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Prior Learning Assessment

Content of Presentation ♦ Introduction to Prior Learning Assessment  Developing a Portfolio  Tips & Hints  Submission  Evaluation Process  Awards & Applying Credits

What is Prior Learning Assessment? • A process whereby college credit is awarded for knowledge and skills students have gained through employment, training and/or life experiences. • Learning must be demonstrated through a portfolio with written self-assessments and documentation.

PLA HISTORY AT CMU • CMU began offering PL credit in the 1970s for military personnel. • Over 10,000 portfolios have been submitted and evaluated. • CMU uses a competency model, not a course- challenge model.

Prior Learning Philosophy • College-level learning can occur in many settings: work, training and/or life experiences. • Students write an assessment of what they have learned and how they have applied it in the workplace or in life. • The learning must merit college-level undergraduate or graduate credit.

Eligibility • Undergraduate : Experiences from date of high school graduation to date on which the portfolio is notarized. • Graduate : Experiences from date of undergraduate degree to the date on which the portfolio is notarized but no more than the previous seven years.

Portfolio Sections • Tabs I and II : General Information, transcripts, and transfer credit evaluation (TCE) • Tab III : Table of Contents • Tab IV : Work Experience (if requesting credit) • Tab V : Training Experience (if requesting credit) • Tab VI : Life Experiences (if requesting credit) • Tab VII : Signature Block (notarization required) • Portfolio Checklist

Developing a Portfolio • IMPORTANT!! Meet with an academic advisor to discuss potential use of prior-learning credits towards a specific degree plan before you start your portfolio. • Download and READ the Prior Learning Student Handbook and forms from the web site: https://www.cmich.edu/global/prior-learning/ • Read the Student Handbook • Review the online briefing session (as needed).

• View the sample portfolio for examples of satisfactory self- assessments. • Think about the various types of knowledge and skills you gained through work, training, or life experiences. • Consider the type of credits you want/need, and emphasize the aspects of the experiences that correspond with those credits. • Don’t wait until the last minute to start the process.

• The potential number of credits you could earn for each work training, or life experiences is based on the duration of the experiences (years, months). • The actual number of credits you could earn for each experience depends on both the duration and the quality of your self-assessment. • Depth and quality of the self-assessment are important. An exhaustive list of every small area of increased knowledge and skill is not necessary.

Assembling the Portfolio • Use only three-ring binders (no folders). You will need 2 binders. You submit 1 and keep 1. • Use tabbed dividers between: - each major section (Section I, II, III, etc.) - each experience Tab (e.g., IV-1, IV-2, V-1, V-2, etc.). • DO NOT use plastic page protectors.

Organizing the Contents • Use the required forms for Section I, II, and VII for each Tab in Section IV, V and VI (see the Prior Learning web site). • In each experience section (i.e., IV, V and VI), start with most recent experience and work your way backwards (reverse chronological order). • Use a separate form for each work, training, and life experience section (e.g., IV-1, IV-2, etc. V-1, V-2 etc. VI-1, VI-2, etc.)

Self-Assessment • We do not award credit for experiences submitted without a self-assessment. (One exception: Courses from a regionally- accredited school that did not transfer to CMU - We need a transcript but no self-assessment.) • Your self-assessment must: - reflect college-level learning - use Standard Written English - provide adequate details and examples, i.e., show an analysis and synthesis of what you learned and how you applied it. - be supported by the adequate documentation.

The Quality of Your Self-Assessment: Our Expectations • Don’t focus on what you did; focus on what you learned and how you applied it. Examples and details are important! Poor self-assessment : “I was a landscaper. I planted trees.” Good self-assessment : “As a landscaper, I developed the ability to analyze soil moisture content and select appropriate plants for the environment. For example, ……” And so on.

Tab I: General Information • Be sure the name on your portfolio is the same as it appears on your CMU transcript. • Include your student CMU ID number. • Do NOT include your social security number in any documents.

Tab II: Education Background • Complete the education form (undergraduate or graduate). Be sure to: - indicate the degree or certificate you are pursuing. - indicate the date of your high school graduation (undergraduate students) or bachelor’s degree (graduate students). • Include a transcript for all college course work (CMU and other institutions; unofficial copy is OK). • Include a copy of your CMU Transfer Credit Evaluation (TCE) form if applicable.

Tab III: Table of Contents • VERY IMPORTANT !! - TOC is the basis for organizing materials. - TOC provides and overview of contents. • Identify ALL tabs: - List most recent (current) experience first. - List different positions with the same employer as separate experiences. - List ALL documents included in each tab.

IV-Tabs: Work Experiences • Create a separate IV tab for each position held, even when working for the same employer. • Organize tabs within the IV section in reverse chronological order; list the current/most recent position as Tab IV-1. • Include a Work Experience form for each work experience you submit, and include the following information: – Dates of employment (month & year, e.g., 10/94 to 6/99) – Exact title of position (and rank if applicable) – Full time/Part Time: #hours/week: ____ – Name of Employer (firm, organization, etc.) and address including zip code. – Contact Address of Supervisor (if different than company address)

IV-Tabs: Work Experiences • If jobs overlap, be sure to identify the hours/times for each position separately. • Typically, most credits awarded come from work experiences, so spend sufficient time developing the self-assessment for these tabs. And be sure to focus on what you learned , not what you did.

Instructions for the IV-Tabs Worksheet • Complete a worksheet for each position you have held. • List key job responsibilities. • List knowledge and skills you acquired while doing this job • List possible competency titles for the knowledge and skills you acquired (one competency title for every 3 credits for which you are eligible). • List forms of documentation you can provide that will support your claims about your work experience. • Convert your list of knowledge and skills into a 750-1,000 word assessment of what you learned and how you applied it on the job.

Documentation for IV Tabs • Possible sources for verification of employment include HR records, letter from supervisor, pay stubs, W-2 form, and/or performance evaluations. • Supervisor’s letter should verify dates of employment and the accuracy of the self assessment; it does not have to be a letter of recommendation. This form is actually a verification of the dates of employment.

Documentation for IV Tabs, continued • Copy documents relevant to more than one experience (work or training); highlight information and insert the copy into the relevant IV tab. For example, if you have one letter from an employer verifying three positions held, include a copy of the letter with each of the three IV tabs. • List documents in the Table of Contents only after you have acquired, organized, and placed them in the correct section(s) of the portfolio. • Cross-check all dates for accuracy. If dates in your documentation do not match the dates in your Table of Contents or on the IV-Tab forms, then, depending on the seriousness of the discrepancy, you might not receive any credits for that Tab or your portfolio might be returned.

V-Tabs: Training Experiences • Include required training, workshops, and/or courses attended that gave you new skills or knowledge beyond those directly associated with your job. • Submit each training as a separate V Tab, but don’t waste time including V-Tabs for short trainings (see chart). • You may include course(s) from an accredited or non- accredited institution that did not transfer to CMU (include TCE form to verify denial of transfer credit). - V-tabs for courses from a non-accredited institution must include a full self-assessment. - No self-assessment is necessary if the course was taken at a regionally- accredited school.

V-Tabs: Training Experiences, continued • Use the worksheet to inventory your knowledge and skills, then convert the lists/statements into well-developed paragraphs for your assessment. • Details in the self-assessment should correspond to the length of the time for the training.