The PLA Advisor: Negotiation Skills Required!

1. The PLA Advisor: Negotiation Skills Required! Prof. Janice Karlen and Prof. Susan Sanchirico CUNY – LaGuardia Community College

2. About CUNY

3. Policy and CUNY • General Education • Senior college vs. Community college • Articulation • Specific programs at specific schools • PLA Credit • Credit varies by program/by college • Veterans Credit

4. Current CUNY PLA initiatives • CUNY – CAEL Grant (Ford Foundation) • Bronx Community College / Lehman College • LaGuardia Community College / York College • CUNY – wide PLA • The Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies • CUNY BA • City College • York College • LaGuardia Community College

5. About LaGuardia • Founded as a Co-op college, experiential learning had been at the core of the academic offerings. While program requirements have changed, the foundation of experiential learning is acknowledged and provides a framework for all forms of PLA –workplace learning, portfolios, internship credit, military experience, etc. • The PLA program operates under the auspices of the Office of Academic Affairs. The faculty members who are involved have been designated as “coordinators.”

6. LaGuardia PLA Policy • Exemption Credit for credit courses offered at LaGuardia = course match • Granted on basis of an examination or project equivalent to final course requirement • Equivalencies are determined by the faculty of the appropriate department • Approved by the chairperson • To receive credit by exemption, the student applies to the appropriate chairperson or designee. • The maximum number of exemption credits towards a LaGuardia degree is 10 • These 10 exemption credits may be applied toward LaGuardia’s 30-credit residency requirement • The maximum number of exemption credits towards a LaGuardia certificate is 6 • Note: Exemption credits are awarded to degree students only

7. PLA at LaGuardia • National Standardized Tests and Challenge Examinations • Portfolio Evaluation (including ePortfolio) • Foreign Language Placement Exams • Register and pass third level course and receive 6 credits for first and second level language courses • Military Transcripts: AARTS, SMART, Community College of the Air For • DD214 – Honorable Discharge = elective credits • Published Guides (such as the American Council on Education CREDIT program and the Program for Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction [PONSI])

8. The Evaluation and Approval Process • Review materials – certificates of completion, military transcripts, corporate training, etc., and determine who would be the appropriate faculty member for portfolio assessment. • As a course match institution, any PLA must line up with instructional and performance objectives of existing courses - do not grant partial or blanket credit. • For courses within our own departments, we can prepare the paperwork for credit that will be signed by the chairperson. If the course is for another department, we facilitate the process with the chairperson. Military service credit we take directly to the Registrar’s Office for processing.

9. The Evaluation and Approval Process • Military transcripts and the online database are utilized to match training to courses at the college. If training/courses do not carry the exact same name or credit hours, the Admissions Office will not process it and students are referred to meet with one of the Credit for Prior Learning coordinators. • While the option for portfolio review is available, few students consider this option. Many do not have the experience necessary to document the learning or the writing skills required to complete narratives. As there are limited electives available in community college degrees, their options are often limited.

10. Negotiating • Within CUNY • Differing institutional models • Differing levels of commitment • Within LaGuardia • The ePortfolio course • The Business example • The Math Example • The Science Example

11. PLA Advisors • As educators • As mentors • As champions • As negotiators

12. PLA Advisors • As educators • Administration at the college has supported the PLA effort. The coordinators have met with various departments, chairpersons, committees (Academic Standing), and the Senate to provide an overview of PLA. • With the knowledge that the program follows the CAEL standards and credit review is based on college-level learning and is course match, there has been agreement that the program is viable and beneficial for students.

13. PLA Advisors • As mentors • Support the learner to identify what was learned • Conduct formal or informal pre-screening for candidates who can demonstrate college level learning • Assist in the process of determining the learning that has resulted from experience • Assist learner to match prior learning to academic program and personal goals

14. PLA Advisors • As champions • Assist learner with resources (samples, guides) • Assist learner with strategies to demonstrate balance of theory and application • Assist learner to prepare demonstration of the learning and experience • Encourage/support learner to continue in the process

15. PLA Advisors • As negotiators • Facilitate process with faculty content experts who are trained in the assessment practices • Assist with the determination of the level of competency achieved and the credit equivalency as needed • Provide supporting documentation and information regarding past practice to assist in credit determination • Reinforce the concept of PLA = college level learning

16. PLA and CUNY • Looking into the crystal ball…..

17. Thank you! For further information: www.lagcc.cuny.edu/cpl cpl@lagcc.cuny.edu