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Articulation |
Table of Contents
How to Articulate Handbook - Transfer Innovations
While bilateral course-to-course articulation is the foundation of transfer in BC, other models can supplement traditional articulation or can substitute for it. This handbook has already described two different approaches to articulation: multilateral articulation and block transfer agreements.
As many articulation committees have already found, there are excellent reasons for exploring innovative approaches. While course-to-course transfer agreements facilitate the transfer of individual courses, in some disciplines the real challenge for students lies in fulfilling the requirements of disparate pre-majors. A flexible pre-major model (see below) can provide the flexibility that students and sending institutions need to plan a transfer program. Where the first two years vary widely across institutions, a core curriculum exercise may also be a sensible approach. Where the first two years have commonalities across institutions, it may also work well to construct a multilateral transfer guide.
Articulation committees or other groups who would like to explore an alternate model of transfer for their discipline are encouraged to contact the BCCAT office (articulation@bccat.ca) to see if project funding is available. More information on projects is available at bccat.ca/articulation/projects.cfm.
Flexible Pre-Major
The "pre-major" is defined as the set of first and second year courses which students are required to complete in order to be admitted to a major program, usually at the end of the second year of a four-year degree. The difficulties that students face in fulfilling pre-major requirements can be ascribed to two main factors. First, all institutions review their programs and update them over time, and all offer specializations based upon departmental focus and expertise. Accordingly, requirements once quite similar across institutions may eventually diverge. Second, institutes, and universities are developing new degree programs including unique approaches to majors. The result is that sending institutions are experiencing increasing difficulties in devising a set of courses that will enable students to transfer to more than one receiving institution.
A flexible pre-major involves devising a list of requirements, deliverable at all participating sending institutions and acceptable by all participating receiving institutions. The requirements can be expressed in terms of articulated courses, which can vary from institution to institution, and/or in terms of outcomes. By fulfilling these requirements the student is deemed to have completed the pre-major and is therefore eligible to apply for admission to the major.
Core Curriculum and Other Curriculum-Based Articulation
Some articulation committees have recognised that articulation of individual courses can be challenging when the curriculum is constructed differently across institutions. Committees have taken various approaches to this issue. For example, the Math Articulation Committee has agreed on a core curriculum for first-year calculus (bccat.ca/pubs/calculus.pdf). The English articulation committee has developed a document that outlines common "aims" for first-year English literature and writing courses (bccat.ca/pubs/aims2002.pdf). Institutions have found it helpful to refer to these documents when making transfer decisions.
Flexible Program Transfer
BCCAT is always interested in assisting institutions, articulation committees, and/or other groups to explore new ways of articulating that the make most sense for their programs, and that enhance transfer opportunities for students. Program areas have taken a variety of approaches to arrange for flexible transfer between institutions. A browse through the Program Transfer area of the BC Transfer Guide will illustrate the range of projects and their results.
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