Acadeum CIC Online Course Sharing Consortium

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Acadeum CIC Online Course Sharing Consortium

Course Enrollment

Bryn Athyn College is a member of the Acadeum Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Online Course Sharing Consortium, a network of accredited colleges and universities that share online offerings, to provide Bryn Athyn College students with access to additional, flexible online course options. Summer courses offered through the consortium have been pre-approved by Bryn Athyn College. Course credits earned through the consortium will show up on students’ Bryn Athyn College transcript after successful completion of the consortium course. 

Please note that the consortium offerings add to your transfer options, and do not prevent you from taking courses elsewhere and transferring them in. If you are considering transfer courses, please seek the opportunities with the course offerings and prices that are best for you. For transfer policies in general, please see the Student Handbook, Transfer Credit section.

Talk with the registrar (registrar@brynathyn.edu) or your advisor if you have an interest in taking a course in the consortium or are planning to pursue other transfer courses over the summer. 

 

How do courses in the consortium work?

All courses in the consortium are online courses and they are mostly asynchronous. All of the courses that Bryn Athyn College has approved for the summer start after spring term ends and complete before fall term begins. 

Students request to take particular courses in the consortium, and, if the student is approved, the Registrar enrolls the student in the course.

Courses in the consortium are treated just like other transfer courses: a grade of C- or better is required to earn the credits for successfully completed courses, but the grade is not transferred in and does not change the student’s Bryn Athyn GPA.

One difference between courses in the consortium and other transfer courses is that the credit is transferred in automatically. There is no need to complete transfer paperwork at the completion of the course, and all the courses have been pre-approved for transfer.

Students can take up to 12 credits through the consortium during their college career. Courses taken through the consortium count toward the total limit on transfer credit.

 

How much do courses in the consortium cost and how does billing work?

The cost per credit for consortium courses is $486 for the summer of 2021. This means a three-credit course costs $1458.

Billing occurs through the bursar’s office at Bryn Athyn College. 

 

How do I request to take courses in the consortium?

To see the types of courses offered, you can review a former 2021 consortium courses list. You will see not only the course information, but also the start and end dates. If there is a course you would like to take this summer, you can enroll in a course.

A number of courses do not have equivalents in the regular academic year curriculum at Bryn Athyn College. These courses can be taken to expand areas of study and explore interests outside of the regular academic year curriculum.

Some courses do have equivalents in the regular academic year curriculum. These courses with equivalents in the regular academic year can only be taken in the consortium if you cannot reasonably take the course in the regular academic year, or if you have already attempted the course and have not passed. In other words, BAC courses are always the first choice. If you can schedule and take a course in the regular academic year at BAC, the equivalent should not be taken in the consortium.​

After reviewing the request and verifying the rationale, the Registrar will enroll you in the class. 

This consortium is recommended for students in scenarios such as the following:​

Scenario 1: A student hoping to graduate at end of the coming year needs 3-6 credits beyond their full-time registration to reach 124.​
Recommendation: Take 3-6 elective credits in the consortium (or via transfer).​

Scenario 2: A student is in jeopardy of losing federal funding because they have not passed 2/3 of their attempted credits (a requirement for Satisfactory Academic Progress SAP).​
Recommendation: Investigate if completing credits through the consortium will remedy the situation. The student should discuss with their academic advisor, financial aid officer, and Registrar to verify.​

Scenario 3: A student is averaging below 31 credits a year and needs more credits to stay on track for completion in four years.​
Recommendation: Take 3-6 credits in the consortium (or via transfer). Students should consult their advisors to select courses.​

Scenario 4: A student failed a course, and this puts the student behind.​
Recommendation: Investigate if an equivalent course in the consortium could be used to make up credits and/or fulfill the requirement. NOTE: Courses taken in the consortium do not affect the GPA at BAC.​

How do I withdraw from a course in the consortium?

If you wish to drop or withdraw from a CIC course, please email the Registrar at registrar@brynathyn.edu. Tuition charges are determined in accordance with the Teaching Institution’s withdrawal policies and timelines.

If a student withdraws from a CIC consortium course, the teaching institution will send a “W” to Bryn Athyn to be recorded on the student’s Bryn Athyn transcript.