Managing Credit Transfer from TAFE to University: The Case for Cross-sectoral Collaboration

Federal and state governments in Australia are committed to improving the opportunities for vocational award holders to make a successful transition to higher education. However the outcomes of many students granted entry to university on the basis of a vocational award are generally worse than students admitted on the basis of a Year 12 qualification. With weakening domestic demand for university places, unstructured or overgenerous credit transfer may compound the difficulties faced by articulating students. This research explores the structures for admission of students to the University of Canberra (UC) on the basis of a vocational award completed at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). Under a long-standing articulation agreement between the two institutions, over 170 articulation pathways have been created to enable holders of a CIT Diploma or Advanced Diploma to enter UC Degree courses, and the way in which credit is granted can vary between courses. The authors examine three models for determining the credit granted for completed TAFE awards. The management of each model and the learning outcomes of articulating students under each model are analysed and compared. From their analysis of the students’ experiences under each of the three models, the authors suggest that student transition from TAFE to university is most effective when credit transfer arrangements are characterised by high levels of collaboration at the course delivery level. The authors explore the nature of effective cross-sectoral collaboration and identify the ways in which institutions can support collaboration to enhance opportunities for articulating students. The extent to which the outcomes of this study can be generalised to other institutions is discussed.