3.3.7 Advanced Standing/Experiential Learning

Policy

Alexandria Technical and Community College awards credit for prior learning based on Minnesota State policy and procedure 3.35 http://www.minnstate.edu/board/policy/335.html.

Procedure for Portfolio Review or Competence Demonstration for Experiential Learning

Alexandria Technical and Community College (ATCC) is committed to recognizing the educational importance of learning accomplished outside traditional academic settings. Work, hobbies, leisure time activities, civic participation and personal study are examples of areas in which learning can take place.

The preparation of a competency demonstration for credit can be a significant educational experience. The work of organizing evidence and interpreting past learning will often be much more than a review of what the student accomplished in previous years. The student may be discovering how this learning has been integrated into his/her subsequent life and work and, in the process, form a new perspective on his/her experience and discover new relationships between prior, present and projected learning.

In additions to writing a paper that describes the learning, additional documentation may include:

  • certificates earned,
  • brochures from conferences or workshops,
  • detailed description of a former project and/or
  • research papers written.

The completed competency demonstration for which credit has been granted will become the property of the College. If the student wishes to keep the originals, he/she should place copies of certificates, letters, clippings, etc. in his/her portfolio.

The following are criteria for granting credit by portfolio review or competence demonstration.

  • It is college level.
  • The learning is current (within five years for technical courses).
  • It includes both a theoretical and a practical understanding of the subject matter.
  • It relates to the student's program of study, academic requirements and educational goals.
  • It has general applicability outside the specific situation in which it was acquired.
  • It is publicly verifiable and documentation is provided.

The fee for earning credits through the credit by exam process is $40 per credit. If the request for portfolio review or competence demonstration is approved, a CR is recorded on the transcript; however, no notation is recorded on the transcript if the request is not approved. The student's GPA is not impacted in either situation but credit is awarded for a CR.

Approved by: ATCC Leadership Council
Effective Date: 8/16/12
Last Date Revised: 8/13/12