Editor’s Note: This article first appeared as part of the July 26 flipbook.

Despite completing her associate’s degree in high school, Myrakle Jenkins, health and society senior, had to take a class last semester that had nothing to do with her major to receive her degree’s requisite global cultures flag.

Jenkins was surprised to learn from her advisor that she had to take a course relating to global cultures even though she took Advanced Placement World History in high school — which taught all about different cultures and their historical value — and, moreover, earned college credit for the course by passing the corresponding AP exam. Luckily for Jenkins, she could afford to spontaneously pick up another class to satisfy the flag requirement. However, many students at UT do not have that same luxury.

“I wish (UT) would have heard me out as a student and not just another cash check. UT and the higher education system in general is very finance based,” Jenkins said. “At the end of the day, I chose to go to community college because I knew it would put me at a better standing point when I came to UT.” 

Jenkins’ story is a great example of why the School of Undergraduate Studies should expand the eligible courses a student can take to receive a transfer flag credit — specifically making sure AP courses and dual-credit courses, which students take in high school for college credit, can result in a transfer flag credit.

Currently, the School of Undergraduate Studies deems the following courses to be ineligible for flag credit transfer: dual credit courses, courses taken after enrollment in UT and credit-by-exam courses, such as AP courses. This doesn’t make sense considering students can still petition for these same courses to fulfill core curriculum requirements, just not flag requirements. 

According to Laura Brooke Rich, curriculum specialist for the School of Undergraduate Studies, UT is one of the only colleges that requires flags for graduation. This requirement was instituted by the Commission of 125, who implemented it to distinguish a UT degree from any other college’s degree. Although the general classes students take for their degree’s core requirements can sometimes carry a flag credit, flagged courses are usually more specific and targeted toward a certain subject matter. 

Rich says the requirements for flags are strict because flags are an important part of a UT degree. 

“We have this policy because we want students to take the flag areas in residence, because they are so important to a UT degree,” Rich said. “All six of these areas are part of a degree that we want any UT student to have.” 

However, these requirements discount the value of learning done outside of the University. Many students have worked hard and taken many higher level classes in order to get admitted into UT. To say that a student’s previous learning should not be counted toward their degree requirements because it is not from UT is elitist. 

“I actually felt like I learned more … in AP courses because the classes were smaller and the teachers had better communication with the students,” Jenkins said. 

Learning comes in many different forms. Some students go to community college, some take dual credit, etc. There are many alternative ways to attend UT besides the classic route of coming in with no college-credit classes immediately after high school. 

Students should not have to take unnecessary and redundant courses when they have already taken classes elsewhere that meet the flag requirements. The School of Undergraduate Studies should expand its eligibility for flag credits and let students petition more courses for transfer flag credits, such as AP courses, dual credit courses and college classes taken after enrollment at UT.

DuBois is a public relations and sociology sophomore from Killeen, Texas.