Click here for a PDF of the full report. Below is the Executive Summary of the survey report.

Transfer of credit between colleges and universities in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system is an issue that precedes the system itself. Creation of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) was a significant step in 1994 toward easing credit transfer for students attending state colleges and universities. However, whether reflective of changing need, an increase in credit transfer or changing student expectations, the issue of easy-to-navigate transfer of credits among MnSCU institutions has again become visible.

After a recent increase of expressed concern among students, the Minnesota State College Student Association (MSCSA) and the Minnesota State University Student Association (MSUSA) approached the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), Office of the Chancellor to conduct a comprehensive survey of transfer students to determine what barriers might hinder seamless transfer.

Key Findings:

• Although a majority of respondents rated their transfer experience positively, one-third rated the experience as fair or poor.
• A large majority of respondents indicated that their transfer experience met or exceeded their expectations, but one-fourth said it did not meet their expectations, regardless of whether they were transferring Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) credits or program/major credits.
• By far, the most common type of credits respondents reported transferring were within the MnTC, followed by major or program credits.
• A significant number of respondents did not seek advice in the transfer process.
• Many respondents planned for transfer too late in the process to make good decisions.
• While a large number of respondents used online resources in their transfer planning, they are much more likely to use institution websites than system online resources.
• Although a high number of credits are accepted in transfer, there may be a disconnect between the way credits sometimes transfer and the way students expect them to transfer.
• Many respondents who were not able to transfer credits as they expected reported that credits were accepted as electives rather than as intended major requirements.
• The majority of respondents are unaware that an appeals process exists for transfer decisions.
• For the few respondents who appealed when courses did not transfer, a high number of them had some or all credits accepted upon appeal.

Summary of Recommendations:

• Develop uniform and on-going education for staff who train advisors
• Clarify the use of syllabi, course outlines, or other course equivalency documents
• Review messaging around effective transfer within the MnSCU system and elsewhere
• Improve marketing of electronic planning tools and provide better student training in the use of these tools in transfer planning
• Explore barriers to credit transfer that result in appealed transfer credits that were initially rejected
• Work to advise students of the appeals process, and monitor appeals and their results at the system level to help identify future issues
• Increase central office staff to more adequately meet transfer goals
• Assure accuracy of and compliance with equivalency data in electronic tools
• Evaluate the complexity of the current transfer system and engage in ongoing improvement
• Engage in a study session on transfer mechanisms nationally, and review models that could be used in Minnesota
• Implement systematic monitoring of transfer data as a part of the Board of Trustees' annual work plan
• Include a measure of transfer on the system's accountability dashboard

 Click here for a PDF of the full report.