DOCUMENT RESUME ED 084 982 Regents External Degrees .

THE UNIVERSITY OF THESTATE OF NEW YORKThe University of the State of New York, established by the New YorkState Legislature in 1784, is the oldest state educational agency in theUnited States. Presided-over by the Board of Regents and administeredby the Commissioner of Education who serves as its president, The University of the State of New York includes all public and private collegesand universities, elementary and secondary schools, libraries, museums,historical societies, and other educational agencies in the State. TheUniversity offers no instructional programs on its own behalf, and has nofaculty, students, or campus of its own; yet students of every age and alleducators are integral parts of the University, and the entire State is itscampus. The most unified and comprehensive educational system inAmerica, The University of the State of New York is designed to marshalthe vast resources of the State and use them wisely and economical!) toenlarge and improve educational, professional, and cultural opportunities.The Board of Regents of The University of the State of New Yorkdetermines the State's educational policies, establishes standards formaintaining quality in the schools, incorporates colleges and universities,approves and supervises acadethic programs leading to college degrees,licenses and establishes standards for most professions, and confersdiplomas and degrees. Because of its extensive experience in the evaluation of colleges and their curriculums, the Board of Regents is recognizedas an official accrediting agency by the United States Office of Education.The Regents have a central role in education in New York State andunder their supervision and leadership major steps have been taken toexpand post-secondary educational opportunity. In a society which increasingly demands academic credentials as proof of competency, theRegents recognize that methods must be developed to acknowledge theaccomplishments of those who have acquired college level knowledge andskills by means other than traditional classroom study.In 1961, the Regents established the New York College ProficiencyExamination Program to provide a means for people to earn college creditfor knowledge gained without formal academic preparation. In establishing the Regents External Degree Program in 1970, the Board of Regents[1]

expanded this concept to provide a means for the nontraditional studentwho cannot or chooses not to attend college, to demonstrate his knowledge and abilities and earn a college degree. The Board of Regents isauthorized to grant degrees in its own name, but in the past has limiteditself to the conferral of honorary dc torates and academic degrees earnedby students at private colleges possessing tempovary charters. Now, withthe advent of the Regents External Degree, the Board of Regents of TheUniversity of the State of New York is conferring academic degrees onits own behalf. Through both the Regents External Degree Program andthe College Proficiency Examination Program recognition is offered toknowledgeable men and women and new meaning is being given to TheUniversity of the State of New York in the area of higher education.[23

PART ITHE UNIVERSITY OF THESTATE OF NEW YORKREGENTS EXTERNAL DEGREES

ADVISORY BOARD of TheUNIVERSITY of the STATE of NEW YORK'SREGENTS EXTERNAL DEGREESJack N. Arbolino, College Entrance Examination BoardStephen K. Bailey, American Council on EducationPeter Blornerly, Tompkins-Cortland Community CollegeJames D. Brown, Jr., Thomas A. Edison CollegeWilliam C. Carpenter, Interno'ional Business Machine CorporationAudrey G. Cohen, Col:ege for Human ServicesConstance Cook, Member of the New York State AssemblyWilliam H. Cox, Jr., Rochester Public LibraryRichard Elton, Glendale Community CollegeBernard Esrig, New York City Board of EducationEric Gardner, Syracuse UniversityJames W. Hall, Empire State College of the State University of New YorkFrederick H. Jackson, Committee on Institutional CooperationCharles W. Laffin, Jr., State University of New York Agricultural andTechnical College at FarmingdaleHarold G. Levine, The University of Texas Medical BranchJames E. McVean, Jefferson Community CollegeLloyd Morrisett, Markle FoundationAustin Murphy, East River Savings BankJoseph Palamount0n, Skidmore CollegeJacqueline G. Wexler, Hunter College of The City University of NewYorkRich Witten, Great Neck, New YorkJames H. Young, State University of New York College at BuffaloCORRESPONDING MEMBERS:John Ferguson, The Open University, EnglandEdwin Kerr, Council for National Academic Awards, EnglandP. F. Vow les, University of London, England[Si

