if the student:

(a) Satisfied the admission criteria of the receiving public institution as a high school senior; and

(b) Attained at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent at the sending institution.

(3) Subject to §B f this regulation, a student attending a public institution who did not satisfy the admission criteria of a receiving public institution as a high school senior, but who has earned sufficient credits at a public institution to be classified by the receiving public institution as a sophomore, shall meet the stated admission criteria developed and published by the receiving public institution for transfer.

(4) If the number of students seeking admission exceeds the number that can be accommodated at a receiving public institution, admission decisions shall be:

(a) Based on criteria developed and published by the receiving public institution on the institution’s website; and

(b) Made to provide fair and equal treatment for native and transfer students.

B. Admission to Programs.

(1) A receiving public institution may require additional program admission requirements to some programs if the standards and criteria for admission to the program:

(a) Are developed and published by the receiving public institution; and

(b) Maintain fair and equal treatment for native transfer students, and first-time students with advanced standing.

(2) Courses taken at a public institution as part of a recommended transfer program leading toward a baccalaureate degree shall be applicable to related programs at a receiving public institution granting the baccalaureate degree.

C. Receiving Institution Program Responsibility.

(1) The faculty of a receiving public institution is responsible for development and determination of the program requirements in major fields of study for a baccalaureate degree, including courses in the major field of study taken in the lower division.

(2) A receiving public institution may set program requirements in major fields of study which simultaneously fulfill general education requirements.

(3) A receiving public institution, in developing lower division course work, shall exchange information with other public institutions to facilitate the transfer of credits into its programs.

(4) A receiving public institution shall ensure that any changes to program standards and criteria for admission and the transfer of credits

(a) Maintain the fair and equal treatment of native students, transfer students, and first-time students with advanced standing: and

(b) Are communicated in a timely manner.

.03 General Education Requirements for Public Institutions.

While public institutions have the autonomy to design their general education program to meet their unique needs and mission, that program shall conform to the definitions and common standards in this chapter, and incorporate the general education knowledge and skills required by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Standards for Accreditation. No later than August 1, 2017, a public institution shall satisfy the general education requirement by:

(1) Requiring each program leading to the A.A. or A.S. degree to include not less than 28 and not more than 36 semester hours, and each baccalaureate degree program to include not less than 38 and not more than 46 semester hours of required core courses, with the core requiring, at a minimum, course work in each of the following five areas:

(a) Arts and humanities,

(b) Social and behavioral sciences,

(d) Mathematics, and

(e) English composition; or

(2) Conforming with COMAR 13B.02.02.16D(2)(b)-(c).

B. Each core course used to satisfy the distribution requirements of §A(1) of this regulation shall carry at least 3 semester hours.

C. General education programs of public institutions shall require at least:

(1) Two courses in arts and humanities;

(2) Two courses in social and behavioral sciences;

(3) Two science courses, at least one of which shall be a laboratory course;

(5) One course in English composition, completed with a grade of C- or better.

D. Institution-Specific Requirements.

(1) In addition to the five required areas in §A of this regulation, a public institution may include up to 8 semester hours in course work outside the five areas. These courses may be integrated into other general education courses or may be presented as separate courses. Examples include, but are not limited to, Health, Diversity, and Computer Literacy.

(2) Public institutions may not include the courses in this section in a general education program unless they provide academic content and rigor equivalent to the areas in §A(1) of this regulation.

E. General education programs leading to the A.A.S. degree shall include at least 18 semester hours from the same course list designated by the sending institution for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. The A.A.S. degree shall include at least one 3-semester-hour course from each of the five areas listed in §A(1) of this regulation.

F. A course in a discipline listed in more than one of the areas of general education may be applied only to one area of general education.

G. A public institution may allow a speech communication or foreign language course to be part of the arts and humanities category.

H. Composition and literature courses may be placed in the arts and humanities area if literature is included as part of the content of the course.

I. Public institutions may not include physical education skills courses as part of the general education requirements.

J. General education courses shall reflect current scholarship in the discipline and provide reference to theoretical frameworks and methods of inquiry appropriate to academic disciplines.

K. Courses that are theoretical may include applications, but all applications courses shall include theoretical components if they are to be included as meeting general education requirements.

