Narrative: b. 5.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has 25 two–year colleges and seven state universities. Since its constitution in 1995, The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Office of the Chancellor has sought to establish consistent practices for accepting credit for undergraduate college–level courses transferred into a system college or university. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has established a policy (http://www.mnscu.edu/board/policy/321.html) and a procedure (http://www.mnscu.edu/board/procedure/321pl.html) for undergraduate course credit transfer. A website www.mntransfer.org has considereable information about transfer from sub–baccalaureate to baccalaureate programs including the following items:

• A transfer action plan for students www.mntransfer.org/students/plan/s_tap.php
• Information on Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) programs www.mntransfer.org/educators/transfer/e_bas.php, a baccalaureate degree with a major in a technical area with substantial applied content that a student can acquire by completion of another instructional program or experience in a technical field.
• Articulation agreements: www.mntransfer.org/educators/transfer/e_artagreements.php site includes a template for designing an articulation agreement and course equivalencies.
• Links to each college and university transfer information www.mntransfer.org/educators/transfer/e_websites.php and a link to transfer specialists at each college and university http://www.mntransfer.org/educators/transfer/e_tscontacts.php.

Initiatives currently underway for improving the transition of students from sub–baccalaureate to baccalaureate programs include:

• MN Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) Review by each college and university (completed in March 2008).
• Redesign of the Transfer website to improve navigation and update graphics and to provide a system–wide database of articulation agreements.
• System–wide contract to provide CollegeSource/Transcript Evaluation Service to all institutions.
• Development of Course Equivalency Builder Matrix for institutions to use in comparing course equivalencies across the system entered into the Degree Audit Reporting system.
• Implementation of new and revised transfer policies and procedures for course transfer and for the 3.35 Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (see below).
• Development of credit for prior learning policy and procedures 3.35.1.
• Improved information and services to military personnel and veterans.

Minnesota has established a separate policy (http://www.mnscu.edu/board/policy/337.html) for general education courses reflecting competencies adopted by the public higher education entities in Minnesota. The 1994 "Minnesota Transfer Curriculum Agreement" is a document developed by faculty representatives of Minnesota public colleges and universities outlining the conditions by which students transfer their completed general education work at one public college or university to meet lower division general or liberal education requirements at any public college or university in Minnesota. The agreement was signed by the chief executive officers of the existing public higher education systems in 1994. The agreement identifies ten areas of emphasis and goals and student competencies in each area of emphasis. The ten "goal areas" refer to the areas of emphasis identified in the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum Agreement: 1) Communication, 2) Critical Thinking, 3) Natural Sciences, 4) Mathematical and Logical Reasoning, 5) History, Social and Behavioral Sciences, 6) Humanities and Fine Arts, 7) Human Diversity, 8) Global Perspective, 9) Civic and Ethical Responsibility, and 10) People and the Environment.

Colleges and universities within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system have policies and procedures with regard to the development, approval and management of academic programs to meet Minnesota’s educational needs (see above discussion regarding the academic programs policy and procedure). The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum policy and procedure has been developed in such a manner that they are consistent with academic programs policy and procedure. Unlike the undergraduate course credit transfer policy and procedure (see above) where the receiving institution determines criteria for accepting credit, each receiving system college and university shall accept a Minnesota Transfer Curriculum course, goal area, or the entire curriculum as determined and documented by the sending system college or university. Each system college and university shall publish its Minnesota Transfer Curriculum requirements and policies. A corresponding procedure must be developed to implement the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum policy (http://www.mnscu.edu/board/procedure/337pl.html).