Advising, Registration, Transfer Credit

Advising

Academic Advisors

Each full-time, degree-seeking student is assigned a faculty advisor. The advisor helps the student develop a course schedule for each semester and acts as a resource for the student regarding the academic curriculum. When a student declares a major, the student is assigned an advisor from the major area. A student declaring more than one major is assigned an advisor from each area. A student may request a change of advisor at any time by submitting the Advisor Change Request Form found on the IQ Main Page under Academic Forms.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all requirements for the degree have been completed prior to graduation. The advisor is available to answer questions, but failure on the part of the advisor to recommend or insist upon required courses in no way absolves the student of responsibility in meeting those requirements.

Applying for Academic Major

In order to be eligible for graduation, a student must complete a major as outlined in this bulletin.

Traditional (degree-seeking) students should apply for a major by the end of the third semester of full-time enrollment at the College. Transfer students should consult with their academic advisor and apply for a major as soon as practical. The application process for a major is:

• The student completes an online Declaration for Major form for each intended major.
• The Office of the Registrar forwards the electronic form to the Division Chairperson, School Dean (for the Noonan School of Business), or program designee for the major area.
• The Chairperson/School Dean/Program Designee reviews the request, and if the student is accepted into the major, then the Chairperson/School Dean assigns the student an advisor. A copy of the acceptance form is emailed to the student and the assigned advisor.

The online Declaration of Major form is found under the Academic Forms heading on the IQ Main Page.

Graduation requirements are determined according to the bulletin in effect at the time of first enrollment. If the program changes the major or minor requirements, the student may opt to fulfill the new requirements by requesting permission from the Division Chair or School Dean. The Division Chair or School Dean then requests approval from the Associate Dean of Instruction and Assessment.

Academic Minors

Students wishing to earn a minor must declare the minor by completing the online Declaration of Minor form located on the IQ Main Page. For minor requirements, see the individual program listings found in this bulletin. Students with questions regarding the requirements for the minor or those with registration questions should contact the Division Chair/School Dean for the area in which the minor resides.

Adding a Major or Minor

To ensure advising and degree evaluation reflect their intentions, students should declare all majors and minors as soon as they are decided. A student may add additional majors and/or minors by completing the appropriate declaration process. Major and minor declarations must be submitted by midterm of the semester prior to the student’s graduation (ex. May graduates must declare in the prior fall semester, December graduates must declare by the prior spring). A student may not add an academic major or minor once a degree has been conferred.

Registration

Registration is held in late October or early November for the following spring term and in March or April for the following fall and summer terms. Registration for the January term takes place in March or April for the international courses and in late September for the on-campus and domestic travel courses. Each student develops a class schedule in consultation with the advisor. The advisor clears the student to register and the student is able to self-register on or after the student’s assigned registration permit time.

Tri-college Cross-Registration

Loras students may cross-register for courses offered on the Clarke University or the University of Dubuque (UD) campus on a space available basis. Cross-registered credits are considered institutional credits and grades earned are included in the computation of the student’s cumulative grade point average. Not all courses are open to cross-registration. To register for a class at Clarke University or the University of Dubuque, students must complete the “Cross Registration Form” located on the IQ Main Page listed under “Academic Forms”. After registration is completed at Clarke University or UD, available seats will be identified and registration completed. Students will be able to see the course on the IQ page once they are registered. If the course being taken is meant to apply to a major requirement, students are encouraged to double-check with the course’s Division Chair and their faculty advisor to make sure that the course they are taking is applicable.

The following regulations apply to cross-registration:

• Credit earned through cross-registration is considered institutional credit, and will affect a student’s Grade Point Average, Satisfactory Academic Progress, and Extra-curricular Activity eligibility.
• A college may refuse to accept a cross-registration from a student who was dropped from that college for academic or other reasons.
• A college may withhold the grades of a cross-registered student if that student has an outstanding balance at that college.
• A college may refuse to accept a cross-registration for a student previously denied admission to that college for academic or other reasons.

Appeals to the above restrictions may be made to the Academic Dean of the refusing institution.

Students who cross-register must follow the academic policies and academic calendar of the institution offering the course. Students must abide by the college/university catalog or bulletin and course syllabi for courses offered at another institution.

Transfer Credit

Loras College accepts collegiate-level, academic coursework from accredited colleges and universities. “accredited” refers to the Higher Learning Commission or other similar federally-recognized institutional accrediting agencies. Transfer credit is accepted as equivalent coursework based on the credit value of the Loras course, not the credit value of a previous post-secondary institution.