L. Notwithstanding §A(1) of this regulation, a public 4-year institution may require 48 semester hours of required core courses if courses upon which the institution’s curriculum is based carry 4 semester hours.

M. Public institutions shall develop systems to ensure that courses approved for inclusion on the list of general education courses are designed and assessed to comply with the requirements of this chapter.

.04 Transfer of Education Program Credit.

A. Transfer of Credit to Another Public Institution.

(1) Credit earned at any public institution in the State is transferable to any other public institution if the:

(a) Credit is from a college or university parallel course or program;

(b) Grades in the block of courses transferred average 2.0 or higher; and

(c) Acceptance of the credit is consistent with the policies of the receiving institution governing native students following the same program.

(2) If a native student’s “D” grade in a specific course is acceptable in a program, then a “D” earned by a transfer student in the same course at a sending institution is also acceptable in the program. Conversely, if a native student is required to earn a grade of “C” or better in a required course, the transfer student shall also be required to earn a grade of “C” or better to meet the same requirement.

B. Credit Earned in or Transferred from a Community College.

(1) Except as provided in §B(5) of this regulation, at least 60 credits but not more than 70 credits of general education, elective, and major courses that a student earns at any community college in the State toward an associate’s of art or an associate’s of science degree shall be transferrable to any public senior higher education institution in the State for credit toward a bachelor’s degree.

(2) To be transferrable, a credit shall have been earned in accordance with the student’s degree plan.

(3) Courses taken at a public institution as part of a recommended transfer program leading toward a baccalaureate degree shall be applicable to related programs at the receiving public institution granting the degree if successfully completed in accordance with the receiving institution’s policies governing native students in the same program.

(4) Students earning an A.A.S. or A.F.A. degree shall have their credits evaluated in a manner that maximizes the transfer of articulated and elective credit.

(5) A community college and a public senior higher education institution may provide in an articulation agreement for the transfer of credits in addition to credits transferred under §B(1) of this regulation.

C. Nontraditional Credit.

(1) The assignment of credit for AP, CLEP, or other nationally recognized standardized examination scores presented by transfer students is determined according to the same standards that apply to native students in the receiving institution, and the assignment shall be consistent with the State minimum requirements.

(2) Transfer of credit from the following areas shall be consistent with COMAR 13B.02.02. and shall be evaluated by the receiving institution on a course-by-course basis according to the same standards that apply to native students at the receiving institution:

(a) Technical courses from career programs;

(b) Course credit awarded through articulation agreements with other segments or agencies, which should be developed in collaboration with all public institutions, including course credit awarded by articulation with Maryland public secondary schools;

(d) Credit awarded for life and work experiences; and

(e) Credit awarded for training, coursework, or education through the military.

(3) The basis for the awarding of the credit shall be indicated on the student’s transcript by the receiving institution.

(4) The receiving institution shall inform a transfer student of the procedures for validation of course work for which there is no clear equivalency. Examples of validation procedures include ACE recommendations, portfolio assessment, credit through challenge, examinations, and satisfactory completion of the next course in sequence in the academic area.

(5) The receiving baccalaureate degree-granting institution shall use validation procedures when a transferring student successfully completes a course at the lower-division level that the receiving institution offers at the upper-division level. The validated credits earned for the course shall be substituted for the upper-division course.

D. Program Articulation.

(1) Recommended transfer programs shall be developed through collaboration between the sending and receiving institutions. A recommended transfer program represents an agreement between the two institutions that allows students aspiring to the baccalaureate degree to plan for seamless transfer. These programs constitute freshman/sophomore level course work to be taken at the community college in fulfillment of the receiving institution’s lower division course work requirement.

(2) Recommended transfer programs in effect at the time that this regulation takes effect, which conform to this chapter, may be retained.

E. Reverse Transfer of Credit

(1) Subject to §E(2) of this regulation, a community college shall accept for reverse transfer any credits that an individual earned at a public senior institution up to 45 credits. Credits in excess of 45 credits may be accepted in accordance with the community college’s policy.

(2) To be eligible for the transfer of credit under §E(1) of this regulation, a student shall have completed at least 15 credits at the community college to which the credits are transferred.

(3) Community colleges and public senior institutions shall develop a process to identify students eligible for reverse transfer at no cost to the student.

