3.5.2

At least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree are earned through instruction offered by the institution awarding the degree. (See Commission policy “Agreements Involving Joint and Dual Academic Awards.”) (Institutional credits for a degree)

Compliance Judgment

X      In compliance     Partially compliant     Non-compliant

Narrative

The Registrar’s Office at Francis Marion University implements procedures to track the amount of credit earned at the institution versus the amount of credit transferred into the institution. These procedures ensure that at least 25% of the total portion of coursework required for each undergraduate degree has been completed at Francis Marion and supervised by a faculty member of Francis Marion.

Credit Hours for Undergraduate Degrees

Each undergraduate degree from Francis Marion requires a minimum of 120 semester hours of approved credit [1]. No student receives a degree from Francis Marion unless 25% or more of the credit hours required for the degree have been completed at Francis Marion. This policy appears in the Catalog 2016-2017 [2] and the Francis Marion University Transfer Credit Guide available through the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Admissions [3].

To ensure compliance with the university policy for institutional credit, students must meet the published deadline to apply for graduation with the Registrar’s Office [4]. Upon receipt of the application, a student services counselor in the Registrar’s Office conducts a Senior Review [5] with academic history and graduation checklists [6], [7] to ensure that graduates of Francis Marion meet the degree requirements, including minimum residency requirements. The attached unofficial transcript shows the distinction between credit hours transferred into Francis Marion University from institutions and resident credit hours [8].

Credit Hours for Dual Degrees

Francis Marion has no arrangement with other institutions to offer joint academic awards, but the University does offer one undergraduate degree that falls under the category of a dual-degree program:

• Dual-Degree Program in Engineering. This program is an arrangement between Francis Marion University and Clemson University that allows students to earn (1) either a B.S. or B.A. from Francis Marion in an approved field and (2) a B.S. in engineering from Clemson. Students in the dual-degree program “spend three years at Francis Marion University in a special pre-engineering curriculum and two years at Clemson University studying an engineering discipline” [9].

Documentation

1. Semester Hour Requirements, Catalog 2016-2017, p. 61
2. Residence Requirements, Catalog 2016-2017, p. 59
3. FMU Transfer Guide, p. 1
4. Application for Degree, Catalog 2016-2017, p. 59
5. Emailed Information to FMU Seniors
6. Academic History Checklist
7. Graduation Checklist
8. Redacted Unofficial Transcript
9. Dual-Degree Program in Engineering with Clemson University, Catalog 2016-2017, p. 118