MODULE(S) COORDINATION REQUEST
TRACKING NUMBER: 27
TITLE OF REQUEST: Coding for Multiple Majors/Degrees, Simultaneous Degrees, Additional Degrees, and Additional Majors
DATE REFERRED TO MODULE(S) BY COORDINATOR: 3/21/05
MODULE(S) TO WHO REFERRED: Registrar, Admissions, Degree Audit
DATE DUE FROM MODULE(S): First discussion at March 25 MOCC
DATE RECOMMENDATION WAS SENT TO THE SYSTEM DATA ADMINISTRATIOR AND/OR AC GROUP FOR APROVAL, (IF APPROPRIATE):
Procedural guidelines recommended by Ranny on 7/29/05. Discussed by MOCC on 9/23 and 9/30 and by ASCC
Recommendation sent to AAC on 10/11/05 (Ranny) Revised recommendation sent to AAC on 11/7; approved by AAC on 11/10
RECOMMENDATION APPROVED X YES NO
EFFECTIVE DATE OF CHANGE For all students enrolled Fall 2006
Title of Request: __Consistent Coding for Degrees/Majors______
Origination Point of This Request Ranny and System Data Administrator
Explanation of Request: To determine consistent coding of multiple majors/degrees earned at a Regental University on the same graduation date and simultaneous degrees earned at a Regental University on the same graduation date. To determine consistent coding of degrees or additional majors earned at the same Regental University on a different graduation date or at a different Regental University on a different graduation date. These procedures are required to ensure accurate and consistent processing of transcripts, financial aid, IPEDS, and major/degree enrollment reports.
Recommendation from Ranny representing MOCC and approved by AAC on 11/10:
GUIDELINES FOR MULTIPLE DEGREES AND MULTIPLE MAJORS
(Passed by AAC)
Procedural Guidelines Final 11/15/05
Background Guidelines
The System General Education Requirements, or its equivalent in transfer, needs to be met once to earn a baccalaureate or an associate degree from the South Dakota Regental System.
The Institutional Graduation Requirements of a Regental university need to be met once to earn a baccalaureate degree from the South Dakota Regental System.
In the first baccalaureate degree from the Regental System, the student will complete System general education requirements, the IGR’s for the home university, the support and elective courses specified, the required courses in the major for a total minimum of 128 credits, and pass the proficiency examination. In the first associate degree from the Regental System, the student will complete system general education requirements, the support and elective courses specified, the required courses in the major for a total minimum of 64 credits, and pass the proficiency exam.
Since all courses in the Regental system are resident credit, all will count toward the required credits for graduation provided:
1. They meet the specified degree requirements.
2. They meet the requirement for resident credit from the home university.
Courses that meet one requirement may be used to meet other requirements provided over all credit requirements and guidelines are still met.
Multiple Majors/Degrees (Earned on the same graduation date)
1. One degree, multiple majors/minors from a Regental University
While pursuing a specific degree program, a student may earn several majors or minors approved under that same degree program.
- The System General Education requirements are met once.
- The Institutional Graduation Requirements must be met.
- The specific requirements for each major and minor must be met.
- One degree and one diploma are issued.
- Example BA in Arts and Science-Major: History; Major: Political Science; Minor: International Studies.
An exception to this occurs in Engineering and Engineering Technology where, because of professional and accreditation reasons, separate degrees are awarded if more than one major is completed and the related requirements are met.
Proposed processing recommendations for programs and degrees:
If all of the following data/requirements are the same for multiple majors:
1. Degree
2. Student’s Catalog of Graduation
3. Degree type
4. All degree audit program requirements except major requirements.
5. Professional and accreditation requirements
Then either only one program will need to be created with additional majors indicated on that program or multiple programs will be need to be created. At the time of graduation, only one degree will be awarded (transcripted) with additional majors indicated in the major area. The two program options will permit universities to run enrollment reports and degree audit as they currently do. If they use the dual program option they will need to combine the multiple programs into one degree, with multiple majors attached, at the time the student graduates.
