Articulation Task Force (ATF) Handbook
Contained herein are the following sections, to which you can directly link:
Links to Additional Resources:
ATF Membership Role definitions
Common Courses – Procedural Definitions
This Handbook is designed to provide information on the history and purpose of the Arizona Transfer System, and the specific steps you can take as a faculty member to insure student transfersuccess through your active participation in the Articulation Task Force (ATF) meetings. Further, this Handbook includes responsibilities for the Articulation Facilitator and ATAC Facilitators who can assist you to prepare for the ATF meetings, as well as for the responsibilities of the ATF Chairs, ATF Hosts, ATF Lead Members, and Members.
Additionally, you will find links to resources that should be helpful to you in obtaining a better understanding of the expanse and components of the Arizona Transfer System, and the important role you have, as you work with your academic colleagues, so that our students can move smoothly among our postsecondary institutions to achieve their baccalaureate degrees.
We welcome comments, suggestions and recommendations for improving the Handbook; please send them to the Articulation Facilitator [Ann Huber – 520.206.3986] or the ATASS Business Analyst [Dr. Michael Hensley – 928.317.6105] at: aztransfer@asu.edu .
On February 4, 1983, the Joint Conference Committee (JCC) of the Arizona State Board of Regents (ABOR) and the State Board of Directors for Community Colleges in Arizona (SBDCCA) established the Academic Program Articulation Steering Committee (APASC). The JCC charged APASC with the oversight of transfer articulation for the public community colleges and universities. To accomplish this charge, APASC established an organizational structure that provides for representation of faculty and administrators from Arizona’s public and tribal community colleges and universities.
Through a legislative footnote affixed to the budgets of Arizona’s public community college districts and universities in 1996, ABOR and SBDCCA were charged with establishing the Transfer Articulation Task Force (TATF). A similar footnote is affixed to each subsequent budget.
The Arizona legislature intended this Task Force to establish a seamless statewide articulation and transfer system, including a process for the transfer of lower-division general education credits and curriculum requirements for majors. The objective of reaching a consensual agreement assuring community college students may transfer to Arizona public universities with maximum application of earned college credits toward a baccalaureate degree continues as a top priority. The charge given to the TATF to create additional clear and secure transfer pathways for community college students is different from but parallel to the pathways followed by students who began their studies at the university as a freshman. Known as the Arizona Transfer Model/System, these transfer pathways allow students to maximize their academic experience at the community colleges, to incorporate community college credits or degrees efficiently into university graduation requirements, and to complete baccalaureate majors based on the minimum number of required credits.
The Arizona Transfer Model/System provides general, special, and exceptional pathways for transfer. The Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC-Liberal Arts, Business, or Science) provide a general education core for four transfer Associate degrees (AA, ABus, AS and AAEE). AGEC-based transfer pathways are determined by major and transfer institution and will follow either General Requirements (GR) or Special Requirements (SR) pathways. Some transfer majors may not align with AGEC/AA, ABus, AS or AAEE pathways and will follow a program specific Transfer Guide with the Exceptional Requirements (TG-XR) pathway. Community Colleges students may transfer up to one-half of the baccalaureate degree requirements plus one course, or up to 64 units/semester credit hours.
Academic Transfer Articulation: The process of developing ongoing communication and agreements between and among Arizona two- and four-year public and tribal post-secondary institutions. The articulation process is intended to ensure problem-free course and program transfer from one institution to another.
Goal: To serve students who transfer among the Arizona tribal and public post-secondary institutions by operating a statewide articulation and transfer system, including the process for transfer of lower-division general education credits, general elective credits and curriculum requirements for majors, to ensure that tribal and community college students may transfer to Arizona public universities with minimum loss of credit toward a baccalaureate degree.
Additional Benefits: Establish and maintain ongoing communication and strong working relationships between faculty and administrators among Arizona institutions.
Through the following groups and individuals, APASC ensures satisfaction of stakeholders’ needs for coordinating, training, problem solving, and decision making necessary to efficiently and effectively implement the Arizona Transfer Model and the requisite support systems.