F. Transfer of General Education Credit

(1) A student transferring to one public institution from another public institution shall receive general education credit for work completed at the student’s sending institution as provided by this chapter.

(2) A completed general education program shall transfer without further review or approval by the receiving institution and without the need for a course-by-course match.

(3) Courses that are defined as general education by one institution shall transfer as general education even if the receiving institution does not have that specific course or has not designated that course as general education.

(4) A Maryland community college shall accept 28-36 credits of general education as specified in Regulation .03(C) of this chapter as completion of the general education requirements at the community college, without further review or the need for a course-by-course match.

(5) The receiving institution shall give lower-division general education credits to a transferring student who has taken any part of the lower-division general education credits described in Regulation .03 of this chapter at a public institution for any general education courses successfully completed at the sending institution.

(6) Except as provided in Regulation .03M of this chapter, a receiving institution may not require a transfer student who has completed the requisite number of general education credits at any public college or university to take, as a condition of graduation, more than 10-18 additional semester hours of general education and specific courses required of all students at the receiving institution, with the total number not to exceed 46 semester hours. This provision does not relieve students of the obligation to complete specific academic program requirements or course prerequisites required by a receiving institution.

(7) Each public institution shall designate on or with the student transcript those courses that have met its general education requirements, as well as indicate whether the student has completed the general education program.

(8) Associate’s Degrees.

(a) While there may be variance in the numbers of hours of general education required for associate’s degrees at a given institution, the courses identified as meeting general education requirements for all degrees shall come from the same general education course list and exclude technical or career courses.

(b) A student possessing an associate’s degree who transfers into a receiving institution with fewer than the total number of general education credits designated by the receiving institution shall complete the difference in credits according to the distribution as designated by the receiving institution. Except as provided in Regulation .03M of this chapter, the total general education credits for baccalaureate degree-granting public receiving institutions may not exceed 46 credits.

(9) Student Responsibilities. A student is held:

(a) Accountable for the loss of credits that:

(i) Result from changes in the student’s selection of the major program of study;

(ii) Were earned for remedial course work; or

(iii) Exceed the total course credits accepted in transfer as allowed by this chapter; and

(b) Responsible for meeting all requirements of the academic program of the receiving institution.

.05 Academic Success and General Well-Being of Transfer Students.

A. Sending Institutions.

(1) Community colleges shall encourage their students to complete the associate degree in a recommended transfer program that includes both general education courses and courses applicable toward the program at the receiving institution.

(2) Community college students are encouraged to choose as early as possible the institution and program into which they expect to transfer.

(3) The sending institution shall:

(a) Provide to community college students information about the specific transferability of courses and programs to 4-year colleges;

(b) Transmit information about transfer students who are capable of honors work or independent study to the receiving institution; and

(c) Promptly supply the receiving institution with all the required documents if the student has met all financial and other obligations of the sending institution for transfer.

B. Receiving Institutions.

(1) Admission requirements and curriculum prerequisites shall be stated explicitly in institutional publications.

(2) A receiving institution shall admit transfer students from newly established public colleges that are functioning with the approval of the Maryland Higher Education Commission on the same basis as applicants from regionally accredited colleges.

(3) A receiving institution shall evaluate the transcript or transcripts of a degree-seeking transfer student as expeditiously as possible, and notify the student of the results within 20 working days of the receipt of all official transcripts. The receiving institution shall inform a student of the courses that are acceptable for transfer credit and the courses that are applicable to the student’s intended program of study.

(4) A transfer student shall be provided the same opportunity as a native student to pursue the program and degree requirements that were in effect at the time that the student enrolled at the sending institution provided they have been continuously enrolled and otherwise meet the same requirements of the native student.

.06 Programmatic Currency.

A. Maryland public institutions shall collaborate to develop and provide to students current and accurate information on transferable programs and courses.

B. Upon approval of new baccalaureate programs, recommended transfer programs shall be developed with each community college.

C. When considering curricular changes, institutions shall notify each other of the proposed changes that might affect transfer students. An appropriate mechanism shall be created to ensure that both 2-year and 4-year public colleges provide input or comments to the institution proposing the change. Sufficient lead time shall be provided to effect the change with minimum disruption. Transfer students are not required to repeat equivalent course work successfully completed at a community college.

