PROPOSAL: Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer Degree in Business (AS/OT-Bus)

A Proposal for an Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer Degree in Business (AS/OT-Bus)

developed by the

Joint Boards Articulation Commission and the Student Transfer Committee

November 2001

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to outline a proposal for degree requirements leading to a statewide Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer degree in Business (AS/OT-Bus). If agreed to by all the relevant stakeholders, and adopted by the Joint Boards of Education, this degree would complement the current Associate of Arts/Oregon Transfer (AA/OT) degree, a program that was conceived in legislation in 1987 with HB2913 (ORS 348.470). The AA/OT program allows students at Oregon community colleges to complete a block-transfer degree that they may transfer to an Oregon University System (OUS) institution, stipulating that they (1) have completed the lower-division general education requirements of the receiving OUS institution, and (2) are juniors for registration purposes. This proposed Associate of Science degree would offer similar benefits for students, specifically those students with the ultimate goal of completing a baccalaureate degree in Business.

The Proposal Development Process

In Oregon, the notion of an Associate of Science transfer degree (or degrees) to complement the existing Associate of Arts transfer degree has been around for many years. Little progress has been made toward developing and/or adopting such a degree, however. The current conversation, and this proposal, stem from suggestions offered at the 2000 Articulation and Transfer Fall Conference. Participants at that event proposed that the idea of an Associate of Science transfer degree be seriously revisited. One underlying argument for the degree is that the AA/OT is too generic and is, perhaps, a disservice to many students who should be advised to pursue a focused academic program that articulates more efficiently with their chosen baccalaureate major.

Subsequently, the Joint Boards Articulation Commission (JBAC) assigned its Student Transfer Committee (STC) to study the issue of Associate of Science transfer degrees. On the basis of staff research comparing the lower-division requirements of Business programs at OUS institutions, the STC drafted a set of degree requirements for a hypothetical Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer degree in Business. This set of requirements (see pp. 3-4) has been preliminarily reviewed by the OUS Academic Council, the community colleges’ Council of Instructional Administrators (CIA), and the Oregon English and Writing Advisory Committee (OWEAC). These groups have been supportive of the direction of this work and have generally endorsed the concept of an Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer degree. Similarly, the Oregon State Board of Education, in June 2001, expressed its willingness to allow adoption of a statewide Associate of Science degree within a particular disciplinary field (a practice not allowed for AS degree programs on individual community college campuses). The next step in this process is the serious examination of the specifics of this proposal by the deans and chairs of business programs.

Why Consider This Proposal?

Does Oregon really need another block-transfer degree option for its community college students? Based on the perceptions of many college and university staff who work directly with students, the answer seems to be: YES. Articulation and Transfer Conference Participants in 2000 resoundingly endorsed exploratory work in this area. While the structure of the current AA/OT degree allows the flexibility to mold a program of study in various disciplinary areas, it is sometimes difficult for advisors and students to put together a coherent program to provide the best preparation for certain popular baccalaureate degrees. The proposed Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer in Business will provide a clear community college pathway for students who want to ultimately pursue further work at an OUS campus. Of course, students interested in this field would not be obligated to obtain the AS/OT-Bus; direct transfer routes from a community college to OUS would remain available (before an associate’s degree is earned), and directly-articulated associate’s degrees from one community college to a specific OUS institution would continue in force. An AS/OT-Bus would provide students with yet another option to pursue their academic goals.

The specifics of the proposed degree are detailed in the attached guidelines. The format and language has been adapted from the current model utilized for the AA/OT.

Where to Send Comments?

Please forward comments on this proposal to either of the following individuals:

Dave Phillips, Vice President of Instructional Services (and Chair of the Student Transfer Committee), Clatsop Community College, 1653 Jerome Ave, Astoria, OR 97103-3698. Phone: (503) 338-2442; E-mail: dphillip@clatsop.cc.or.us

Jim Arnold, Director of Community College Articulation, Oregon University System, P. O. Box 3175, Eugene, OR 97403-0175. Phone: (541) 346-5722; E-mail: jim_arnold@ous.edu

(Proposed) Guidelines for the Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer Degree in Business (AS/OT-Bus) for Oregon Community College Students Transferring to Oregon University System Institutions

(if adopted by the Joint Boards of Education, insert date here.)

Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer Degree in Business (AS/OT-Bus)

Any student who holds an Oregon community college Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer degree in Business (AS/OT-Bus) that conforms to the guidelines set forth below, and who transfers to any institution in the Oregon University System (OUS), will have met the lower-division general education requirements of that university. GPA requirements for entry into the major are not necessarily satisfied by the AS/OT-Bus degree. Once admitted to the university and the Business program, however, students transferring under this agreement will have junior standing for both the Business major and for university registration purposes.

GUIDELINES

An Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer degree in Business (AS/OT-Bus) offered by any Oregon community college shall meet the guidelines listed below. A minimum of 90 credits is required for the degree, and of these, at least 57 shall conform to the general education and distribution requirements listed below. Additionally, at least 20 credits are to be earned in the business-specific components area. (All credit references are based on quarter system credits.)

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Writing: A minimum of eight credits of college-transfer writing courses, with a grade of "C-" or better in each course. Designated courses are WR 121, 122, 123 or 227.
Oral Communication/Rhetoric: A minimum of three credits of a fundamentals of speech or communication course with a grade of "C-'' or better.
Mathematics: A minimum of twelve credits of college-level mathematics with a grade of "C-" or better. Designated courses are Math 111 (College Algebra), Math 241 (Calculus for Management and Social Science), and Math 245 (Math for Management and Social Science).

DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS

Arts and Letters: A minimum of twelve credits, chosen from at least two disciplines.
Social Sciences: A minimum of twelve credits, and shall include ECON 201, 202.
Science: A minimum of twelve credits of laboratory courses in the biological or physical sciences.

BUSINESS-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of twenty credits in Business. Required courses are:

BA 101: Introduction to Business
BA 211, 213: Financial, Managerial Accounting
BA 131: Business Data Processing
BA 230: Business Law (or other advisor-approved Business course elective)

ELECTIVES

Electives will comprise up to 13 credits depending on the student's selection of courses to meet the requirements above.

NOTES

Courses that are developmental in nature, designed to prepare students for college transfer courses, are not applicable to this degree.
Courses used to meet the "Distribution Requirements" should be at least 3 credits each.
In Arts and Letters, the second year of a foreign language may be included, but not the first year. ASL is considered a foreign language.