ADVISING STRATEGIES FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS
Preparation

Review the Transfer Credit Evaluation noting all general education and major requirements fulfilled through
transfer coursework as well as the Edgewood College general education curriculum checklist. Record the
transfer coursework on the Major declaration that you will submit to the Registrar’s Office.

The Registrar will list which general education (tags) requirements have been fulfilled on the Transfer Credit
Evaluation.

You/your department will need to determine major course equivalencies from those courses listed on the credit
evaluation. There may be times when you will need to ask the student to supply a more detailed course
description. (Students should call the Registrar’s Office of the appropriate institution to request a description.
Remember to have the student obtain a course description from the catalog year in which the course was
completed).

The registrar’s office determines general education equivalencies, you may determine major equivalencies.
Sometimes these two may differ in the case of a tagged major course. Consult with the Assistant Registrar for
these cases. You may not accept course credits completed at other institutions as fulfilling major/department
requirements unless the course appears on the Credit Evaluation.

If the student provides additional information, the Registrar will reconsider a course for transfer and for
fulfillment of a general education requirement.

Policies relating to course transferability are stated on the bottom of the Transfer Credit Evaluation form.

Students who transfer in 28 credits or more will be waived from COR I.

Students may only transfer in 60 credits from a two year institution and may be waived from some general
education courses if they completed an associate’s degree from UW-Colleges or Madison College.
Good Practices for Meeting with Transfer Students

If appropriate, follow the advising strategies for NEWLY-ADMITTED STUDENTS guidelines and strategies for
effective advising - F RESHMAN-SENIORS.

Take some time to get to know your advisee. Discuss their previous experiences at other institutions. Find out
why the student has transferred to Edgewood; this may give you a clearer picture of his or her educational and
career goals.

Review with the student all coursework appearing on the Transfer Credit Evaluation, if applicable. Remember
that all transfer students attended an advising/registration day (Star Day) where this information was covered
by the professional advising staff as well as the Associate Academic Dean. If the student has questions about
why certain courses did not transfer to Edgewood, refer him/her to the Registrar’s Office.

Review the program requirements and departmental policies with the student. This is the first time these
requirements are being explained to the student and it is your responsibility to provide them with a clear
understanding of their program. Remember that the student may be accustomed to requirements from another
institution, which are often different from Edgewood’s.


You will need to use your professional judgment to determine if WAIVERS, SUBSTITUTIONS , OR
EXCEPTIONS are to be made regarding the major requirements. This is done on a case by case basis.
o
Waiver: Due to the individual student’s past coursework/experiences you may decide to waive a major
requirement or department policy. This might be done in an instance where previous coursework was
nontransferable and/or the student has accumulated professional content knowledge from work experience.
Keep in mind that you will need to verify the student’s competency and that there are no credits associated
with waiving a major course. This form is then submitted to the Academic Dean’s Office for approval.
o
Special Arrangements: You may decide to authorize a course substitution for a stated requirement,
especially for courses the student has transferred. Please note that you may waive your major coursework
only, General education coursework is the jurisdiction of the registrar’s office in concert with the Academic
Dean’s Office. For questions on major courses that overlap with general education courses please contact
the Assistant Registrar.
The Declaration of Major form should be used to document transfer coursework fulfilling major requirements,
make course substitutions and/or course waivers within the major degree requirements.
7/11.Jenny Ransom