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Any student wishing to transfer
credits from OCtech to another post-secondary institution should contact the
Director of Admissions or other appropriate personnel of that college to
determine the requirements of that institution as well as what courses are
transferable. Students are encouraged to obtain in writing the requirements
and commitments of that college.
Claflin University
Transfer Students
OCtech admits students with advanced standing by transfer of credits from
other regionally accredited technical institutions, colleges or
universities. An official transcript of the work completed at all
post-secondary institutions attended must be filed with the Registrar
together with the application for admission. When official transcripts are
received at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, the Registrar will review
the transcript and award appropriate transfer credit based on the following
procedure:
(1) The college transfer guide and college catalog are used as resources to
determine parallel coursework completed at other post-secondary institutions
and OCtech.
(2) In order to transfer credit, a grade of “C” or better must have been
earned in the course from a nationally or regionally-accredited college or
institution of higher learning.
(3) Generally, credits over seven years old may not be accepted; however,
they may be received by appealing this decision to the Transfer Credit
Review Committee.
(4) Applicants may transfer as much as 75% of the program requirement, but
must complete their last two semesters of course work in their curriculum in
a two- year program, and one semester of course work in a one-year program
at OCtech.
(5) Placement test requirements for transfer students are the same as for
new
students.
(6) When questions arise concerning the course title or content, the
academic department head at OCtech of the curriculum for which the student
is en- rolled is contacted to review the transcript. Credit is then awarded
based upon the recommendation of the OCtech academic department head.
The student is notified, in writing, of coursework that has been accepted
for transfer credit. This letter is mailed from the Registrar’s Office prior
to the end of the term in which the official transcript was received.
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Articulation and Transfer Opportunities at OCtech
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College works closely with public and private
high schools in its service area to ensure that students have the
preparation they need for college-level work, and to succeed in the academic
program of their choice. OCtech also works with other institutions of higher
education to facilitate students’ transfer of credits, both into OCtech and
from OCtech to other colleges both in South Carolina and the United States.
Students wishing to transfer from OCtech to another college should contact
that college for information about transferability of credits. Because the
transfer of credits is always the decision of the receiving institution,
OCtech cannot guarantee transfer of all courses; however, articulation
agreements are generally accurate guidelines for students. Students should
consider these guidelines, which are available in the Office of the Vice
President for Academic Affairs. Students wishing to transfer to OCtech from
another college must furnish appropriate documentation to the Admissions
Office.
The following is a partial listing of senior institutions that have accepted
credits from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College: Charleston Southern
University, The Citadel, Claflin University, Clemson University, Coastal
Carolina University, Coker College, College of Charleston, Columbia College,
Erskine College, Francis Marion University, Lander University, Limestone
College, The Medical University of South Carolina, Newberry College,
Presbyterian College, South Carolina State University, University of South
Carolina, Voorhees College, Winthrop University, and Southern Methodist
College.
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Two Year College Transfer Articulation Equivalency Guides
Charleston Southern University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
Converse College
Lander University
University of South Carolina
Winthrop University
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Two + Two Articulation Agreements Between OCtech and
Claflin University
Students who complete an Associate in Business Degree with a major in
Accounting at OCtech can receive 60-semester transfer credit hours of course
work toward a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a
concentration in Accounting at Claflin University.
Students who complete an Associate in Business Degree with a major in
General Business at OCtech can receive 57-semester transfer credit hours of
course work toward a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration
with concentrations in Management or Marketing at Claflin University.
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Cross Registration Policy with OCtech, SC State
University and Claflin University (CHEC
- Community Higher Education Council)
(1) Undergraduate students may participate:
a. if they are in good standing at their home institution, and
b. if they have paid full-time tuition and fees at their home institution
(and therefore will not have to pay extra tuition for credit courses taken
at the host campus),
c. if after declaring full-time status at their home institution, may
register for not more than one (1) free course per semester per
institution at the other participating CHEC member institutions.
d. provided the course at the host institution is not offered
concurrently at the home institution (i.e. not offered at a reasonably
scheduled time),
e. if they meet the prerequisite requirements of the host institution,
f. if the required approvals are obtained, and
g. if they are legal residents of South Carolina. Out-of-state students who
desire to enroll must pay the difference between the in-state and
out-of-state fees.