Transcripting Example
Dakota State University
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: Computer Science, Physics, Math
The following additional program option should permit each university to make the decision as to what will work most efficiently for them for financial aid and degree audit while the student is enrolled. It is understood that whatever program structure is used the transcripting example above will remain as initially stated (one degree with multiple majors attached).
If a university uses the one program structure, with additional majors, it will be able to use graduation processing to award the degrees. If you use the multiple program structure you will need to combine the multiple programs into one program (with additional majors attached) at the time of graduation prior to using graduation processing. Although not perfect, it is believed that this compromise will permit all universities to function as they currently are for degree audit and financial aid and will yet lead to common and consistent awarding of degrees, transcripting, and IPEDS reporting.
Program Example:
D.BS.CSC (Additional majors would be added).
Or
D.BS.CSC
D.BS.PHYS
D.BS.MATH
2. Simultaneous degrees at a Regental University (Earned on the same graduation date)
Students wishing to complete two undergraduate majors that are offered under different program structures, or are in Engineering or Engineering Technology, must complete both curricula corresponding to the declared major, resulting in the completion of two baccalaureate degrees. For two degrees to be awarded during the same graduation, all requirements for both degrees must be met.
- The System General Education requirements are met once.
- The Institutional Graduation Requirements must be met.
- The specific requirements of each degree program must be met.
- Two degrees and two diplomas are issued.
- Courses may meet the requirements of both degrees provided the overall university requirements are met and the system requirements are met.
Proposed processing recommendations for programs and degrees:
If any of the following data/requirements are different:
1. Degree
2. Student’s Catalog of Graduation
3. Degree type
4. All degree audit program requirements except major requirements.
5. Professional and accreditation requirements
Then additional programs will be created and additional degrees will be awarded.
Transcripting and Program examples if degrees are different
Black Hills State University
Bachelor of Arts, 5/06/05
Major: English
(Program – B.BA.ART)
Black Hills State University
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: Chemistry
(Program - B.BS.CHEM)
Transcripting and Program examples if student’s catalog of graduation is
different:
University of South Dakota
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: History
(Program – U.BS.HIST)
University of South Dakota
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: Sociology
(Program – U.BS.SOC)
Transcripting and Program examples if degree types are different:
Dakota State University
Associate of Science, 5/10/05
Major: Application Programming
(Program – D.AS.APPL)
Dakota State University
Bachelor of Science, 5/10/05
Major: Computer Science
(Program – D.BS.CSC)
Transcripting and Program examples if degree audit requirements, other than the major requirements, are different (i.e. Division requirements A&S vs. FCS):
South Dakota State University
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: History
(Program – S.BSA&S.HIST)
South Dakota State University
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: Hotel and Food Service Management
(Program – S.BSFCS.HFM)
Transcripting and Program examples if professional and accreditation requirements are different:
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Bachelor of Science, 5/10/05
Major: Civil Engineering
(Program – M.BS.CEE)
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Bachelor of Science, 5/10/05
Major: Mathematics
(Program – M.BS.MATH)
3. Additional Baccalaureate Degrees within South Dakota System (Earned at a later graduation date at a Regental University other than the original home university or at the same home university)
A student holding a baccalaureate degree from a Regental university may receive an additional bachelor’s degree at a later time in a different major from that earned in the home institution. Such a student continues to be classified as an undergraduate student and must meet these requirements:
a. Complete all requirements for the additional major(s) and degree(s) as set forth in the current catalog of graduation
b. Complete specific institutional graduation requirements if different from those at the original home institution.
c. Minimum number of credit hours that must be earned from the institution granting the second degree:
Baccalaureate 32 hours
Associate 16 hours
d. Number of the last credit hours earned preceding completion of the degree that must be earned from the institution granting the second degree:
Baccalaureate 16 of the last 32 hours
Associate 8 of the last 16 hours
e. Minimum number of credit hours specified in the major requirements that must be completed at the degree granting institution: 50 percent.