Providing an Official Transcript

An “official transcript” should be understood to be a transcript printed on specially prepared paper, sent in a sealed envelope. Students who have completed coursework at another institution should contact each previous school’s Office of the Registrar to have an official transcript sent to:

Office of the Registrar
Mail #1
1450 Alta Vista Street
Dubuque, IA 52001

Loras College also accepts electronic copies sent through a secure server. To be regarded as official an electronically transmitted transcript must be from the original sending institution, or a verifiable third party vendor such as Avow, Script Safe, Speedy EDI or other recognized vendor. Since electronic transcripts are not considered official once printed, the printed copy must be accompanied by a copy of the email from the sending institution with annotation of verification or from the third party vendor with the login and password for retrieval of the transcript. The designated person in Admissions who is trained in identifying official transcripts will print off the transcript, verify as official, initial and date the document.

Electronic transcripts NOT processed in this manner will be regarded as unofficial. Electronic copies may be sent to registrar@loras.edu.

Once the transcript is received, it will be evaluated to determine which courses will transfer. The transcript(s) should be provided prior to the beginning of the student’s first semester at Loras. Failure to provide the transcript(s) by the beginning of the student’s first term may result in denial of transfer credit and/or a hold on registration for future terms. Transfer applicants who have completed or supplied all expected paperwork are eligible to receive a continuing student registration permit for priority registration.

Transfer Credit Restrictions

Required grades for transfer credit
Only collegiate-level, academic coursework with a final grade of “C” or better will be considered for transfer credit. A course with a grade of “P” or “S” may be awarded transfer credit at the discretion of the Office of the Registrar. A course will be considered for transfer credit only if content was similar to a Loras College course. Transfer credit taken ten (10) years or more prior to admission will generally not be accepted. Exceptions to the age of the credits will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Registrar office and Academic Dean.

Maximum transfer credit awarded
A maximum of 64 credits from a community college/junior college/two-year college and/or examination credit may be awarded toward the total number of hours needed for graduation. A maximum of 90 credits from a four-year institution may be awarded toward the total number of hours needed for graduation. A maximum of 90 credits from two-year and four-year institutions combined may be awarded toward the total number of hours needed for graduation (not to exceed the previously stated maximums). The Office of the Registrar reserves the right to determine the total number of credits to be awarded for each transfer course. A maximum of 30 exam credits may be accepted towards completion of a baccalaureate degree.

Transfer credit on the Loras College transcript
Courses awarded transfer credit will be indicated on the Loras College transcript by the name of the College attended and the total number of credits accepted for transfer. Transfer courses are not calculated into the Loras College grade point average.

If a student completes a course at Loras College that had previously been awarded transfer credit from another institution, the transferred course will be removed from the transcript and the student will only receive credit for the Loras course.

Coursework not awarded transfer credit
Non-collegiate level coursework that was intended to be a review of secondary material (for example, but not limited to, English, mathematics or reading enrichment courses), credit awarded for intercollegiate athletic participation, physical education activity courses, and continuing education units (CEU’s) will not be awarded transfer credit. In general, vocational technical training is not eligible for transfer credit. Military Occupational Specialty courses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis using ACE-approved JST military transcripts. Coursework that is found to be similar in content to Loras College courses may be awarded transfer credit.

Coursework that may be awarded transfer credit
Credit awarded for internship, practicum, or field experience completed at institutions other than Loras may be awarded transfer credit at the discretion of the Office of the Registrar and the academic division which corresponds to the coursework. Similarly, applied technical coursework completed at a regionally accredited institution may also be awarded transfer credit at the discretion of the aforementioned offices.

Current students seeking credit on another campus
Any matriculated Loras student wishing to transfer in course credit from another institution must obtain the permission of the appropriate division chairperson and the Office of the Registrar prior to enrollment in that course. Students may seek approval to take a course on another campus other than Clarke University or University of Dubuque by completing the online form found on the IQ Main Page (Request to Take a Course on Another Campus). The student must submit the official transcript to the Office of the Registrar within six months of completion of the course in order to have the course considered for transfer credit. Failure to make a formal request and provide the transcript(s) by the stated time limits may result in denial of transfer credit.

If a Loras student has received a passing grade in a required course for his/her major but has not met the specific grade requirement in the course for the major, the student must seek prior written approval from the Division Chairperson to complete this course at another institution to demonstrate content competency and fulfill this requirement of the major. The original course taken at Loras College, however, will remain on the student’s transcript and the course taken at another institution will not be transferred for credits toward the degree.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide official transcripts within the stated time limits in order to ensure that his/her transfer credit is evaluated and appropriate academic advising can take place. It is also the student’s responsibility to confirm that transfer credit has been transferred to the Loras College transcript. Students are encouraged to check their online transcript to verify that the transfer credit has been awarded. It is also the student’s responsibility to provide a course description, syllabus and examples of coursework to the Office of the Registrar to assist in determining if a course is transferable.

Please note - The last thirty of forty credits earned towards a Loras College degree must be completed through Loras.