(2) Part-time students will pay regular per-credit tuition and fee charges
directly to the institution at which the course is taken.
(3) Courses are available under this program only on a space-available
basis; registration occurs at the time designated by the host campus.
(4) Special fees, such as laboratory and book fees, must be paid to the host
institution and are not covered under the cross-registration policy.
(5) All courses taken at the host campus will be transcripted, sent to and
re- corded by the home institution. The grades will be included by the home
institution in academic calculations.
(6) Any exception to these policies must be approved in writing by the Vice
President for Academic Affairs of both the home and the host institutions.
Cross Registration is available during Fall and Spring semesters only.
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Statewide Articulation of 86 Courses
1. The Statewide Articulation Agreement of 86 courses approved by the South
Carolina Commission on Higher Education for transfer from two- to four-year
public institutions (See Appendix A) will be applicable to all public
institutions, including two-year institutions and institutions within the
same system. In instances where an institution does not have synonymous
courses to ones on this list, it will identify comparable courses or course
categories for acceptance of general education courses on the statewide
list.
Admissions Criteria, Course Grades, GPA’s, Validations
2. All four-year public institutions will issue annually in August a
transfer guide covering at least the following items:
A. The definition of a transfer student and requirements for admission both
to the institution and, if more selective, requirements for admission to
particular programs.
B. Limitations placed by the institution or its programs for acceptance of
standardized examinations (e.g., SAT, ACT) taken more than a given time ago,
for academic coursework taken elsewhere, for coursework repeated due to
failure, for coursework taken at another institution while the student is
academically suspended at his/her home institution, and so forth.
C. Institutional and, if more selective, programmatic maximums of course
credits
allowable in transfer.
D. Institutional procedures used to calculate student applicants' GPAs for
transfer admission. Such procedures will describe how nonstandard grades
(withdrawal,
withdrawal failing, repeated course, etc.) are evaluated; and they will also
describe whether all coursework taken prior to transfer or just coursework
deemed
appropriate to the student's intended four-year program of study is
calculated for purposes of admission to the institution and/or programmatic
major.
E. Lists of all courses accepted from each technical college (including the
86 courses in the Statewide Articulation Agreement) and the course
equivalencies (including "free elective" category) found at the home
institution for the courses accepted.
F. Lists of all articulation agreements with any public South Carolina
two-year or other institution of higher education, together with information
about how
interested parties can access these agreements.
G. Lists of the institution's Transfer Officer(s) personnel together with
telephone and FAX numbers, office address, and e-mail address.
H. Institutional policies related to "academic bankruptcy" (i.e., removing
an entire transcript or parts thereof from a failed or underachieving record
after a period of years has passed) so that re-entry into the four-year
institution with course credit earned in the interim elsewhere is done
without regard to the student's earlier record.
I. "Residency requirements" for the minimum number of hours required to be
earned at the institution for the degree.
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3. Coursework (individual courses, transfer blocks, statewide agreements)
covered within these procedures will be transferable if the student has
completed the coursework with a "C" grade (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above, but
transfer of grades does not relieve the student of the obligation to meet
any G.P.A. requirements or other admissions requirements of the institution
or program to which application has been made.
A. Any four-year institution which has institutional or programmatic
admissions requirements for transfer students with cumulative grade point
averages (GPAs) higher than 2.0 on a 4.0 scale will apply such entrance
requirements equally to transfer students from regionally accredited South
Carolina public institutions regardless of whether students are transferring
from a four-year or two-year
institution.
