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[theodosia]

A colleague of mine received an associate's degree from a community college before going on to a 4-year college and earning a B.A.

However, their CV only lists the B.A.; it omits the associate's degree altogether.  To me, this implies that the colleague spent all four years at the B.A.-granting institution when, in reality, they transfered in from a 2-year college and thus only spent a couple of years there. 

Now I know that we all omit some older, no longer relevant info from our CV's as we progress through our careers (after all, how many Ph.D.'s still list their high school diploma under Education?).  But, is this going too far?  Or, alternatively, am I making something out of nothing?

[frogfactory]

You can leave whatever you like out of your CV, as long as you're prepared to explain gaps, surely?  Your colleague was awarded a degree by the 4 year college, certifying that their standards were met, which is really all that matters.  At this stage in their career, if their prospective employer really care about the nitty gritty of where what course credit came from, they could always ask for transcripts.

[cgfunmathguy]

It really depends on the situation. For example, my undergrad institution has two-year branches around the state. Technically, that means my best friend from college went to a two-year school for the first two and to the state flagship we attended for the last two (three in his/her case). However, the protocol has been that all that is listed on a resume or CV is "Large State Flagship, 19xx-19xx, Bachelor of Science, Basketweaving." No one cares about the two-year-branch portion of that.

However, if said person went to local CC and then went to Pretentious LAC, that might be different, especially when HR tries to run background checks.

On preview: FF hit it on the nose about being prepared to explain gaps.

[theodosia]

However, if said person went to local CC and then went to Pretentious LAC, that might be different, especially when HR tries to run background checks.

Yes, that is exactly what we are talking about. 

My colleague attended a local CC where they earned a GED then Associates degree.  Afterward, they attended a rather prestigous 4-year school.  Omitting the CC implies to me that they were accepted into the prestigious 4-year school straight away, which is not what happened.  Their path was not linear and this omission, to me, misrepresents their academic credentials or educational "pedigree."  (Sorry to use that term, but I am at a campus that is trying to raise its rep and so it has become very interested of late with where the faculty earned their degress:  both grad and undergrad.  For current searches, in fact, committees are strongly urged to use the poor job market as an opp to hire those from the ivy league and only the ivy league.)

[locutus]

I would say this is fine. I think it implies the person has a degree from that institution. Which is true. I don't think how they got to that point matters.

Are we more concerned with pedigree or credentials?

[spyzowin]

The institution of record is the only one that matters. If you went to community college, transferred to a state college, transferred again to another state college, then finally transferred to Yale, if Yale awards your BA, then that's what you put on your CV.  BA, Yale.

[onion]

However, if said person went to local CC and then went to Pretentious LAC, that might be different, especially when HR tries to run background checks.

Yes, that is exactly what we are talking about. 

My colleague attended a local CC where they earned a GED then Associates degree.  Afterward, they attended a rather prestigous 4-year school.  Omitting the CC implies to me that they were accepted into the prestigious 4-year school straight away, which is not what happened.  Their path was not linear and this omission, to me, misrepresents their academic credentials or educational "pedigree."  (Sorry to use that term, but I am at a campus that is trying to raise its rep and so it has become very interested of late with where the faculty earned their degress:  both grad and undergrad.  For current searches, in fact, committees are strongly urged to use the poor job market as an opp to hire those from the ivy league and only the ivy league.)

The person's transcript from their BA will show the transfer credits from the CC, for anyone who really cares.

I'm sort of wondering why you care that they did not follow a "linear" path to the BA?

[katherineparr]

I agree with Amnirov.

But I'm posting to ask: let's say you decide it's dishonest. What are you going to do?

[spyzowin]

However, if said person went to local CC and then went to Pretentious LAC, that might be different, especially when HR tries to run background checks.

Yes, that is exactly what we are talking about. 

My colleague attended a local CC where they earned a GED then Associates degree.  Afterward, they attended a rather prestigous 4-year school.  Omitting the CC implies to me that they were accepted into the prestigious 4-year school straight away, which is not what happened.  Their path was not linear and this omission, to me, misrepresents their academic credentials or educational "pedigree."  (Sorry to use that term, but I am at a campus that is trying to raise its rep and so it has become very interested of late with where the faculty earned their degress:  both grad and undergrad.  For current searches, in fact, committees are strongly urged to use the poor job market as an opp to hire those from the ivy league and only the ivy league.)

I am soooooooo glad I don't work with you. I don't think I like you very much.

[mended_drum]

I don't think it's dishonest.  I think that, unless the individual is applying for jobs at a cc, including the two-year degree would just clutter up the cv.

[mystictechgal]

My husband listed both his AA and his BA, but that's because they were in two different areas (Computer Science and Business) so it was advantageous for him to do so.  If he had earned his BA as an extension of what he earned his AA in I can't think why he would necessarily have listed more than the BA.  

How is the situation you describe any different, say, than a student who attended locally unranked university for a couple of years, moved for whatever reason to a larger metropolitan area and transferred to, and graduated from, the locally  university there?  Should he have to disclose his first 2 years of education at the outranked school in that case?  If you think that's different, why?  Just because no degree was conferred by the first school he attended?

As frogfactory said, his degree was granted by the institute in which he earned his degree.  That means that not only did he meet their standards for a degree, but that they either transferred any credits he earned at the CC, accepting them as the equivalent of their own, similar, courses, or he retook the classes at the uni that granted the BA.

An awful lot of students these days are taking their gen ed credits at a local CC prior to transferring for cost reasons.  Are you really suggesting that they are somehow less credentialed, or that their degree is somehow tainted, for having done that?  I don't get it.

[imawakenow]

Here are two related threads:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,62015.0.html

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,63572.0.html

I'm usually in disagreement with amnirov, but this time I completely agree. OP: You seem petty and spiteful in your second post.

If this is a tenure issue, surely your colleague's case should rise and fall on the quality of publications, teaching and service and not whether he or she took a nonlinear path to an undergraduate degree at prestigious SLAC.

[kedves]

I would be more impressed by someone who started at a CC with the GED and finished the degree at a prestigious university than someone who followed the conventional route at that prestigious university.   

So, are you going to tell on your colleague?

[larryc]

I think it is just fine--and in fact I do the same thing! It is not a matter of covering up anything, when I was on the job market I highlighted my experience as a CC grad in my application letter.

[canadatourismguy]

I sense a 'good-bye cruel fora' message coming soon...