Appealing a Transfer Equivalency Decision

If, upon review of the official transfer equivalency form, an accepted student disagrees with the equivalency decision, that student may appeal the decision by following the instructions below:

1. The student must arrange for the course syllabus to be sent to the Office of the Registrar.
2. The Registrar will work with the appropriate faculty to determine a) if the original decision is accurate and b) why the decision either is or is not accurate.
3. If the original decision is accurate, the student will be notified that no change to their transfer equivalency decision has been made.
4. If the original decision is inaccurate, the student’s record will be updated to reflect the updated decision and the student will be informed of the update.

If any change to the student’s transferred equivalencies results in duplication of credit, the transfer credit is forfeited.

General Education Information for Transfer Students

In Fall 2019, Loras College began the implementation of the new Foundations, Explorations, & Vocations (FEV) general education curriculum and the phasing out of the Advanced General Education (AGE) general education curriculum. Transfer students who entered Loras prior to 2021-2022 should refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin in effect at the time of transfer for guidance on which general education curriculum they should follow. Transfer students entering Loras in 2021-2022 will be required to complete the FEV curriculum.

A.A./A.S Degree Holders

Students who transfer to Loras College with an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from a regionally accredited institution are considered to have met the requirements of the general education curriculum with the exception of the integrative capstone in the student’s major area of study. Students with an earned A.A. or A.S. degree must also complete one January term course.

Transfer Students who do not hold an Associate Degree

Unless a waiver is granted in accordance with the policy outlined below, transfer students who do not hold an A.A. or A.S. degree must fulfill all general education requirements in order to earn a baccalaureate degree from Loras College. Requirements in the Foundations, Explorations, & Vocations General Education Curriculum may be met through equivalent transfer credit or via course substitution in accordance with the following guidelines:

Foundations Courses

Explorations Courses:

Vocations Courses:

Integrative Capstone

January Term Requirements:

Transfer students entering Loras College with 30 or more transfer credits will receive a waiver for one January term requirement.

Transfer students entering Loras with fewer than 30 credits are required to successfully complete at least two Loras College January term courses.

Special Procedures for International Credit

International credit must be evaluated by an independent evaluation service (with the exception of credit that was earned through an approved study abroad experience) and a course-by-course evaluation must be submitted in order to be considered. Loras College accepts evaluations directly from either Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (https://www.ece.org/ECE) or Foreign Credits, Inc. (https://www.foreigncredits.com/). Courses that are found to be similar in content to Loras College courses may be awarded transfer credit. Students seeking to transfer international credit should consult with the Center for Inclusion and Advocacy to determine an appropriate independent evaluation service provider.

Examination Credit

Advanced Placement (AP) credit earned through the College Entrance Examination Board will be awarded appropriate transfer credit for scores according to the list below. In the situation where the student has been awarded college credit and AP exam credit for the same course content, transfer credit will be awarded only for the AP exam. Please note that AP exam results must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar directly from the College Board. Students should contact the College Board to have exam score results sent in the same way as post-secondary transcripts.

Advanced Placement Scores

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Credit earned through the College Entrance Examination Board will be awarded appropriate transfer credit for achieving a minimum qualifying score. Students seeking CLEP credit should consult with the Office of the Registrar about the minimum qualifying score for individual CLEP examinations. A list of exams offered by CLEP can be found at http://clep.collegeboard.org.

International Baccalaureate

Credit earned through the Higher Level Examinations of the International Baccalaureate Program will be awarded appropriate transfer credit for a minimum score of six (6).

Cambridge International Examination

Credit earned through the Cambridge Assessment will be awarded appropriate transfer credit for a passing score of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “E” on “AS” or “A” level examinations.

Study Abroad Credit

Students studying abroad on Loras College-sponsored semester programs and affiliate study abroad programs in which students remain enrolled at Loras will adhere to the following requirements:

• Students must register and complete the Loras College equivalent of full-time study at the host institution. Failure to do so may result in retroactive adjustments to student aid for the term abroad.
• Students must ensure submission of an official transcript from the host institution to the Office of the Registrar to receive credit for the international coursework.
• International coursework must receive a letter grade unless prior approval for a pass/fail grade has been documented in the Registrar’s office.
• International coursework must earn an equivalent grade of C or better in order to receive passing credit. This equivalency is determined by the Center for Experiential Learning based on standard best practices.

To support the above requirements, the following procedures will be followed:

• Students will be registered for 12 “placeholder” study abroad credits at Loras College during their semester abroad. Some students will be less than 12 because they also register for Loras courses.
• Upon receipt of the student’s official transcript, the “placeholder” credits will be replaced with the appropriate course titles and credits. The grades earned abroad will not be transferred to the Loras transcript as they appear on the host institution’s transcript. Rather, if the student earned a grade of C or better, then the grade corresponding to that course will be recorded as a P. If the grade earned was less than a C, then the grade earned and recorded will be an F and will negatively impact the student’s GPA. All attempted international coursework will be transcribed in this manner.