B. Any multi-campus institution or system will certify by letter to the
Commission that all coursework at all of its campuses applicable to a
particular degree program of study is fully acceptable in transfer to meet
degree requirements in the same degree program at any other of its campuses.
4. Any coursework (individual courses, transfer blocks, statewide
agreements) covered within these procedures will be transferable to any
public institution without any additional fee and without any further
encumbrance such as a "validation examination," "placement
examination/instrument," "verification instrument," or any other stricture,
notwithstanding any institutional or system policy, procedure, or regulation
to the contrary.
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Transfer Blocks, Statewide Agreement, Completion of the AA/AS Degree
5. The following Transfer Blocks/Statewide Agreements taken at any two-year
public institution in South Carolina will be accepted in their totality
toward meeting baccalaureate degree requirements at all four-year public
institutions in relevant four-year degree programs, as follows:
* Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: Established curriculum block of
46-48 semester hours
* Business Administration: Established curriculum block of 46-51 semester
hours
* Engineering: Established curriculum block of 33 semester hours
* Science and Mathematics: Established curriculum block of 51-53 semester
hours
* Teacher Education: Established curriculum block of 38-39 semester hours
for Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education students only.
Secondary education majors and students seeking certification who are not
majoring in teacher education should consult the Arts, Humanities, and
Social Sciences or the Math and Science transfer blocks, as relevant, to
assure transferability of coursework.
* Nursing: By statewide agreement, at least 60 semester hours will be
accepted by any public four-year institution toward the baccalaureate
completion program (BSN) from graduates of any South Carolina public
associate degree program in nursing (ADN), provided that the program is
accredited by the National League of Nursing and that the graduate has
successfully passed the National Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and is a
currently licensed Registered Nurse.
(For complete texts and information about these statewide transfer
blocks/agreements, see Appendix B.)
6. Any "unique" academic program not specifically or by extension covered by
one of the statewide transfer blocks/agreements listed in #4 above must
either create its own transfer block of 35 or more credit hours with the
approval of CHE staff or will adopt either the Arts/Social
Science/Humanities or the Science/Mathematics block. The institution at
which such program is located will inform the staff of the CHE and every
institutional president and vice president for academic affairs about this
decision.
7. Any student who has completed either an Associate of Arts or Associate of
Science degree program at any public two-year South Carolina institution
which contains within it the total coursework found in either the
Arts/Social Sciences/Humanities Transfer Block or the Math/Science Transfer
Block will automatically be entitled to junior-level status or its
equivalent at whatever public senior institution to which the student might
have been admitted. (Note: As agreed by the Committee on Academic Affairs,
junior status applies only to campus activities such as priority order for
registration for courses, residence hall assignments, parking, athletic
event tickets, etc. and not in calculating academic degree credits.)
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Related Reports and Statewide Documents
8. All applicable recommendations found in the Commission's report to the
General Assembly on the School-to-Work Act (approved by the Commission and
transmitted to the General Assembly on July 6, 1995) are hereby incorporated
into the procedures for transfer of coursework among two- and four-year
institutions.
9. The policy paper entitled State Policy on Transfer and Articulation, as
amended to reflect changes in the numbers of transfer blocks and other
Commission action since July 6, 1995, is hereby adopted as the statewide
policy for institutional good practice in the sending and receiving of all
course credits to be transferred. (Contact the Division of Academic Affairs
for copies of this report.)
Assurance of Quality
10. All claims from any public two- or four-year institution challenging the
effective preparation of any other public institution's coursework for
transfer purposes will be evaluated and appropriate measures will be taken
to reassure that the quality of the coursework has been reviewed and
approved on a timely basis by sending and receiving institutions alike. This
process of formal review will occur every four years through the staff of
the Commission on Higher Education, beginning with the approval of these
procedures.
