Easier MnSCU credit transfers vetoed

Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed legislation designed to make it easier for students to transfer credits from one state college or university to another, calling the measure “unnecessary.”

Sponsored by Rep. Larry Haws (DFL-St. Cloud) and Sen. Tarryl Clark (DFL-St. Cloud), the bill would have required the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to improve credit transfers, with the goal of providing for “minimal loss of credits for transferring students.”

The bill outlined several steps for MnSCU to take to revamp its credit transfer system.

“The bill is unnecessary because the credit transfer issues identified by the Legislative Auditor, MnSCU staff, and students are already being addressed through internal actions and policy changes,” Pawlenty wrote in his veto message.

Provisions in the bill would have directed MnSCU to develop and maintain a central database of course equivalencies between MnSCU institutions. Information on the transferability of courses would have been posted on all system college and university websites. Each school would have been responsible for ensuring the completeness and accuracy of data on its course offerings.

Additionally, the bill specified that providing prompt required documentation to facilitate a student transfer is an “institutional rather than student obligation.”

Implementation would have been required by the beginning of the 2015-16 academic year, and annual reports to the Legislature would have been required.

HF3164*/ SF2822/CH284