Volume is the dominant metaphor underlying the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Credits are used to 'express the volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload', with the latter based on volume of student effort. But the convenience of volume can leave the first part overlooked, i.e.…

Taking the European Credit and Transfer System as its departure point, this article describes the (mis)fortunes of the figure of the independent learner. This figure is conceptualized by analyzing the expectations of the European learning space that is enacted in discourses, instruments and practices. The independent learner is a…

In recent years, there has been increased interest within British Columbia in the issue of whether or how trades qualifications might transfer into academic post-secondary programs. Some BC institutions have already started, or will be starting, programs which incorporate this form of transfer credit. Colleagues at British Columbia Council on…

In Ontario, the topic of increasing transferability between colleges and universities has recently attracted the attention of numerous individuals in the fields of higher education, politics and the local media--many of whom have suggested that increasing the availability of college to university transfer programs, also known as articulation…

The European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET) is one of the European instruments designed to make VET systems more transparent. It aims to make it easier for vocational students to move between learning institutions, whether in the same country or abroad. ECVET, which concerns qualifications at all levels of the European…

This paper will examine college to university transfer in Ontario. In doing so it will discuss the structure of higher education in Ontario; present the benefits and challenges of college to university transfer; examine the current system of transfer; and explore several strategies for improving opportunities for college to university transfer. It…

The objective of this project is to evaluate for the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) the effectiveness of block transfer agreements (BTAs) in the BC Transfer System and recommend steps to be taken to improve their effectiveness. Findings of this study revealed that institutions want to expand block credit transfer;…

Community college systems were established across North America from the early 1960s through the early 1970s. The new systems had two principal models: in one model, the college combined lower-division, university-level general education with technical education programs; in the other, most or all of the colleges were intended to concentrate on…

As student mobility continues to rise, the United States is challenged to increase transferability between institutions of higher education. Creating courses that are recognizable across institutions can increase the number of degrees and aid the knowledge-based economy. Europe addressed this issue a decade ago when they initiated the Bologna…

In 2008, British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) commissioned an environmental scan on the possible need for system-wide work on institutional admissions processes and practices. This scan is intended to seek system input and to provide guidance on the choice of research projects and other related work in the coming year. This…

This paper reports on the results of an analysis of program articulation between the college and university sectors in Canada. The Canadian post-secondary system is best described as a binary system with discrete university and non-university sectors. While there are complex sectoral differences between the two institutional types in terms of…

The British Columbia (BC) Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) has undertaken, in the last couple of years, a review of the BC Transfer System. Preliminary findings indicate that the current structure of the BC Transfer Guide (BCTG), which designates institutions as either "sending" institutions or "receiving"…

Immigrants will represent nearly 100 percent of net labour market growth in Canada by the year 2011. More than ever, employers recognize the need to effectively integrate immigrants into the workplace and they seek solutions to leverage the talents and contributions immigrants bring to the Canadian economy. From January to March 2009, Colleges…

Within the British Columbia post-secondary system, significant numbers of students transfer among colleges, institutes, universities and university colleges. These transfers may be handled individually student by student or through a set of articulation agreements administered and facilitated by the British Columbia Council on Admissions and…

The B.C. Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) is considering whether to commission a full study of the benefits of British Columbia's articulated post-secondary system. The purpose of this report is to provide information and recommendations on the issues, costs, and advantages that would be associated with such a benefits study. Earlier,…