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Statewide Publication and Distribution of Information on Transfer
11. The staff of the Commission on Higher Education will print and
distribute copies of these Procedures upon their acceptance by the
Commission. The staff will also place this document and the Appendices on
the Commission's Home Page on the Internet under the title "Transfer
Policies."
12. By September 1 of each year, all public four-year institutions will
place the following materials on their internet websites:
A. A copy of this entire document.
B. A copy of the institution’s transfer guide.
13. By September 1 of each year, the State Board for Technical and
Comprehensive Education will place the following materials on its internet
website:
A. A copy of this entire document.
B. Provide to the Commission staff in format suitable for placing on the
Commission's website a list of all articulation agreements that each of the
sixteen technical colleges has with public and other four-year institutions
of higher
education, together with information about how interested parties can access
those agreements.
14. Each two-year and four-year public institutional catalog will contain a
section entitled "Transfer: State Policies and Procedures." Such section at
a minimum will:
A. Publish these procedures in their entirety (except Appendices)
B. Designate a chief Transfer Officer at the institution who will:
--provide information and other appropriate support for students considering
transfer and recent transfers
--serve as a clearinghouse for information on issues of transfer in the
State of South Carolina
--provide definitive institutional rulings on transfer questions for the
institution's students under these procedures
--work closely with feeder institutions to assure ease in transfer for their
students
C. Designate other programmatic Transfer Officer(s) as the size of the
institution and the variety of its programs might warrant
D. Refer interested parties to the institutional Transfer Guide
E. Refer interested parties to institutional and Commission on Higher
Education's websites for further information regarding transfer.
15. In recognition of its widespread acceptance and use throughout the
United States, SPEEDE/EXPRESS should be adopted by all public institutions
and systems as the standard for electronic transmission of all student
transfer data.
16. In conjunction with the colleges and universities, develop and implement
a statewide Transfer Equivalency Database at the earliest opportunity.
(As an electronic counseling guide, this computerized, on-line instrument
will allow students and advisors to access all degree requirements for every
major at every public four-year institution in South Carolina. Also, the
Database will allow students to obtain a better understanding of
institutional programs and program requirements and select their transfer
courses accordingly, especially when the student knows the institution and
the major to which he/she is transferring.)
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Development of Common Course System
17. Adopt a common statewide course numbering system for common freshman and
sophomore courses of the technical colleges, two-year regional campuses of
the University of South Carolina, and the senior institutions.
18. Adopt common course titles and descriptions for common freshman and
sophomore courses of the technical colleges, two-year regional campuses of
the University of South Carolina, and the senior institutions. The
Commission will convene statewide disciplinary groups to engage in formal
dialogue for these purposes.
(A common course numbering system and common course titles and descriptions
for lower-division coursework at all public institutions in the state can
help reduce confusion among students about the equivalency of their two-year
coursework with lower-division coursework at the four-year level. To this
end, a common system leaves no doubt about the comparability of content,
credit, and purpose among the lower-division courses at all public colleges
and universities in South Carolina. It would also help eliminate
institutional disagreement over the transferability of much lower-division
coursework, thus clearing a path for easier movement between the technical
colleges and senior institutions.)
Refer to web address:
http://www.che400.state.sc.us/web/academic/transfer/regs.htm for
a copy of this document in full.
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Advanced Placement and Credit
Students who score a “3” or better on the College Board Advanced Placement
(AP) Examinations may receive advanced placement credit.
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College complies with South Carolina state law
and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education policy that “students
shall receive advanced placement credit for each corresponding course”
offered by Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.
Advanced credit is awarded for AP examinations; however, credit may or may
not be applied to all degree requirements of the College. Specific
information on advanced placement examination credit may be obtained in the
College Registrar’s Office. Information regarding specific credit towards
degree requirements may be obtained from the Vice President of Academic
Affairs or the student’s curriculum Program Coordinator.
