Student Mobility & Credit Transfer: A National and Global Survey

Technological advances in communication and transportation have increased educational opportunities for post-secondary education students around the globe. Individuals and information now travel quicker and cheaper between countries and continents. Post-secondary institutions no longer have a local, jurisdictional or even domestic focus; their vision is global. Furthermore, governments and employers recognize that the workforce of the future must include well-trained, globally aware professionals with international work experience who can solve economic and social problems. At the same time, students and faculty are becoming increasingly interested in spending time in different academic environments, often in foreign surroundings. The length of stay can range from one semester to the pursuit of a full academic credential. A proper protocol (or mechanism) designed to recognize previous academic performance is essential in ensuring a full range of student mobility options. It is for this reason that credit transfer and student mobility are linked. Credit transfer systems provide the lubricant to ensure seamless academic mobility. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explain student mobility and credit transfer in a conjoined fashion. The first half of the paper will center on student mobility and what it means to the post-secondary system. The barriers which prevent the free flow of students from jurisdiction to jurisdiction will also be focused upon. Additional sections will examine the role finance, information and most importantly--academics--play in the restriction of opportunity. Next, the paper will investigate measures designed by post-secondary institutions and governments to assist increased mobility opportunities. The mobility section will end with a detailed analysis of the Canadian performance on select mobility measures and provide additional information on the mobility picture in the main international post-secondary education systems (e.g. United States and the United Kingdom). The second half of the paper will examine how post-secondary education credits act as a form of knowledge "currency" and how the issue of credit recognition is best seen as a policy issue which requires the "exchange" of one institution's credits into a currency that other institutions can freely accept. It will examine how credit transfer works in various Canadian jurisdictions, the role played by Credit Transfer Councils in certain jurisdictions and how transfer