.07 Transfer Mediation Committee.

A. Sending and receiving institutions that disagree on the transferability of general education courses as defined by this chapter shall submit their disagreements to the Secretary, who shall appoint a Transfer Mediation Committee to adjudicate the disagreement. Members appointed to the Transfer Mediation Committee shall be representative of the public 4-year colleges and universities and the community colleges.

B. The Transfer Mediation Committee shall address general education issues at the course or curricular level, not individual student cases. As appropriate, the Committee shall consult with faculty on curricular issues.

C. The findings of the Transfer Mediation Committee are considered binding on both parties.

.08 Appeal Process.

A. Notice of Denial of Transfer Credit by a Receiving Institution.

(1) Except as provided in §A(2) of this regulation, a receiving institution shall inform a transfer student in writing of the denial of transfer credit not later than mid-semester of the transfer student’s first semester, if all official transcripts have been received at least 15 working days before mid-semester.

(2) If transcripts are submitted after 15 working days before mid-semester of a student’s first semester, the receiving institution shall inform the student of credit denied within 20 working days of receipt of the official transcript.

(3) A receiving institution shall include in the notice of denial of transfer credit:

(a) A statement of the student’s right to appeal; and

(b) A notification that the appeal process is available in the institution’s catalog.

(4) The statement of the student’s right to appeal the denial shall include notice of the time limitations in §B of this regulation.

B. A student believing that the receiving institution has denied the student transfer credits in violation of this chapter may initiate an appeal by contacting the receiving institution’s transfer coordinator or other responsible official of the receiving institution within 20 working days of receiving notice of the denial of credit.

C. Response by Receiving Institution.

(1) A receiving institution shall:

(a) Establish expeditious and simplified procedures governing the appeal of a denial of transfer of credit; and

(b) Respond to a student’s appeal within 10 working days.

(2) An institution may either grant or deny an appeal. The institution’s reasons for denying the appeal shall be consistent with this chapter and conveyed to the student in written form.

(3) Unless a student appeals to the sending institution, the written decision in §C(2) of this regulation constitutes the receiving institution’s final decision and is not subject to appeal.

D. Appeal to Sending Institution.

(1) If a student has been denied transfer credit after an appeal to the receiving institution, the student may request the sending institution to intercede on the student’s behalf by contacting the transfer coordinator of the sending institution.

(2) A student shall make an appeal to the sending institution within 10 working days of having received the decision of the receiving institution.

E. Consultation Between Sending and Receiving Institutions.

(1) Representatives of the two institutions shall have 15 working days to resolve the issues involved in an appeal.

(2) As a result of a consultation in this section, the receiving institution may affirm, modify, or reverse its earlier decision.

(3) The receiving institution shall inform a student in writing of the result of the consultation.

(4) The decision arising out of a consultation constitutes the final decision of the receiving institution and is not subject to appeal.

09 Periodic Review.

A. Report by Receiving Institution.

(1) A receiving institution shall report annually the progress of students who transfer from 2-year and 4-year institutions within the State to each community college and to the Secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

(2) An annual report shall include ongoing reports on the subsequent academic success of enrolled transfer students, including graduation rates, by major subject areas.

(3) A receiving institution shall include in the reports comparable information on the progress of native students.

B. Transfer Coordinator. A public institution of higher education shall designate a transfer coordinator, who serves as a resource person to transfer students at either the sending or receiving campus. The transfer coordinator is responsible for overseeing the application of the policies and procedures outlined in this chapter and interpreting transfer policies to the individual student and to the institution.

C. The Maryland Higher Education Commission shall establish a permanent Student Transfer Advisory Committee that meets regularly to review transfer issues and recommend policy changes as needed. The Student Transfer Advisory Committee shall address issues of interpretation and implementation of this chapter.

Title 13B MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION

Subtitle 07 COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Chapter 02 General Regulations and Policies for Community Colleges

.01 Admission and Transfer of Students.

A. A college shall adhere to the:

(1) Admissions requirements set forth in COMAR 13B.02.02; and

(2) Transfer requirements set forth in COMAR 13B.06.01.

B. Gifted and Talented Students.

(1) A college may admit gifted and talented students.