The discipline specific ATFs consist of “officially” designated members who represent their institutions and their specific academic area(s). They provide public and tribal colleges and universities with a forum to cooperatively exchange articulation information in a timely manner in order to actively participate in the implementation of the Arizona transfer support systems.
GEATF consists of academic specialists, typically curriculum committee members, college administrators, and curriculum directorsfrom the public and tribal colleges and universities, charged with overseeing Arizona’s common general education curriculum (AGEC). University representatives update the GEATF members on their general education programs. All public and tribal colleges and universities have representatives on the GEATF.
The Academic Advising ATF includes representatives from each Arizona public and tribal college and university. The AAATF works with academic concerns and addresses problems faced by transfer students. The AAATF goals are to:
· Monitor the health of the statewide transfer system
· Increase student utilization of advising and transfer resources
· Monitor and evaluate technological applications for academic advising (?)
· Encourage professional development, identify best practices, provide a state advising directory, and support the state conference for advising professionals, coordinators, and those with line-authority for an institution’s academic advising
The Admissions and Records ATF members are designated admissions and registrar representatives from each college and university who discuss issues regarding admission to the public and tribal colleges and universities and/or specific programs, as well as the processes and procedures to transfer credit.
ATAC members manage the operational procedures of transfer articulation between and among Arizona’s public and tribal post-secondary institutions. Participation occurs at two levels: institutional and statewide. Additionally, ATAC meets to resolve issues related to course equivalencies and to recommend transfer policy changes to APASC. The committee is responsible for establishing processes and procedures for course equivalencies. ATAC members facilitate ATF meetings.
Discipline specific ATFs meet at least annually to discuss transfer, curriculum, and articulation issues. Each institution/district with courses and/or programs that transfer into the corresponding ATF baccalaureate degree(s) designates a “lead member” with voting privileges for that ATF. Other membership categories include: Member; Liaison, and Alternate.
Specific agenda items must be reviewed at each meeting, including but not limited to:
1. Course Equivalency Guide (CEG) information for all associated prefixes;
2. Courses in the ATF Common Course Matrix (CCM);
3. Review of university degrees associated with each ATF;
4. Review of college degrees associated with each ATF;
5. Changes in university general education requirements;
6. Curricular changes in courses, programs, and degrees at participating institutions that impact student preparation for transfer;
7. Statewide Update delivered as a PowerPoint presentation by the ATAC Facilitator which updates participants about the changes to the Arizona Transfer Articulation Support System (ATASS), and other relevant information, and how those changes impact student transfer
8. Status of special projects, results of special projects, or information from APASC;
9. Items tabled from prior meeting that need to be addressed,;
10. Selection of Chair and Host for the following year;
11. Selection of date, time, location meeting format [e.g.: face-to-face, virtual, etc] for next year’s meeting
ATFs focused on planning for the future, ensuring student success, sharing developments, collaborating on partnership programs, and designing innovative programs for Arizona constituents are the lynch pins to ATASS’s success.
Outcomes/Goals of ATF Meetings
ATF meeting participants’ preparation and efforts result in achieving the following outcomes:
Implementation of the Arizona Transfer Model to ensure that community college students transfer to Arizona public universities with maximum application of earned college credits toward a baccalaureate degree.
A. ATFs make recommendations to:
1. Confirm current baccalaureate degrees within the discipline specific ATF in categories/pathways that articulate with the two-year transfer degrees.
2. Place new baccalaureate degrees in appropriate articulation categories and/or pathways
3. Increase commonality among lower-division requirements of majors shared by two or more institutions, including general education requirements and defining and maintaining at least six credits of lower-division coursework common to the shared university majors.
4. Where applicable, ensure a minimum of six common lower-division credits for shared majors
5. Recommend the appropriate level for new courses according to APASC’s policy on Criteria for Upper- and Lower-Division Courses
6. Select/affirm the appropriate Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) as part of the lower division preparation for a baccalaureate degree within the discipline specific ATF
7. Update the Course Equivalency Guide (CEG)
B. ATFs provide mechanisms for anticipating and/or resolving transfer issues by:
1. Communicating accurate information for use by community and tribal college students regarding degree program requirements of the universities and the transferability of community college courses to those programs specifically within the appropriate transfer pathway.
