Servicemembers Opportunity College: Criteria
Inherent in the SOC Principles are expectations and standards essential to their translation into performance and action. The SOC Criteria express those expectations and standards and constitute an operational framework for SOC Consortium member institutions to extend to servicemembers undergraduate educational opportunities that are sometimes distinct from common institutional practice. The Criteria characterize flexibility essential to the improvement of access by servicemembers to undergraduate educational programs. The Criteria stipulate that institutional policies and practices be fair, equitable, and effective in recognizing special and often limiting conditions faced by military students.
Criterion 1. Transfer of Credit.
Since mobility makes it unlikely that a servicemember can complete all degree program requirements at one institution, a SOC Consortium institution designs its transfer practices for servicemembers to minimize loss of credit and avoid duplication of coursework, while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of its programs. It is recognized that SOC Consortium institutions must maintain quality and integrity within a complex academic and regulatory environment where resource, regulatory, and academic realities sometimes militate against the broad spirit of flexibility that SOC advocates. Consistent with this reality and with the requirements of a servicemember’s degree program, a SOC Consortium institution follows the general principles of good practice outlined in the Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit. Each institution may be required to submit documentary evidence that it generally accepts credits in transfer from other accredited institutions, and that its credits in turn are generally accepted by other accredited institutions.
Criterion 2. Academic Residency Requirements.
A SOC Consortium institution limits academic residency requirements for active-duty servicemembers to no more than 25 percent of the undergraduate degree program; recognizes all credit course work offered by the institution as applicable in satisfying academic residency requirements; and allows servicemembers to satisfy academic residency requirements with courses taken from the institution at any time during their program of study, specifically avoiding any “final year” or “final semester” residency requirement, subject to stated requirements in specific course areas such as majors. If a SOC Consortium institution offers one hundred percent of an undergraduate degree online, that institution may require active-duty servicemembers to take thirty percent of that degree program to obtain residency. (Institutions joining SOC for the purpose of participating in the Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAP) are exempted from this criterion.)
Criterion 3. Crediting Learning from Military Training and Experience.
A SOC Consortium institution provides processes to determine credit awards and learning acquired for specialized military training and occupational experience when applicable to a servicemember’s degree program. A SOC Consortium institution recognizes and uses the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services in determining the value of learning acquired in military service, and awards credit for appropriate learning acquired in military service at levels consistent with ACE Guide recommendations and ⁄ or those transcripted by the Community College of the Air Force, when applicable to a servicemember’s program.
Criterion 4. Crediting Extra-Institutional Learning.
Recognizing that learning occurs in extra-institutional and non-instructional settings, a SOC Consortium institution provides processes to evaluate and award appropriate undergraduate-level credit for such learning through practices that reflect the principles and guidelines in the statement on Awarding Credit for Extrainstitutional Learning. This shall include awarding credit through use of one or more of the nationally-recognized, non-traditional learning testing programs provided for servicemembers by the OSD, such as described in the ACE Guide to Educational Credit by Examination. These examinations include CLEP, DSST, and ECE whether or not they supplement institutional challenge examinations or test-out procedures.
Criterion 1. Transfer of Credit.
Since mobility makes it unlikely that a servicemember can complete all degree program requirements at one institution, a SOC Consortium institution designs its transfer practices for servicemembers to minimize loss of credit and avoid duplication of coursework, while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of its programs. It is recognized that SOC Consortium institutions must maintain quality and integrity within a complex academic and regulatory environment where resource, regulatory, and academic realities sometimes militate against the broad spirit of flexibility that SOC advocates. Consistent with this reality and with the requirements of a servicemember’s degree program, a SOC Consortium institution follows the general principles of good practice outlined in the Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit. Each institution may be required to submit documentary evidence that it generally accepts credits in transfer from other accredited institutions, and that its credits in turn are generally accepted by other accredited institutions.
Criterion 2. Academic Residency Requirements.
A SOC Consortium institution limits academic residency requirements for active-duty servicemembers to no more than 25 percent of the undergraduate degree program; recognizes all credit course work offered by the institution as applicable in satisfying academic residency requirements; and allows servicemembers to satisfy academic residency requirements with courses taken from the institution at any time during their program of study, specifically avoiding any “final year” or “final semester” residency requirement, subject to stated requirements in specific course areas such as majors. If a SOC Consortium institution offers one hundred percent of an undergraduate degree online, that institution may require active-duty servicemembers to take thirty percent of that degree program to obtain residency. (Institutions joining SOC for the purpose of participating in the Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAP) are exempted from this criterion.)
Criterion 3. Crediting Learning from Military Training and Experience.
A SOC Consortium institution provides processes to determine credit awards and learning acquired for specialized military training and occupational experience when applicable to a servicemember’s degree program. A SOC Consortium institution recognizes and uses the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services in determining the value of learning acquired in military service, and awards credit for appropriate learning acquired in military service at levels consistent with ACE Guide recommendations and ⁄ or those transcripted by the Community College of the Air Force, when applicable to a servicemember’s program.
Criterion 4. Crediting Extra-Institutional Learning.
Recognizing that learning occurs in extra-institutional and non-instructional settings, a SOC Consortium institution provides processes to evaluate and award appropriate undergraduate-level credit for such learning through practices that reflect the principles and guidelines in the statement on Awarding Credit for Extrainstitutional Learning. This shall include awarding credit through use of one or more of the nationally-recognized, non-traditional learning testing programs provided for servicemembers by the OSD, such as described in the ACE Guide to Educational Credit by Examination. These examinations include CLEP, DSST, and ECE whether or not they supplement institutional challenge examinations or test-out procedures.
