Transferring Earned Credits Through Distance Calculus @ Shorter University to Other Colleges/Universities
Most Distance Calculus students are enrolled at other colleges, universities, or high schools.
The #1 question all new prospective students have about taking a Distance Calculus course is:
The basic answer is: Yes
The main two tests for transferring credits from one academic institution to another academic institution are the following:
- Accredited Academic Institution
Shorter University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Shorter University.Shorter University was founded in 1873 and has a beautiful campus located on one of the "seven hills" of Rome, Georgia. [Campus Map]
Here are some pictures of Shorter University's Main Campus in Rome, Georgia:
View of Shorter University's front circle from the historic Porter Garden An outside view of Shorter University's Brookes Chapel, located in Alice Allgood Cooper Hall Shorter University's Minor Fine Art Building 
An iron gate leads to Shorter University's front circle. The gate bears the message:
Enter to Learn, Go Forth to ServeA large fountain sits outside the Sheffield-Thompson Administrative Building. This fountain is one of many that beautify Shorter's campus. The Sheffield-Thompson Administrative Building is home to the offices of the president and provost. - Courses to be Transferred Match at Home Institution
The school/college/university that is to receive the transferring units will want to make sure that the "Calculus I" taken via Distance Calculus @ Shorter Universitymatches the "Calculus I" that it offers.The topics in all Calculus courses are very standard throughout the world. In almost all cases, "Calculus I" via Distance Calculus covers the same topics as "Calculus I" taught at any other institution.
Credit-Hours
The issue of "credit-hours" does play a role. At some institutions, Calculus I is
4 credit-hours. At other institutions, Calculus I is 3 credit-hours. Sometimes Calculus I is 5 credit-hours!
Distance Calculus offers all of its Calculus courses as earning 4 credit-hours based on the semester system. .
- For transferring to an institution operating on a 3 semester credit-hour model, 4 credit-hour courses usually transfer easily, since 4 > 3.
- For transferring to an institution operating on a 4 semester credit-hour model (the most common in the U.S.), 4 = 4, so transferring is most natural.
- For the rare institution that operates on a 5 semester credit hour model, you will need to contact these institutions and confirm that they will accept a 4 semester credit-hour course. Usually they will, since most other institutions are on the 4 semester credit course model.
- Some institutions are on the Quarter system, rather than Semesters. There are various conversion formulas for converting semester credits to quarter credits. If your institution is on the quarter system, you are probably aware of how this transfer conversion works.
In rare occassions, some transferree institutions have insisted that for Calculus I from Distance Calculus to be allowed to transfer, the topic (for example) of "Linear Differential Equations" must be in Calculus I, because at the transferree institution, that topic is in their Calculus I.
For Distance Calculus, the fix is easy! We simply add the modules for that topic from Calculus II and Calculus III into Calculus I, and we create a customized syllabus for your transferree institution to guarantee your school that your Distance Calculus I course will cover exactly the same topics as their Calculus I course.
In the rare occassions we have been asked to make such customizations, the transferree institution has always been satisfied with these changes, and has accepted the transferring credits.
ASK YOUR REGISTRAR FIRST
The golden key to success in transferring academic credits from Distance Calculus @ Shorter University to
your home institution is talk with your Registrar about your plans first. Usually just a phone
call, an email, or a visit to the Registrar's office will suffice.
"Hi Registrar, I am planning to take Calculus I from another school via their Distance Education offering. Specifically, Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. I plan to take their Calculus I - 4 Semester Credit-Hours. Here is a print out of their syllabus and course description, which appears to match the course description in our Academic Catalog. Do you see any problems with this plan?"Registrars love to be asked questions before there are any problems. In all student reports from students who asked their Registrar's before enrolling in Distance Calculus, the outcome has been very positive.
To date, we have heard of less than 5 colleges/universities/schools that have stated in advance that they will refuse to accept transfer credits from the Distance Calculus program. Why? It is not clear to us; some schools do not like transfer credits in general, preferring to get the tuition dollars from their students themselves; some schools do not like the idea of "distance education", having poor experience with some questionable distance programs offered at other schools around the country (we agree that some of these distance programs are questionable!).
To date, all of our students who have completed a Distance Calculus course have been able to successfully transfer the credits to their home institution. To keep our 100% transfer rate, we ask that you speak with your Registrar prior to enrollment in Distance Calculus.
There have been instances of confusion on transferring credits; in all such cases, an official letter, a phone call, and/or an email have solved all problems to date.