(2) A gifted and talented student may enroll in programs or other college-level credit or noncredit courses, as determined by the appropriate college and school officials.

C. Dual Enrollment Students.

(1) A college may admit dual enrollment students.

(2) A college may waive tuition and fees for dual enrollment students.

(3) A dual enrollment student may enroll in programs or other college-level credit or noncredit courses, as determined individually by the appropriate college and school officials.

Appendix IX - Departmental Examinations

For an up-to-date listing of departmental examinations offered by CSM, please refer to www.csmd.edu/student-services/testing-services/credit-by-examination/.

BIO 1040
BIO 1040L
BIO 1060
BIO 1060L
BIO 1070
BIO 1070L

BIO 2010
BIO 2170
BIO 2180

DFT 1370
EDU 1012 *
EDU 1013 *
EDU 1110 *
EDU 1160 *

ENV 1300

HEA 1100

* Prior approval must be received by Early Childhood Development program coordinator.

Appendix X - Disclosure of Student Information and Rights of Students Under FERPA

Disclosure of Student Information

The following categories of student information are designated as public or directory information. The institution may disclose such information for any purpose, at its discretion. As permitted under FERPA Section 99.37(d), the College limits the release of directory information for legitimate educational purposes or in accordance with the Solomon Amendment.

Category I: name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth, photograph, major field(s) of study, dates of attendance, campus location, degrees, certificates, letter of recognition, and awards received (includes deans’ list), class standing, most recent previous educational institution attended and student ID number.

Category II: participation in officially recognized activities, and sports, weight, and height of members of athletic teams

Forms:
Students may prevent disclosure of Category I and Category II information. Forms to prevent disclosure of this directory information can be obtained at the Registrar’s office for Category I and at the Athletics Department for written notification must be received in the Student Life and Athletics Department for Category II information.

Rights of Students Under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day that the College of Southern Maryland receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the Registrar to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. The student should write the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the Registrar decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the Registrar will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of their right to appeal the decision. Students wishing to appeal a decision should follow the General Student Complaint Procedure found in the Student Policy Guide. FERPA does not address issues involved with assigning grades for academic work. Students interested in appealing grades should follow the Reevaluation of Academic Work procedure found in the Student Policy Guide at www.csmd.edu/about/policies.
The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One of the exceptions permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by CSM in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom CSM has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, distance learning service provider, other colleges or universities or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility. Upon request CSM discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College of Southern Maryland to comply with the requirements of FERPA. Written complaints should be sent to: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920 (www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html)

Appendix XI - Student Complaint/Grievance Procedure

The General Student Complaint Procedure provides students with a method to address complaints against a student, a faculty or staff member, or college policies or practices.

Before beginning formal procedures, the involved parties should try to settle the dispute through discussion. If no resolution is reached, a written statement of the complaint must be sent to the vice president of Student Equity and Success within 21 days of the dispute. For a copy of the procedure, or for assistance in resolving a complaint, refer to the Student Policy Guide or contact the Vice President of Student Equity and Success.

Appendix XII - Statewide Instructional Programs

The Maryland Higher Education Commission has designated instructional programs at Maryland community colleges as statewide programs. See Appendix I for enrollment procedures. In addition to providing greater opportunity to additional Maryland citizens, the implementation of statewide programs allows for more effective planning for the placement of new instructional programs, particularly in high-cost specialties. Students enrolled in a program designated as statewide pay the in-county tuition rate.

Allegheny Community College

Addictions - Certificate
Automotive Technology - Certificate/Degree
Culinary Arts - Degree
Forest Technology - Degree
Hospitality Management - Degree
Medical Scribe Specialist - Certificate
Tree Care Technology- Certificate

Anne Arundel Community College

Homeland Security Management - Degree
Hotel/Restaurant Management - Certificate/Degree
Intelligence Analytics - Certificate
Special Education Support - Certificate
Paralegal Studies - Certificate/Degree
Transportation, Logistics and Cargo Security - Certificate

Baltimore County, Community College of

Adolescent Behavioral Health Counseling - Certificate
Advanced Geospatial Applications - Certificate