A. If the Regental University awarding the degree is different, another degree and program are created.
Transcripting and Program Example
University of South Dakota
Bachelor of Science, 12/21/04
Major: Psychology
(Program – U.BS.PSYC)
Northern State University
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: Marketing
(Program – N.BS.MKTG)
B. If the Regental University awarding the degree is the same another degree and program are created.
Transcripting and Program Example
University of South Dakota
Bachelor of Science, 12/21/04
Major: Psychology
(Program – U.BS.PSYC)
University of South Dakota
Bachelor of Science, 5/06/05
Major: Sociology
(Program – U.BS.SOC)
All degrees/majors completed after the original graduation date at the same Regental University or at a different Regental University will be entered as a new degree and not as an additional major based on the financial aid concerns below and the fact that the graduation date is different.
Question for AAC:
It has been approved by AAC that a second degree be awarded and transcripted in this instance. Do the universities have the prerogative to (1) decide if another diploma should be issued or (2) decide if the student should or should not go through commencement ceremonies again? Response from Dr. Turchen on 11/15 – “The universities should have the prerogative to decide.”
Message from FA - There may besignificant problems with financial aid eligibility if students applying for a second degree program are coded (officially recorded) as a double major and not as a second degree.
· To be eligible for federal financial aid students must be accepted for admission asdegree-seeking.
· Are students who transfer from a non-SD public university evaluated differently than students transferring within the SD public university system? If the non-system transfers are degree-seeking and the system students as double major, then the schoolsmay not be in compliance with equitable treatment of students applying for federal financial aid.
· If students are not eligible for federal financial aid because they are not degree-seeking, thenmany would probably not enroll in the SD public university system.
· TheSDSU Accelerated Nursing Program(requirement of a prior bachelor's degree) would have problems enrolling students becausethere would be no federal financial for a student who is classified as a double major and not degree-seeking.
· Students ina double major would not be eligible for additional total credits when evaluating for federal financial aid satisfactory progress. There is a maximum of 150% of a degreetotal credits attempted as a standard for financial aid satisfactory progress.
Question for AAC on Catalog of Graduation:
In BOR Policy 2.17 (3, D-E) it states:
D. Students who discontinue enrollment at any Regental university for more than two
consecutive semesters are assigned the catalog in effect at the time of their reenrollment
as their catalog of graduation.
E. Students are considered to be in continuous enrollment for purposes of the catalog of
graduation so long as any break in enrollment at any Regental university is for two
or fewer consecutive semesters (excluding summer) and students maintain their
degree seeking status at the same Regental university.
Question: If a student receives a degree from one of the Regental Universities and then comes back after two consecutive semesters to receive another major within the same degree at the same Regental University are they required to meet all the requirements in the new “catalog of graduation” (i.e changes in General Education, IGR, Major, or Division Requirements)?
AAC response: If a student receives a degree from one of the Regental Universities and then comes back after two consecutive semesters to receive another major within the same degree at the same Regental University, they will be required to meet the requirements for the major in the current catalog. Ranny: If the gen ed requirements and IGR requirements change or the division(college) requirements changeare they also required to meet these new requirements Lesta: Students are required to meet only the major requirements. They do not have to meet new gen ed or IGR requirements or division (college) requirements. The specific regulations are stated in the AAC Guidelines Above #3 - Additional Baccalaureate Degrees within South Dakota System (Earned at a later graduation date at a Regental University other than the original home university or at the same home university)
Additional questions for AAC –
· Is there any time length between degrees (i.e. 10 years) that would require the new gen ed and IGR requirements be met? NO
· Since the graduation date for the second degree/major is different, for financial aid purposes, and to be consistent with a major/degree granted at another Regental University, it has been determined that the additional major/degree earned at a later date will be granted and awarded as an additional degree in all cases. Does AAC approve of this recommendation? YES
Minors
AAC would like minors to be recorded on the transcript as well. The AAC recommendation is: "If an individual has commpleted a baccalaureate degree from any accredited institution, s/he may complete a Minor at a Regental university and have the Minor indicated on the Regental transcript. Minors are all recorded on the transcript.