IntroductionIn September 1970, Ewald B. Nyquist proposed the idea of the RegentsExternal Degree at his inauguration as President of The University ofthe State of New York and Commissioner of Education. The Board ofRegents endorsed the proposal and created the Regents External DegreeProgram to enable independent students with college level knowledgeto earn a degree without attending college. This expanded educationalopportunity marks a new departure for the Regents and the University.The Regents External Degree is a truly " external" degree; it is awardedby a university which evaluates a student it has not directly taught. TheUniversity of the State of New York has no campus, resident faculty, orstudents in the traditional sense. It publishes its requirements and awardsa degree, to anyone who can meet them. There are no requirements ofadmission, residence, or age and the methods of preparation are not prescribed. Degree requirements can be satisfied in several way. No classroom attendance is required and no instruction is provided.In an effort to increase the options for external degree students withoutincreasing costs, New York works in cooperation with Thomas A. EdisonCollege, established by the New Jersey Department of Higher Education,in the development of new proficiency examinations and external degreeprograms.Building upon the principles and experiences of the College ProficiencyExamination Program, outstanding faculty and administrators from NewYork State's public and private higher institutions and business and civicleaders work with testing specialists to establish Regents External Degreerequirements, to determine how these requirements can be met, and wherenecessary to develop examinations which can be used to satisfy degreerequirements. Generous support has been received from the CarnegieCorporation, the Ford Foundation, and the Kellogg Foundation to developRegents External Degrees. Since 1971 enrollment has been opened inprograms leading to associate in arts, associate in applied science in nursing, and bachelor of science in business administration Regents ExternalDegrees. In the spring of 1973, development of a bachelor of arts degreeprogram with majors in many liberal arts areas was begun; it should beavailable by mid-1974.Many types of educational activities are encouraged and may be usedto satisfy degree requirements. Among these are college courses taken at{7]

accredited institutions either on campus or through correspondence, proficiency examinations, study under the auspices of the United States ArmedForces Institute and military service schools, and Special Assessment ofcollege level knowledge gained through experience. Oral, written, andperformance Special Assessment examinations will be used by the RegentsExternal Degree Program to assess on-the-job experience and literary,artistic, or musical skills, as well as other academic areas where existingproficiency tests are not appropriate.Candidates for Regents External Degrees are reviewed by the facultycommittee which oversees the degree program in which they are enrolled;those who have met the requirements are recommended to the Board ofRegents for conferral of the degree by The University of the State of NewYork.In this catalog, information on Regents External Degrees is dividedinto two categories: (1) General Information and (2) Degree Programs.The General Information section contains those items of information whichapply to all Regents External Degree progrdms of study. Included arestatements on enrollment procedures, fees, and the grading system; testing agencies, collegiate institutions, and military programs through whichcredit may be earned for a Regents External Degree are also noted. Inaddition, a step-by-step outline of how to proceed through a degree program is provided.The Degree Programs section contains a detailed description of eachof the available Regents External Degrees. The requirements for eachdegree, and the specific means of satisfying the requirements, are included. While the General Information section describes the differentmethods through which Regents External Degree credit can be earned,the Degree Programs section contains listings of individual courses andexaminations which can be applied toward satisfying the requirements foreach degree.The information contained in the General Information section should bereviewed along with the material related to the degree program(s) s ) whichis of particular interest. Candidates should use this information as a guideto understanding the Regents External Degree concept, and as a referencefor purposes of completing a Regents External Degree program of study.[8:1