2. Posting the completed ATF Report and Approved Meeting Notes within 14 days, including:
a) Institutions and names of ATF members represented at the meeting
b) New, confirmed or changed Pathways
c) New, confirmed or changed Common Courses
d) Summary of addressed agenda items that require follow up
e) Summary of issues to be shared with APASC
f) Programmatic changes under development:
i. identifying the impact of proposed programmatic changes under development at the tribal and community colleges or universities which may affect the transferability of credits
ii. identifying the impact of proposed changes on courses.
g) Date, location, time, host, chair and tentative agenda items for the meeting of the next academic year.
In order for the meetings to run smoothly, the collaborative efforts and preparation of many are required.
A. Before the meeting
1. Remind institutional ATAC representatives to update their faculty members on all appropriate ATF lists
2. First week in August, send an email to all discipline specific ATF members with day, date, time, and location of their ATF meeting, link to calendar, and indicate that they will receive more information from the Articulation Facilitator and the ATAC facilitator for that meeting closer to the meeting date.
3. 30 days (August, September and October) prior to the meeting, send an email to the meeting Chair, Host and ATAC Facilitator
a) Meeting details (day, date, time, location, and responsibilities of Chair and Host)
b) Include links so the Chair and the Host can access the Chatlines to post the agenda, directions, parking information, meal arrangements, and other details
4. 30 days prior to the meeting send email to ATF membership
B. During the meeting
1. Support the Chair and ATAC Facilitator
2. Respond to questions as appropriate using aztransfer.com if appropriate
C. After the meeting
1. Contact Chair and ATAC Facilitator if ATF Meeting Report is not posted within 14 days
2. Review ATF Report for action item clarity
3. Review ATF Report for items that need to be presented to APASC
4. Review ATF Report for items to follow up on
5. If report is not posted within 30 days, alert the institutional ATAC representative at the Chair’s institution.
A. Before meetings
1. 30 days prior to meeting, contact chair (and host if appropriate) to discuss the agenda and the meeting in general
2. Review prior ATF Reports and ATF Meeting Notes before you go to the ATF meeting to ensure that
appropriate changes have been made
3. Review Common Course Matrix for the ATF
4. Contact fellow ATAC members to discuss any discrepancies from previous years, prior to meeting
B. During the meeting
1. Present the Statewide Update PowerPoint
2. Ensure that an attendance sheet [name and institutions] is passed around
3. It is optional to bring documents to the meeting (or ask members to bring only if there are changes) to effectively review:
a) AGEC (confirm)
b) Pathways (confirm)
c) Shared majors (confirm)
d) Common Course Matrices for updates
e) CEG pages – be sure to announce all changes to ensure they are on the ATF Report and in the meeting notes.
f) if faculty wish to change existing equivalencies, record their names, institutions and recommended equivalency changes;
g) enter into ATF CEG change form;
h) remind them that all recommendations will be reviewed by home institutions;
i) All other CEG business (new courses, modified courses, and deletions) are handled through the regular ACETS process
j) Request that each member review membership and contact institutional ATAC representative to report changes
C. After the meeting
1. Initiate the ATF Report – send Chair email to access preliminary ATF Report for review
2. When Chair gives approval, hit “Final Submit” and “Set Approved” for posting
3. ATF Meeting Notes can be reviewed by membership
4. Attach Meeting Notes and any other documents to ATF Report and post to Meeting Calendar
A. Before the meeting
1. Review information on ATF Portal Page
2. At least 21 days prior to the meeting coordinate details with the host
3. At least 21 days prior to the meeting send an email to the members regarding:
a) Details of the meeting
b) Meeting agenda (and ask for agenda items)
c) Ask them to review their institutional information on the ATF Portal Page
d) Post agenda to Meeting Calendar which can then also be accessed from the Portal Page
B. During the meeting
1. Identify a Recorder to take the ATF Meeting Notes; typically rotated in alpha-order by institution—alert target institution in advance
2. Distribute the ATF Attendance Sheet
3. Coordinate business items with the ATAC facilitator
4. Lead the members through all other agenda items and institutional reports
C. After the meeting
1. Request that the meeting notes be sent to you and ATAC facilitator (optional: they can be sent to the membership for review)