At-Risk Youth Practitioner - Certificate

Automotive Air Conditioning/Heating Specialist - Certificate
Automotive Brake and Suspension Specialist - Certificate
Automotive Drive Train Specialist - Certificate
Automotive Electrical & Electronic Specialist - Certificate
Automotive Engine Specialist - Certificate
Automotive Master Technician - Certificate
Automotive Service Attendant - Certificate
Automotive Technology - Certificate/Degree
Basic Horticulture Technician - Certificate Behavioral Health Counseling - Certificate

Behavioral Health Counseling Trainee - Certificate
Construction Craft Professional - Certificate/Degree
Construction Management - Certificate/Degree
Flight Attendant - Certificate
Flight Operations Management - Degree
Greenhouse/Agricultural Production - Certificate
Human Services Counseling - Degree
Interpreter Preparation - Certificate/Degree
Landscape Installation, Maintenance and Design - Certificate
Mortuary Science - Certificate/Degree
Printing Management Tech - Certificate
Sustainable Horticulture - Degree
Turf and Landscape Maintenance - Certificate

Carroll Community College

Digital Design and Fabrication - Certificate/Degree

Solidworks - Certificate

S Unmanned Aircraft SYS Pilot Safety - Certificate

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems - Degree

Cecil Community College

Psychology, General - Degree

Social Work - Degree

Supply Chain Management - Degree
Transportation and Logistics/Commercial Transport - Certificate
Visual Communications - Certificate/Degree

Chesapeake College

Agriculture - Degree

College of Southern Maryland
Commercial Vehicle Operator - Certificate
Security Management - Certificate

Garrett Community College
Adventure Sports Management - Degree
Juvenile Justice - Certificate/Degree
Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology - Certificate/Degree

Hagerstown Community College
Alternative Energy Technology - Degree
Alternate Energy Technology: Geothermal Energy Installation/Service - Certificate
Alternate Energy Technology: Solar/Wind Energy Installation/Service - Certificate
Digital Instrumentation & Process Control - Degree
Industrial Technology - Certificate/Degree

Harford Community College
High Performance Manufacturing - Degree
Technical/Professional Studies - Degree

Montgomery College - all campuses
Fire and Arson Investigation - Certificate
Fire and Emergency Services Management - Degree
Fire Prevention Technology - Certificate/Degree
Fire Protection Technology - Certificate/Degree
Graphic Design - Degree

Polysommography (Sleep Medicine) Tech - Certificate
Studio Art – Degree
Technical Writing - Certificate

Wor-Wic College

Chemical Dependency Counseling - Degree
Criminal Justice - Certificate/Degree
Hotel/Motel/Restaurant Management - Certificate/Degree

Occupational Therapy Assistant - Degree

Appendix XIII - Designated Health Manpower Shortage Programs

Allegany College of Maryland
Dental Hygiene - Degree
Human Services - Degree
In-Home Nursing Assistant - Certificate
Medical Assistant - Degree
Medical Coding - Certificate
Medical Laboratory Tech - Degree
Medical Laboratory Tech - Biotech - Certificate
Medical Transcription - Basic - Certificate
Nursing - Degree
Nursing Assistant/Geriatric Aide - Certificate
Occupational Therapy Assistant - Degree
Pharmacy Technician - Certificate
Phlebotomy/EKG Technician - Certificate
Physical Therapy Assistant - Degree
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Radiologic Tech - Degree
Respiratory Therapist - Degree
Therapeutic Massage - Degree

Anne Arundel Community College
EMT - Intermediate - Certificate
EMT - Paramedic - Certificate/Degree
Human Services - Certificate/Degree
Medical Assisting - Certificate/Degree
Medical Coding - Certificate
Medical Lab Technician - Degree
Nursing - Degree
Pharmacy Technician - Certificate
Physical Therapy Assistant - Degree
Physician Assistant - Certificate
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Radiologic Technology - Degree
Therapeutic Massage - Certificate/Degree

Baltimore City Community College
Coding Specialist: Medical - Certificate
Dental Hygiene - Degree
Emergency Medical Service - Degree
EMT - Basic - Certificate
EMT - Intermediate - Certificate
EMT - Paramedic - Certificate
Health Information Technology - Degree
Nursing - Degree
Physical Therapist Assistant - Degree
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Respiratory Care - Degree