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Credit for Non-Academic Work of Non-Traditional
Students
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College classifies non-traditional students as
those who are age 20 and over or those who enroll within two or more years
after high school graduation. Non-traditional students may receive course
credit upon application to the College based on qualifications in any or all
of the following four categories:
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Military Training Credit
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College awards exemption credit to an applicant
who has completed specialized military occupational training as a member of
the Service Members Opportunities College.
The coursework must be applicable to the student's academic curriculum and
the training must closely parallel coursework offered by OCtech. Exemption
credit is awarded based on the guidelines established by the American
Council of Education Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in
the Armed Services.
The college Registrar reviews appropriate military documentation and, upon
conferral with the appropriate academic Program Coordinator, awards
applicable credit to the student. Credit for military experience is listed
as awarded credit on the student’s transcript.
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Credit by Exemption Exam
Exemption Exam Policy - Course exemption exams are given each
semester during the add/drop period only. The application for an exemption
exam may be obtained from the Student Services Office.
The cost of the exam will be the actual credit-hour cost of the course.
Students must adhere to the following guidelines:
(1) The student must apply in writing for the examination no later than the
end of the regular registration period. This does not include the late
registration
period at the College.
a. The application is to be addressed to the Academic Dean of the Division
in which the course is offered.
b. The application must present, either by content or reference, sufficient
evidence to clearly indicate that the applicant has previously received
training or taken work which is closely equivalent to that given at OCtech
in the particular course for which an exemption is requested, and upon which
an examination could be warranted.
(2) The request for an examination must be approved by the Program
Coordinator in which the course is taught, and the Academic Dean in which
the course is offered.
(3) A grade of "C" or better on the examination will entitle the examinee to
receive full credit for "hours taken," "hours earned" and grade points, as
well as a grade for the course equaling the examination grade.
(4) If the examination is passed successfully, the faculty member
administering the examination will submit a signed report to Student Records
indicating the following:
a. Student's name
b. Course title and number
c. The letter grade for the course
d. Credit hours
(5) An exemption examination may not be requested for a course previously
taken at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.
Students must adhere to the following procedures when requesting an
exemption exam:
(1) The student must register and pay for the course.
(2) The student must apply in writing to the Academic Dean of the course for
which the exemption exam is requested.
(3) The appropriate Academic Dean must receive the application by the end of
the registration period. The application must present, either by content or
reference, sufficient evidence to clearly indicate that the applicant has
previously received training or taken work which is closely equivalent to
that given at OCtech in the particular course for which the exemption exam
is requested.
(4) The request for an exemption exam must be approved by the Program
Coordinator and Academic Dean for which the course is offered.
(5) A grade of "C" or higher on the examination will entitle the examinee to
receive full credit for the course. The grade will be tabulated into the
student's grade point average.
(6) If the examination is passed successfully, the faculty member
administering the exam will assign a grade to the preliminary class roll
issued by the Student Records Office.
(7) If the student fails to pass the exam with a grade of "C" or better,
he/she will remain in the course for the duration of the semester and the
faculty member will assign an appropriate grade on the grade roster at the
end of the semester based on the student's performance in the course for the
entire period.
Credit for courses by exemption exam will be listed on the student’s
transcript with the appropriate letter grade earned on the exam, provided
the student earned a grade of "C" or better. Exam results of grade "C" or
better are forwarded to the College Registrar for inclusion on the student’s
transcript.
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College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Non-traditional students may receive exemption credit for successful
completion of subject area CLEP examinations. CLEP credit is awarded for
courses that parallel those taught at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.
Credit is award based on recommended minimum subject exam scores as outlined
in the College Level Examination Program Technical Manual.
CLEP scores are reviewed by the college Registrar who, upon conferral with
the appropriate Academic Dean, awards credit for applicable coursework.
Awarded credits are listed on the student's transcript for coursework earned
by CLEP exam.
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Experiential Learning Credit
For selected courses, OCtech may award credit for properly documented
experiential learning that demonstrates mastery of OCtech course objectives.
