Recognition of Prior Learning
To seek college credit for experiential learning, the student must first apply to the Office of the Vice President for Instructional Services for permission to attempt alternative means of instruction. If permission is granted, the Department Chair will appoint an instructor to supervise the assembly of an experiential portfolio by the student, or to administer a departmental examination.
The portfolio must contain evidence of scholarship or work experience, which involved the mastery of the expected learning outcomes of the course for which credit is applied.
In each case, the portfolio will be an individually assembled body of evidence, which supports the claims of course learning mastery. When completed, a committee in the specific discipline will review the portfolio; and, if the portfolio is accepted, the appropriate credits will be granted. Students who wish to avail themselves of this program should contact the Vice President for Instructional Services. There is a pre-credit evaluation fee for each portfolio evaluated. The fee is the equivalent cost of one (1) semester hour. Departmental examination credit is awarded at the discretion of the department chairperson in concurrence with the Vice President for Instructional Services. The student must contact the appropriate department chairperson who, after interview and upon approval, will appoint a member of the department faculty to conduct an examination in the course for which credit is requested. The fees for these examinations are based on a per credit charge for each course requested. The College, through written examination or portfolio evaluation, will determine if a student has sufficient knowledge to be granted credit for one or more classes. Students wishing to gain credit in this manner will be asked to document prior learning. In no case will more than 25% of the credit of a designated program be awarded for experiential learning. The college reserves the sole right to determine experiential learning applicability to LSCC courses.
Awarding Credit through Prior Learning Assessment
1. Credit for prior learning may be awarded only after an assessment of prior learning experiences and only for documented learning that demonstrates achievement of all terminal objectives for a specific course or courses.
2. Course credits earned through prior learning shall be noted on the student’s transcript as having been awarded through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).
3. Credit for academic transfer courses awarded through PLA may only be awarded by examination or nationally recognized guidelines (AP, CLEP, ACT/PEP, DANTES, Challenge Exams, ACE PONSI / CREDIT, ACE / MILITARY). Credit for experiential learning (portfolio review) may not be awarded for academic transfer courses.
4. In the process of determining if credit can be awarded for prior learning, colleges shall charge students only for the cost of the PLA services and not for the amount of credit awarded.
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