GENERAL INFORMATIONENROLLMENT PROCEDURESTo become enrolled in a Regents External Degree Program, an officialenrollment form must be completed and forwarded directly to the RegentsExternal Degree Program. A nonrefundable fee of 50 must accompanythe enrollment form. The enrollment form may be obtained from theRegents External Degree Program.Anyone can enroll in a Regents External Degree Program since thereare no age, residence, or educational requirements for enrollment. Individuals who live in New York State, outside of New York State, or incountries other than the United States are welcome to participate. Insome cases, out-of-State residents may find it necessary to come to NewYork to meet certain examination requirements: A high school diploma,high school equivalency diploma, or college entrance examination is notrequired.A candidate may study and meet degree requirements at his own pace.There are no time requirements for completing a Regents External DegreeProgram.A student is officially enrolled in the Regents External Degree Programas soon as he receives a letter acknowledging receipt of his correctly com-pleted enrollment form and 50 fee. Enrolling in the program entitlesthe candidate to an evaluation of official transcripts from accredited colleges and universities, testing agencies, and/or military programs that hewishes to present for credit towards a Regents External Degree for aperiod of 1 year. To be eligible for evaluation of transcripts, score reports, and other materials beyond the first year of enrollment, a candidatemust pay an annual records maintenance fee of 25.Candidates are advised not to forward transcripts for evaluation untilofficially enrolled in d program.APPROACHES TO EARNING CREDITThe completion of any or all of the following will be considered forcredit toward earning a Regents External Degree:1. college courses from regionally accredited institutions of higherlearning, taken either on campus or through correspondence,[9]

2. proficiency examinations,3. military service school courses,4. special assessment of knowledgegained from experience, in-dependent study, or other nontraditional approaches to education.The degree requirements for the associate in arts program and thegeneral education component of the business and nursing programs can besatisfied by utilizing one or more of the above stated methods of earningcredit. Although the business and nursing components must normally besatisfied by successfully completing the specially designed Regents External Degree Examinations, college transcript credit will be consideredwhere appropriate (see " Degree Programs " section of this catalog).If an examination has been discontinued by a recognized program, graderesults will still be considered for Regents External Degree credit iftranscripts are available.It is important for degree candidates to guard against duplication ofcredit. For example, the College-Level Examination Program GeneralExamination in English is equivalent to the United States Armed ForcesInstitute General Education Development, College-Level Examination inExpression. Either of these examinations would be equivalent to asemester of freshman English in most colleges. The completion of morethan one examination or college course in a particular subject matterarea is considered duplication of credit, and only one test or course willbe counted for credit toward a Regents External Degree. An enrolledcandidate may seek advice from the Regents External Degree Programregistrar on matters of credit duplication.1.COLLEGE COURSESOfficial transcripts from any regionally accredited college or university(including institutions with candidate " and " correspondent " statuswith a regional accrediting association) will be evaluated, and acceptablecredit will be applied toward the credit requirements of the various degreeprograms. Transcripts will also be accepted from those higher institutionsoperating in New York State which are chartered by the Board of Regentsbut not accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges andSecondary Schools, the regional accrediting body whose jurisdiction includes New York.All transcripts from accredited institutions will be accepted for evalua-tion without regard to the number of institutions attended by the candidate. Only those grades or courses that the candidate wishes to applytoward his degree will be recorded in his file.