No more than 25% of program completion requirements may be comprised of
experiential learning credit. Students should direct inquiries regarding
credit for experiential learning to the appropriate Program Coordinator or
Academic Dean.
PURPOSE: To provide students of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College the
opportunity to receive credit based on experiential learning.
1. ELIGIBILITY
Students who seek advanced standing from the College must be at least 20
years old with a minimum of two years’ applicable experience, and currently
enrolled in a program of study at the College leading to an associate
degree, diploma, or
certificate.
2. ADVANCED STANDING INITIATED
Upon request by a student for the awarding of advanced standing credits
through documentation of experiential learning, the Program Coordinator
will:
A. Determine that the student meets the "Eligibility" criteria.
B. Assist the student in selecting a specific course within the student's
curriculum that best matches the student's experience.
C. Provide the student with the Experiential Learning application form
and explain the specific documentation which must be satisfactorily
completed by the student in order to receive credit.
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3. REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
The student must provide the following documentation in support of the
experiential credit application:
A. A copy of the curriculum description sheet with the applicable course
designated.
B. A copy of the catalog page wherein the course description is contained.
C. A four to five page double-spaced written description of the student's
experience. Each aspect of the course description must be specifically
addressed within the written description.
D. Written documentation of the experience either through employment
records, including a letter from the student's supervisor; certificates of
completion, including employment training seminars, etc.; military records;
or any legitimate source of documentation as may be verified and
accepted by the Program Coordinator.
E. Completed Experiential Learning application form.
4. SUBMISSION
The required documentation must be submitted to the Program Coordinator in a
bound format for ease of review and to ensure that no pages will be lost. It
is suggested that each page be placed in a transparent sheet protector and
then all pages may be placed in a three-ring binder.
5. APPROVAL PROCESS
The Program Coordinator will review the application and documentation with
the student. After submission the following process will be followed:
A. The Program Coordinator will sign off on the student's application
agreeing to the applicability of the student's experience.
B. The Academic Dean will then review the complete documentation and
application and, if appropriate, will sign the application form.
C. The complete bound packet will then be sent to the Vice President of
Academics for final approval of the student's application.
D. The complete application form will then be sent to the Vice President of
Student Services for credit to be awarded.
E. The bound packet will be returned to the student via the Program
Coordinator.
6. CREDIT
No more than 25% of the student's curriculum requirements may be satisfied
through experiential learning. Any credit earned may not be transferable to
another institution.
Since Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College operates as an open-door
admissions college, the approval or rejection of advanced standing has no
effect on the decision to admit an applicant. Applicants and students may
not earn through examinations more than 60 percent of the required
coursework in their curriculum of study. Students enrolled in an associate
degree program are required to complete the last two semesters of coursework
at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. Students enrolled in a one-year
diploma or certificate program are required to complete the final semester
of coursework at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.
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The Lowcountry Coalition for Engineering Education
Development
In order for South Carolina to develop economically, more engineers are
needed. To meet this need, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College participates
with The Citadel in Charleston, SC and other technical colleges in the
Lowcountry Coalition for Engineering Education Development (LCEED). The
Coalition allows the student to pursue a bachelor’s degree in either Civil
Engineering or Electrical Engineering at The Citadel after completing the
first two years of collegiate study at OCtech. The student may receive
further specific information on the Coalition from the Student Services
Office at OCtech.
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Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College desires to award transfer credit to
students to the fullest extent possible within the guidelines of the
Transfer Credit Policy of the College. When official transcripts are
received, the Registrar will review all transcripts and award transfer
credit as appropriate.
The student may appeal the decision of the Registrar to a review committee
composed of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the University
Transfer Program Coordinator. The decision of the review committee is final.
A written request and justification for an appeal should be addressed to
the:
Transfer Credit Review Committee
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
3250 St. Matthews Road
Orangeburg, SC 29118-8299
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