Articulation
Fundamentals
Gloria Arevalo, Ventura College
Dave DeGroot, Allan Hancock College
[Duane Short, San Diego Miramar College]
Overview
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
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What is Articulation?
What is Not Articulation?
Requirements, Criteria, Process, &
Outcome
Conclusion/Discussion
What is Articulation?
From the dictionary…
 The kind of connection that allows
movement
 The coherent expression of information
What is Articulation?
The process of developing a formal, written
and published agreement that identifies
courses (or sequences of courses) on a
“sending” campus that are comparable to,
or acceptable in lieu of, specific course
requirements at a “receiving” campus.
CIAC, 2013 CIAC Articulation Handbook
What is Articulation?
In other words…
 Articulation identifies courses students
should take at community college in order
to meet university requirements
 This information is used to help students
plan appropriate courses at community
college
What is Articulation?
Two-way (Bilateral) Articulation
 SB 1415 initiated the Course Identification
Numbering System (C-ID) as a way to
establish course to course articulation
among the community colleges and
between the California State Universities.
What is Articulation?

What requirements do articulated
courses fulfill?


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Unit Credit toward a baccalaureate
degree
General Education requirements at the
university
Major Preparation requirements at the
university
What is Not Articulation?

Course evaluations


Course evaluations determine credit for
past educational experiences
Articulation is a guarantee of degree
applicability


Future – for course planning
Past – guaranteed application of credit
This distinction often makes a difference
when advising students
What is Not Articulation?

Admissions criteria or other course
requirements



Admissions criteria for universities, majors,
etc. often change from year to year
How university courses (and the articulated
CCC courses) are used to fulfill various
requirements also changes from year to year
Course articulation itself remains valid
if the course was taken during the period the
agreement was in effect
What is Not Articulation?

Suggestions


Suggestions or recommendations about
preparatory courses may be helpful, but
are not guarantees of course applicability
Articulation is a guarantee that courses
at a sending campus will fulfill specific
requirements at a receiving campus
What is Not Articulation?

Outreach materials


Outreach and marketing materials are vital
parts of the transfer process but are not
themselves curricular agreements
Articulation is an agreement between
faculties about the comparability of
coursework
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Unit Credit Requirement

Usually 120 baccalaureate-level units of
credit required for a bachelor’s degree


Subtle
yet
Important
Detail

60-70 lower division
50-60 upper division
CCC courses only fulfill lower division unit
credit requirements
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Unit Credit Articulation Criteria

CSU


Accepts any course the CCC designates as
baccalaureate level (CSU E.O. 167)
CSU Faculty Senate guidance in determining
baccalaureate level
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Unit Credit Articulation Criteria

UC



Must be comparable to a lower division course
on any UC campus in scope, level, and
prerequisite
If not comparable, must be “appropriate” in
terms of purpose, scope, and depth
Some subject-specific and modality-specific
rules in “Guidelines for Articulation” document
(CIAC handbook Appendix G)
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Unit Credit Articulation Criteria

Private/Independent/Out-of-State
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Varies
Many use similar criteria to CSU
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Unit Credit Articulation Process

CSU


Determined by CCC curriculum committee and
part of course outline (and often the course
numbering system)
UC
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Submitted for review via OSCAR in summer
(June, July, or August)
Results issued about 60 days later
“2nd Review / Appeals” period in early October
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Unit Credit Articulation Process

Private/Independent/Out-of-State

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Usually part of overall agreement
Some universities have standard
language/policies that can be included in
agreement
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Unit Credit Articulation Outcome

CSU & UC

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Posted to ASSIST
Private/Independent/Out-of-State

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Detailed in final agreement
Sometimes “implicit” in final agreement
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

General Education Requirement


Each university has its own “native” GE
pattern/requirements
Two statewide patterns accepted in lieu of
“native” GE patterns

Subtle
yet
Important
Detail


IGETC – Accepted at all CSU campuses and
most UC campuses
CSU GE – Accepted at all CSU campuses
Some privates/independents/out-of-states
accept or partially accept CSU GE or IGETC
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

General Education Articulation Criteria


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Courses need to fit the GE category; not
necessarily a university course
IGETC – “IGETC Standards”
CSU GE (E.O. 1065) – “Guiding Notes”
American Institutions (E.O. 1061)
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Not really GE, but…
Private/Independent/Out-of-State
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Criteria varies
Some require university course comparability
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

General Education Articulation Process

IGETC, CSU GE, American Institutions


Submit on OSCAR
Private/Independent/Out-of-State


Processes vary
Usually part of overall agreement
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

General Education Articulation Outcome

IGETC, CSU GE, American Institutions


Posted to ASSIST
Private/Independent/Out-of-State

Detailed in final agreement
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Major Preparation Requirement



Each university has a unique set of courses
required for a major
Often required before starting in upper
division major courses
“Supporting courses”
Phil:
Ana:
Dave:
Psych
major,
SDSU
Psych
major,
UCSD
Psych
major,
Alliant
Intl. U.
CSU GE pattern +
BIOL 105
PSYC 101
PSYC 211
PSYC 230
PSYC 258
PSYC 260
IGETC pattern +
CHEM 100/100L
CHEM 130
CISC 192
MATH 121
MATH 122
PSYC 258
Alliant U. GE +
PSYC 101
PSYC 137
PSYC 211
PSYC 230
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Major Preparation Articulation Criteria

Course-to-course

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CCC course is comparable (essentially
equivalent) to university course
CCC course clears all the same requirements as
the university course (exceptions possible)
Course-to-requirement


CCC course fulfills the intent and purpose of
the specific major prep requirement
No expectation that CCC course is comparable
to university course
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Major Preparation Articulation Criteria
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Some universities only do course-to-course
Some universities only do course-torequirement
Common permutations
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Sequence to sequence articulation
Conditional articulation (e.g. audition reqd.)
Upper division subject credit articulation
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Major Preparation Articulation Process

UC/CSU
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Initiated by CCC
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Initiated by university
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New or revised course at CCC
New or revised course or requirement at university
Periodic review of university catalog
New or revised course or requirement at university
Review of CCC curriculum change report
Formal proposal sent via email (good idea to
call first)
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Major Preparation Articulation Process

Private/Independent/Out-of-State
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Usually a draft agreement is emailed back and
forth for revisions until both institutions are
satisfied
CCC may have a preferred format
University may have a preferred format
Signature or no signature?
Sometimes university publishes without CCC
approval (i.e. no agreement reached); often
called “transfer guide” or “transfer information”
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Major Preparation Articulation Process

The Course Outline of Record (COR)
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
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Subtle
yet
Important
Detail

Specifies the minimum content, scope, rigor,
etc. all sections of the CCC are taught to
The basic currency of articulation
Universities don’t have them
COR vs. syllabus


Very problematic for articulation
OK for evaluation (when used with COR)
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome
Requirement
Unit Credit
General
Education
Major Prep
Criteria
Process
Outcome
Requirements, Criteria,
Process, & Outcome

Major Preparation Articulation Outcome

UC/CSU Course-to-course

Subtle
yet
Important
Detail
Posted to ASSIST



UC/CSU Course-to-requirement

Posted to ASSIST


“By Department” (defined by CCC and UC/CSU)
Populates “By Major” (if university chooses)
“By Major” only
Private/Independent/Out-of-State

Detailed in final agreement
Conclusion
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Questions?
Discussion?
For copies of this presentation, questions,
or information, please contact…
Gloria Arevalo
garevalo@vcccd.edu
Dave DeGroot
ddegroot@hancockcollege.edu