All transcripts must come directly from the issuing institution to beconsidered for credit. Unofficial or student copy transcripts are not accepted. College course transcripts may not be submitted by militaryeducation officers but must come directly from the institution where thework was completed.Only those college-level correspondence courses which are offered forcredit by a regionally accredited institution and appear on its transcriptwill be considered for credit.2.PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONSNew York College Proficiency Examination Program (CPE'P)The College Proficiency Examination Program (CPEP), administeredby the New York State Education Department, enables individuals toobtain college credit by means of examination, without formal classroompreparation. Examinations in the arts, the sciences, and education areoffered four times a year across New York State, A full description ofthis program is contained in Part II of this catalog, " The College Proficiency Examination Program."Credit may be earned toward the associate in arts degree program andthe general education component of the business and nursing degreeprograms by successfully completing College Proficiency Examinations(CPE's). The degree requirements and the College Proficiency Examination descriptions provided in this catalog should be consulted for purposes of identifying appropriate examinations, as well as the amount ofcredit awarded.CPE results are reported as a letter grade (A,B,C,D,F), as pass/fail, oras a standard score depending on the examination. To qualify for credittoward a Regents External Degree, a letter grade of D or better, a passgrade, or the minimum passing standard score must be achieved.Individuals interested in taking College Proficiency Examinations willfind content descriptions of the 26 examinations offered in Part IV, the" Examination Content Descriptions " section of this catalog. Information on application forms, fees, study aids, and other administrative matters may be found in Part III of this catalog, " College Proficiency Examinations and Regents External Degree Examinations." Those enrolled ina Regents External Degree Program who have completed an examina-tion(s) and want it evaluated for satisfying Regents External Degreerequirements, should request the College Proficiency Examination Program to forward an official transcript to the Regents External DegreeProgram.

New York College Proficiency Examination ProgramNew York State Education Department99 Washington AvenueAlbany, New York 12210Regents EXternal Degree ExaminationsRegents External Degree Examinations are offered in the fields ofbusiness, nursing, and modern foreign languages. Regents ExternalDegree Examinations are based on college-level knowledge and aredeveloped by outstanding faculty members of colleges and universitiesin New York State and New Jersey. Each Regents External DegreeExamination corresponds to a particular stage in a candidate's academicpreparation, and not necessarily to the subject matter of a specific coursein a college curriculum. Regents External Degree Examinations areprimarily designed to satisfy Regents External Dcgree requirements butthey may also be used for regular college credit. (It is not necessary to beenrolled in a Regents External Degree Program to take a Regents ExternalDegree Examination.) The degree requirements and methods of satisfy-ing degree requirements, provided later in Part I, should be consultedto identify available examinations as well as the amount of creditawarded. Fee information is provided under Costs," also later in thissection. Regents External Degree Examinations are graded by standardscore or pass/fail. Descriptions of Regents External Degree Examinations are provided in Part IV of the catalog. Information on applications,fees, study aids, and other administrative matters may be found in PartIII of this catalog, College Proficiency Examinations and Regents Ex-ternal Examinations." Those enrolled in the Regents External DegreeProgram who wish to have their examination results evaluated for satisfying degree requirements should have an official transcript forwarded tothe Regents External Degree registrar. Examination applications andtranscript request forms may be obtained from the Regents ExternalDegree office.Regents External Degree ProgramThe University of the State of New York99 Washington AvenueAlbany, New York 12210* The Regents External Degree Program administers and scores the Modern Language Association's Foreign Language Proficiency Tests for Teachers and AdvancedStudents. Examinations are offered in French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.[12]

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a testing programof the College Entrance Examination Board. CLEP tests are offeredacross the Nation and at military installations around the world, CLEPoffers two types of examinations: the General Examinations and SubjectExaminations.General Examinations, The CLEP General Examinations provide acomprehensive measure of achievement in five basic areas of liberal arts,Each examination assesses the extent to which the examinee has masteredgeneral knowledge in the area.Credit may be earned toward the associate in arts degree program andthe general education component of the business and nursing degreeprograms by successfully completing any or all of the General Examinations. The examination title, minimum acceptable scores, and the numberof semester hours allowed for each of the available examinations arelisted below.COLLEGE-LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM(GENERAL EXAMINATIONS)Examination TitleEnglishHumanitiesMathematicsNatural SciencesSocial Sciences-HistoryMinimum AcceptableTotal Score427422424 4

Degree Programs. 23. The Associate in Arts Regents External Degree. 23. Degree Requirements. 23. Methods of Satisfying Degree Requirements. 25. Approved Examinations for Fulfilling the Associate in Arts Regents External Degree Requirements. 29. Medical Laboratory