Transfer students face 64-credit limit

Starting next year, students transferring to IU from community colleges will have to adhere to new guidelines. \nA limit of 64 transfer credits will be placed on those coming from two-year colleges, such as Ivy Tech Community College. \nStudents who have already taken credits at four-year colleges and those who have transfer credits from other schools in the IU system will not be affected by this change.\n“What has to be understood is that this isn’t meant to hinder students,” said IU Provost Karen Hanson. “We’re regularizing how transfer credits take place.” \nRegulating transfer credits has been a topic of discussion since last August, Hanson said. The question of whether the degree granted is actually from IU, Hanson said, was something that needed to be answered while a new limit was negotiated. The number of hours that go into a typical associate’s degree was also considered. This new limit is part of a larger project between other colleges throughout the state to help make the transfer process easier.\n“It’s a larger initiative between four-year universities and other community colleges to begin to establish core transfer libraries,” said Barb Bichelmeyer, associate dean of faculties. “It will allow students to move more seamlessly between institutions.” \n“I think it’s completely fair,” junior Nick Branch said concerning the new limit. “There’s a certain standard here at IU, and you can’t always assure the credibility of classes people take at other universities.”\nThis limit is nothing new to some schools within IU. Different divisions, such as the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Journalism, already have a 60-credit limit in place. \nThe limit of 64 credits was also assumed as fair because most students who transfer from other colleges usually do so after their freshman or sophomore years, Bichelmeyer said. \n“I don’t imagine a student transferring from a community college will usually have more than 60 credits,” she said. \nThose who transfer with more than 64 credits will be allowed to select which credits to transfer that are most relevant to their degree. The main goal of the new policy was to simplify the process of transferring, which can often be a hassle for those coming from schools outside of the IU system. \n“Any time we’re able to create a consistent policy, it makes it easier for transfer students,” Bichelmeyer said.