2. Work with the ATAC facilitator to ensure accuracy of the ATF Report.
3. Ensure that all documents that need to be posted to the ATF Report are sent to you and/or the ATAC facilitator electronically
4. Work with ATAC facilitator to ensure that the ATF Report (and if possible ATF Meeting Notes) are posted within 14 days of the meeting
A. Before the meeting
1. Confirm with the chair, the date and time for the ATF meeting
2. Schedule room with computer, projector and Internet access
3. Make parking arrangements, prepare vouchers or code slips, and make signage arrangements, i.e. Welcome ATF sign
4. [Optional: Provide refreshments and/or lunch] OR make arrangements for a no-host lunch and provide meal options with cost, RSVP deadline, in an email to members
5. Post to the Meeting Calendar/ Portal Page
6. Send directions and maps to and of campus and parking instructions
7. Recommend lodging
8. Make special accommodation arrangements if requested. The policy approved by APASC is as follows: If an individual requires Disability Support Services for a statewide meeting, the chair, host and articulation facilitator should be contacted two weeks prior to the meeting with information about the specific services needed. After the two week window, the host institution and the articulation facilitator will make their 'best effort' to provide the services needed. ATASS will fund any Disability Support Services that are needed at statewide transfer meetings. If the individual requiring services cancels within 72 hours of the meeting, the individual's institution must assume the costs of the services.
B. During the meeting
1. Optional: ask an administrator to give a “Welcome” to your guests
2. Review “housekeeping” items: location of restrooms, water fountains, coffee shop, elevators; lunch plans; special events after the meeting, i.e. other state meetings, etc.
C. After the meeting: no further responsibilities
A. Before the meeting
1. Review the following from your ATF Portal Page
a) Meeting details
b) Common Course Matrix: pathway, AGEC, shared majors, common courses and elective courses, if applicable
c) Institutional membership list for your ATF
d) CEG pages (which can be accessed by linking to the appropriate College Course Prefix on the ATF Portal Pages)
e) Meeting Reports and Notes from the prior year
2. Prepare to provide an update about your institution; be ready to send it electronically
3. Consult with your institutional colleagues concerning articulation issues or other agenda items for the ATF meeting
4. Communicate concerns and issues with ATF members from other institutions so that articulation activities may be handled efficiently during the meeting
5. Be prepared to discuss course or program changes, additions or deletions that have been proposed or approved since the last ATF meeting
6. Discuss with your chief academic officer the possibility of volunteering to chair and/or host the next ATF meeting
B. During the meeting
1. Recommend and tentatively approve changes to course equivalencies and provide these to the designated institution ATAC representative
2. Recommend and respond to modifications, additions and/or deletions to Common Course Matrices. These recommendations are to be included in the ATF Report submitted to the Web site, and communicated to your institutional ATAC representative
3. Confirm the accuracy of the AGEC and Pathway
4. Communicate changes regarding general education, program admission, and any changes in student transfer information that directly affect the ATF.
5. Provide any other appropriate institutional updates
6. Be prepared to vote on all issues on behalf of your institution; one vote per institution/district
C. After the meeting
1. Take back any appropriate information to your institution for discussion, particularly the impact of CEG and/or CCM changes
2. Calendar your next meeting
3. Determine if any of the CEG, Common Course and/or any other proposed changes will impact your program and/or institution and if so, communicate appropriately to members of your campus community
4. If a formal report is required/was presented, follow-up by submitting an electronic version to the chair
5. Communicate with your institutional colleagues an overview of the meeting and distribute the information received at the meeting. As a representative of your institution, you are responsible for making sure that your colleagues and other personnel concerned with articulation have the most current information. Examples of who to consider in the distribution include but are not limited to:
a) Institutional ATAC members
b) Department/division chair
c) Counselor’s and/or program advisors
If the Lead Member is unable to attend an ATF meeting, the designated “Alternate” will participate in his/her place and carry the voting privilege of the Lead Member for the institution/district.
Revised: 8.28.09