The question of other institutions degree requirements was recently raised. The Tulsa World made a couple of calls to try and figure it out today - I spent my lunch following up. I didn't look at everyone in our conference, but I looked at a few that are academically sound. It should be noted that most Athletic Student Handbooks are readily available online (someone look up East Carolina and UCF).
I spent a lunch hour over this. Met with a client, came back and posted it. So it's quick research. If someone knows better, I looked at an old policy that is no longer valid, I read it wrong, or the institution just lied. TELL ME. I looked out of curiosity, not to advocate a position. But what I found indicates the "No CC" excuse is crap.
All programs have to follow the NCAA minimum guidelines. That includes being enrolled in 12 hours (not sure why the Tulsa World indicated 9. I think that is the number of hours a football players must pass in the fall to stay eligible). If also includes acculmulating 24 hours of credit per year and meeting certain degree progress requirements (terms in hitting 60% of the classes, 80%, etc., requried for your degree by certain time periods). The basic requirements are found here:
http://www.ncaa.org/remaining-eligible-academics
...What we are really looking at is whether other institutions allow students to take classes at local community colleges to pad their University hours. Of the ones I looked at, the answer is NO. Other respectable universities in the AAC do not do allow this. In fact, I didn't look at any other than those listed below... and I don't think any I looked at would allow enrolled students to take CC classes for credit towards eligibility.
1) SMU
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/smu/genrel/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2012-13_SA_Handbook.pdf
They can take a limited number of hours while enrolled at SMU and transfer them to SMU. BUT...
- Must be a regionally accredited college (for non-academic snobs, regionally accreditation is the highest. TCC is a "nationally accredit institution" with some regional two-year accreditation)
- Minimum grade of C- can transfer
- Can not boost your SMU GPA
So no, you could not take TCC courses.
2) Tulane
https://tulane.edu/athletics/academicdevelopment/upload/2010110handbookfinal.pdf
Can take and trasnfer a limited number of credit hours after being enrolled. BUT...
- Must be a regionally accredited college
- Must seek permission
- C or better for credit
- Must have a 2.7 GPA or better with Tulane coursework
Tulane also requires perfect unexcused class attendance, limits summer school, and has remedial coursework that is not for graded credit. If you are not taking 14 credit hours, you are not eligible for the Deans list.
So no, you could not take TCC courses.
3) UCONN
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/conn/genrel/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/SAHandbook.pdf
UCONN does not provide funding to take course off campus. You are able to transfer credits in while attending UCONN
but...
- Regionally accredited institution
- Comparable in course content and quality to UCONN
- Must acheive a C or above to transfer
- Course must be on preapproved list or obtain special approval
So no, you could not take TCC courses.
4) Cinci
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/cinn/genrel/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/13SAHandbook.pdf
http://admissions.uc.edu/transfer/transfer_credit.html
Cinci athletics points to the Cinci admissions office for transfer requirements. There could be secret guidelines I'm not aware of, BUT...
- Regionally accredit hours only
- Must complete at least 30 hours of Cinci credit to get a Cinci degree
I don't think an enrolled student could take TCC courses.
5) NAVY
Not in our conference yet, but they LOL at our student athlete requirements.
- - -
So I don't see that our competition is allowing the behavior that we are complaining about. Perhaps other schools I didn't look at do allow it. Perhaps we should lower our standards and allow TU graduates to have more community credit hours than TU credit hours. But that isn't the debate.
The statement was that TU cannot compete because we do not allow community credit course work for enrolled student, and as it appears many of our competitors have the same rule... that excuse is crap.
I spent a lunch hour over this. Met with a client, came back and posted it. So it's quick research. If someone knows better, I looked at an old policy that is no longer valid, I read it wrong, or the institution just lied. TELL ME. I looked out of curiosity, not to advocate a position. But what I found indicates the "No CC" excuse is crap.
All programs have to follow the NCAA minimum guidelines. That includes being enrolled in 12 hours (not sure why the Tulsa World indicated 9. I think that is the number of hours a football players must pass in the fall to stay eligible). If also includes acculmulating 24 hours of credit per year and meeting certain degree progress requirements (terms in hitting 60% of the classes, 80%, etc., requried for your degree by certain time periods). The basic requirements are found here:
http://www.ncaa.org/remaining-eligible-academics
...What we are really looking at is whether other institutions allow students to take classes at local community colleges to pad their University hours. Of the ones I looked at, the answer is NO. Other respectable universities in the AAC do not do allow this. In fact, I didn't look at any other than those listed below... and I don't think any I looked at would allow enrolled students to take CC classes for credit towards eligibility.
1) SMU
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/smu/genrel/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2012-13_SA_Handbook.pdf
They can take a limited number of hours while enrolled at SMU and transfer them to SMU. BUT...
- Must be a regionally accredited college (for non-academic snobs, regionally accreditation is the highest. TCC is a "nationally accredit institution" with some regional two-year accreditation)
- Minimum grade of C- can transfer
- Can not boost your SMU GPA
So no, you could not take TCC courses.
2) Tulane
https://tulane.edu/athletics/academicdevelopment/upload/2010110handbookfinal.pdf
Can take and trasnfer a limited number of credit hours after being enrolled. BUT...
- Must be a regionally accredited college
- Must seek permission
- C or better for credit
- Must have a 2.7 GPA or better with Tulane coursework
Tulane also requires perfect unexcused class attendance, limits summer school, and has remedial coursework that is not for graded credit. If you are not taking 14 credit hours, you are not eligible for the Deans list.
So no, you could not take TCC courses.
3) UCONN
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/conn/genrel/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/SAHandbook.pdf
UCONN does not provide funding to take course off campus. You are able to transfer credits in while attending UCONN
but...
- Regionally accredited institution
- Comparable in course content and quality to UCONN
- Must acheive a C or above to transfer
- Course must be on preapproved list or obtain special approval
So no, you could not take TCC courses.
4) Cinci
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/cinn/genrel/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/13SAHandbook.pdf
http://admissions.uc.edu/transfer/transfer_credit.html
Cinci athletics points to the Cinci admissions office for transfer requirements. There could be secret guidelines I'm not aware of, BUT...
- Regionally accredit hours only
- Must complete at least 30 hours of Cinci credit to get a Cinci degree
I don't think an enrolled student could take TCC courses.
5) NAVY
Not in our conference yet, but they LOL at our student athlete requirements.
- - -
So I don't see that our competition is allowing the behavior that we are complaining about. Perhaps other schools I didn't look at do allow it. Perhaps we should lower our standards and allow TU graduates to have more community credit hours than TU credit hours. But that isn't the debate.
The statement was that TU cannot compete because we do not allow community credit course work for enrolled student, and as it appears many of our competitors have the same rule... that excuse is crap.
I don't count Navy, they and the other academies are a cut above.
