Gwen in VA Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Please learn from my mistake and keep scrupulous records of college classes! I am a reasonable record-keeper. I sent three kids off to college and none had to provide any details of their dual-enrollment classes above and beyond the official transcript from the college to get transfer credit. So with kid #4 I got a bit sloppy. It is hard to get motivated to keep records when -- 1) The kid doesn't care about the record-keeping part of homeschooling; 2) EVERYTHING for the class is online and thus I need the kids' cooperation to get access to the password-protected syllabus, etc. (Which means I need to be thinking about record-keeping at a time when she is actually home and reasonably unoccupied!) 3) All exams are done online so printing them out would be a pain. So the record-keeping for three of dd2's dual-enrollment classes was pathetic.... but I never dreamed it would matter. Well, she will be attending a college that requires the GENUINE copy of the graded final exam and a class syllabus in order to hope to get transfer credit for the class. (This college requires this even from 4-year colleges that are MUCH higher-ranked than it -- go figure!) This college may be the only one in the country with a policy this strict, but I figure if there is one college this uptight about transfer credits there is probably another..... We'll see what happens. Dd2 is emailing profs, though one is retired and no longer in the area so that class may be a lost cause. (She will try to contact the department on Tuesday.) And even if she gets credit, it remains to be seen how useful the credits are -- they may not actually get her out of any gen eds, which would be the only benefit. But I though I would go public with this story so that others remember -- 1) Print out the syllabus! 2) Keep those exams, and if possible pick up the final exam from the prof at the end of the semester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Thanks for the information and reminder to not let this slide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Thanks for the info. I keep a folder for each of my college classes. The first thing that goes in there is a copy of the syllabus. I hadn't thought of printing off my final, however - my classes were also online. I should try to do that just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 The final exam? Wow. I've heard of wanting the syllabus, but never the final exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 By genuine copy, do they mean the original and not a duplicate? That's utterly bizarre, and I've never heard of that being requested before. Many universities will not even allow duplicating the final as similar questions are used from year to year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 That's....completely over the top ridiculous. Totally unreasonable. Would this be the case if your student had been a traditional transfer student? So sorry you have to deal with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 My son's CC doesn't allow students to keep their final exams. They can look at them but not keep them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I would feel the need to fight that requirement. It doesn't make any sense and many colleges (including the university where my dd is currently dual enrolled) do not allow anyone to keep a final exam - genuine or copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SukiAlice Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I'd argue with that, most definitely. I've never heard of even being allowed to keep a copy of a final exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I can't remember EVER getting a copy of a final exam, nor have I ever given one out to my students to keep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at the beach Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 My daughter is currently taking her third community college course, and she doesn't get to keep copies of tests or finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Never heard of the requirement for finals, but yes, keep the syllabus. I was recently contacted by a student who needed a syllabus for the course I am currently teaching. Problem is, he took it several semesters ago with a different instructor - so he needs to track down that guy who is no longer teaching that class and obtain the actual syllabus from that semester back then when he took the course. It will be a major hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Even at our local high school, students are not allowed to keep final exams. They often aren't allowed to keep earlier exams to study from for mid-terms or finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Oddly enough, my dd2 had no problems obtaining her final exams from W&M. The profs were really nice, and a few even offered to email the department and talk about the class and my dd as a student. She has all her ducks in a row for transferring credit for her W&M classes. We just need to wait and see what the college has to say. The classes she took at the local CC are a different story. She doesn't have the final exam, the prof moved, she can't find a copy of the syllabus, etc. The college is waiving the final exam requirement for the classes that had exclusively online finals.....but yes, this is crazy. BTW, she knew about the college's obnoxious transfer policy before she decided to accept the offer of admission, so at least she accepted knowing that there was a really good chance that none of her classes (including the W&M ones) would transfer. (She is entering as a freshman, not a transfer student, but she wants to be done with the onerous list of gen eds ASAP!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald Stoker Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 At the university where I taught, instructors were required to file copies of their syllabi every semester with the department secretary. Every syllabus for every course for the past several decades (at least) is on file there. Is there any possibility that there might be a similar policy at your college? The secretary often understands a lot more about the paper flow in a department than anybody else; I'd try there first. (And then take her out for coffee or bring her some flowers afterwards!) ETA: Here, marked final exams were required to be deposited by the instructor with the examinations clerk in the records department; that's the person you likely need to find for that part of the equation if there's a similar policy there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_NC Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 I work for a university and there's no way we would give students a genuine copy of the graded exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 It's fascinating (and sometimes annoying!) how policies differ college to college! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 I wonder if the college dd is going to requires graded final exams because it lowers the number of students who apply for transfer credit, since only the most determined will discover (as my dd did) that the requirement will be waived if the student can't get the final. Hmmm..... but that's WAY too cynical of me, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkateLeft Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 My daughter was told that she would need to show her lab notebooks in order to get credit for dual enrollment science classes at Creighton, but I've never heard of someone asking for a final exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 How frustrating for your daughter, Gwen. I hope it will all work out. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 I wonder if the college dd is going to requires graded final exams because it lowers the number of students who apply for transfer credit, since only the most determined will discover (as my dd did) that the requirement will be waived if the student can't get the final. Hmmm..... but that's WAY too cynical of me, right? I guess you'll know for sure when they either hand back the graded exams....or don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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