Almost finished with TESC

[mcooksey]

Hi,

I am working on my BA in Social Sciences from TESC. I thought that I was completely finished, so I sent an email to the advisement office just to make sure that the transcripts coming would fulfill the remaining requirements. The only issue, though, was that in one part of the degree, I have to have at least 18 credits that are 300/400 level. I thought that I had 18, but apparently the Foundations of Gerontology ECE is counted as upper level at TESC, but not as 300/400 level. This is because TESC counts upper level as 200 or above, and the ECE test is a 216. This was really frustrating to find out, especially because I had called them and asked for a list of upper-level ECE's, never suspecting that they defined upper level as 200 or above.

Should I bother with appealing on the grounds that I was told the test was upper level and that their policy -- requiring 300/400 level credits for this degree and setting the requirement for upper level at 200 -- is ambiguous?

Does anyone know of a quick upper-level SS test that's not a DANTES? (I've already taken all of those)

[mhr2133]

Here's my list of 300/400 levels I used to complete that requirement for social science BA:

ECE Research Methods of psych Psych 322
ECE Abnormal Psych Psych 350
ECE Adulthood Aging Psych 319
ECE Social Psych 370
ECE World Population SOC 318
DSST Organizal Beh Psych 361
DSST Intro Counseling Psych 301

Of all of these, World Population was easiest, IC cards cover it, just download global pop datasheets and china pop datasheet from prb.org, also know the vocab at the back of the pop datasheets. I studied for 3 days and got an A. (only drawback was the 240.00 price)
Good Luck,
Jodie

[JBjunior]

Hi,

I am working on my BA in Social Sciences from TESC. I thought that I was completely finished, so I sent an email to the advisement office just to make sure that the transcripts coming would fulfill the remaining requirements. The only issue, though, was that in one part of the degree, I have to have at least 18 credits that are 300/400 level. I thought that I had 18, but apparently the Foundations of Gerontology ECE is counted as upper level at TESC, but not as 300/400 level. This is because TESC counts upper level as 200 or above, and the ECE test is a 216. This was really frustrating to find out, especially because I had called them and asked for a list of upper-level ECE's, never suspecting that they defined upper level as 200 or above.

Should I bother with appealing on the grounds that I was told the test was upper level and that their policy -- requiring 300/400 level credits for this degree and setting the requirement for upper level at 200 -- is ambiguous?

Does anyone know of a quick upper-level SS test that's not a DANTES? (I've already taken all of those)

You can appeal anything but I don't see them budging much. I have been a student at TESC since Jun of 08 but just transferred over to a degree program requiring the 300/400 level courses and was hoping that since I was a student prior to that requirement that I wouldn't have to do it but of course I had to. Finishing up my last 3 classes with them right now, 12 credits at once, GEC is a 6 credit and they are all 300+ classes. I have one more CLEP, might go for two to finish up my last 3 credits and I am done as well. Should be done this month.

[Lindagerr]

Someone like me who was lucky enough to lock into their degree plan before the change can still count anything 200 or above as upper level.

To check what course equivalent TESC gives for exams check this link.
Undergraduate Ways to Earn Credit - Thomas Edison State College - acalog ACMSâ„¢

Any of these DSST or TECEP's might fit
Social Sciences
ECO-332-DE Money and Banking (3)** 48
HIS-309-DE An Introduction to the Modern Middle East (3) 47
HIS-351-DE A History of the Vietnam War (3) 44
HIS-386-DE Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union (3) 45
PSY-361-DE Organizational Behavior (3)** 48
SOS-305-DE Substance Abuse (3) 400
Thanatology: An Understanding of Death and Dying
PSY-300-TE
Research in Experimental Psychology PSY-322-TE
Behavior Modification Techniques in Counseling
PSY-339-TE
Abnormal Psychology PSY-350-TE
Psychology of Personality PSY-352-TE
Organizational Behavior* PSY-361-TE

[Mechanix26]

FOG is 300 level credit at ECE (SOCX*310). The fact that Excelsior would not consider 200 level anything as upper level supports this. I think TESC is wrong, and I would definitely appeal it.

[Lindagerr]

If Excelsior awards 300 level for this exam I would appeal on that basis. I am taking the excelsior Introduction to Literacy Instruction exam and it is on my Evaluation as a 100 level course, I called TESC to say Excelsior recommends it as a 300 level course and I was told I should send a copy of Excelsiors course discription with an appeal letter and it might be changed. I have not done that yet, because I have been busy with study and work. If I were you I would do that what do you have to lose. I just don't remember who they said to send it to.:willynilly:

[cookderosa]

If Excelsior awards 300 level for this exam I would appeal on that basis. I am taking the excelsior Introduction to Literacy Instruction exam and it is on my Evaluation as a 100 level course, I called TESC to say Excelsior recommends it as a 300 level course and I was told I should send a copy of Excelsiors course description with an appeal letter and it might be changed. I have not done that yet, because I have been busy with study and work. If I were you I would do that what do you have to lose. I just don't remember who they said to send it to.:willingly:

>>

I had a course that I took locally as SOC 200something, and when TESC got ahold of it, they put on my TESC transcript as SOC199. Nice That class was a total waste of my money. My fault for not checking first.

Anyway, the reason you were told that was upper level is because any adviser who has worked at TESC more than a year was trained that = > 200 is upper level which MET the degree requirement. IT USED TO BE true. As Linda said, and in my case too, my major is full of 200 level courses. The 4 degree programs changed (Social Science, Math/Science, Humanities, and Liberal Arts) which now all require 300/400 level credits.

It's possible that they all still call 200 level classes "upper level" but that doesn't mean it meets a degree requirement.

You are going to spin your wheels with TESC. They are a huge rock standing in your way. You can spend the next several months trying to work this out via email or you can study for a test- pass it and move on. Based on my experience with TESC, the less stressful path (and faster) will be to choose an other test. Go around the rock and graduate.

Why don't I think you should fight? Because they are actually right. The fact that someone earlier used to words "upper level" and you misunderstood that to mean 300/400 level is really just a misunderstanding. They were not wrong, you were not wrong- you guys were just talking about 2 different things.

Now, for whatever test you do decide to use, email TESC FIRST and have them plan in the exam. Once they do this, it will be in your transcript- you can open it up and look. Be sure nothing got shifted around too badly, and THEN pay for the exam and take it. I would caution you against doing it in any other order.

P.S. Congratulations on your degree