GOOD TO KNOW

Transfering summer credits back to Hillsdale takes some patience but is possible

By: Katie Rose McEneely

Posted: 4/23/09

When enrolling for summer school classes away from Hillsdale, students must ask a nagging question: Will this transfer, or am I wasting my time?

Luckily, it's easy to verify transfer credits for core requirements such as introductory science or math courses, Registrar Douglas McArthur said. All students need to do is provide McArthur with a detailed course description and the name of the institution via e-mail. If he approves the course for transfer, McArthur e-mails a course credit verification form for students to keep in their records.

If a student wants to transfer a course required for a major he needs to obtain permission from the department chair first, McArthur said.

Students need to score a C- or better in a summer course, he said. However, only the credits transfer - the final grade does not affect a student's Hillsdale GPA.

The office of the registrar also requires the student to send an official transcript from the institution he takes credits.

McArthur reported 70 or 80 requests for transfer credits in the last two months, mostly for the core biology requirement and for differential calculus. He said students tend to transfer courses for basic sciences and elective humanities, such as psychology and art history.

McArthur said students taking summer courses must attend a regionally accredited institution.

"Occasionally a student can't find a course and I've sat down with them at my computer to try and find a course," he said. "But it's painless."

Requests for transfer permission tend to come during the middle and end of the spring semester, he said. While McArthur usually turns requests around quickly, it's not always possible.

"It's a very busy time," he said. "A little patience is required."

Douglas McArthur can be reached via e-mail at douglas.mcarthur@hillsdale.edu

Students can also come to the registrar's office, which is located in the basement of Central Hall and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.