Carroll Community College
Advanced Health Information Tech - Certificate
Health Information Tech - Certificate/Degree
Licensed Practical Nursing - Certificate
Nursing - Degree
Physical Therapist Assistant - Degree

Cecil Community College
EMT - Paramedic - Certificate/Degree
Licensed Practical Nurse - Certificate
Physical Therapist Assistant - Degree
Registered Nurse - Degree

Chesapeake College
Emergency Medical Services - Certificate/Degree
EMT - Paramedic - Certificate
Human Services - Degree
Licensed Practical Nursing - Certificate
Nursing (Registered Nurse) - Degree
Physical Therapist Assistant - Degree
Radiologic Sciences - Degree
Surgical Technology - Certificate

College of Southern Maryland - Orange indicates not accepting HWS for this program
Emergency Medical Services - Degree
Emergency Medical Services - Paramedic - Certificate
Human Services - Degree
Human Services: Alcohol and Drug Counseling - Certificate
Human Services: Mental Health Technician - Certificate
Medical Assisting - Certificate
Medical Coding Specialist - Certificate
Medical Laboratory Technology - Degree
Nursing - Degree
Physical Therapist Assistant - Degree
Practical Nursing - Certificate

Community College of Baltimore County
Chemical Dependency Counseling- Certificate/Degree
Dental Hygiene - Degree
Emergency Medical Technology - Certificates/Degree
Health Informatics and Information Tech - Degree
Medical Lab Tech - Degree
Medical Office Assistant - Degree
Mental Health - Certificate/Degree
Nursing - Degree
Occupational Safety and Health Technician - Certificate/Degree
Occupational Therapy Assistant - Degree
Physician Assistant - Certificate
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Radiation Therapy - Degree
Radiography - Degree
Respiratory Care Therapy - Degree
Veterinary Technician - Degree

Frederick Community College
Emergency Medical Services - Degree
Medical Assistant - Certificate
Nuclear Medicine Technology - Certificate/Degree
Nursing - Degree
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Respiratory Care - Degree

Hagerstown Community College
Nursing - Degree
EMT - Paramedic - Certificate
Medical Assistant - Certificate/Degree
Medical Coding and Reimbursement Specialist - Certificate
Medical Transcription - Certificate
Paramedic Emergency Services - Degree
Paramedic EMS/EMT-I to EMT-P bridge - Certificate
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Radiography - Degree

Harford Community College
Electroneurodiagnostic Technician - Degree
Medical Assisting - Certificate/Degree
Nursing - Degree
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Science Lab Technician - Degree

Howard Community College
Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging and Intervention - Certificate
Biomedical Engineering - Certificate/Degree
Cardiovascular Tech - Certificate/Degree
EMT/Paramedic - Certificate/Degree
Licensed Practical Nursing - Certificate
Nursing - Degree
Photonics Technology - Certificate/Degree
Radiologic Technology - Degree

Montgomery College
Diagnostic Medical Sonography - Certificate/Degree
Health Information Management - Degree
Mental Health Associate - Degree
Nursing - Degree
Physical Therapy Assistant - Degree
Polysonography Tech - Certificate
Radiologic Tech - Degree
Surgical Technology - Certificate/Degree

Prince George’s Community College
EMT/Intermediate - Certificate
EMT/Paramedic - Certificate/Degree
Health Information Management - Degree
Health Information Technology - Certificate
Nuclear Medicine Technology - Certificate/Degree
Nursing (LPN) - Certificate
Nursing (RN) - Degree
Radiography (X-Ray) Tech - Degree
Respiratory Therapy - Degree

Wor-Wic Community College
Emergency Medical Services - Certificate/Degree
Practical Nursing - Certificate
Nursing - Degree
Radiologic Technician - Degree

Appendix XIV - Online Programs

The following letter of recognition programs may be completed online at CSM:

Computing Essentials

The following certificate programs may be completed online at CSM:

Cloud and Information Technology
Cybersecurity
Technical Support
Information Systems (will be deactivated in fall 2023)

The following degree programs are fully available online at CSM:

Cloud and Information Technology AAS
Cybersecurity AAS
Computer Science AS
Computer Science with Cloud Computing AS
Information Systems AAS (will be deactivated in fall 2023)
Software Development AAS (will be deactivated in fall 2003)