Transcript The PLA Advisor: negotiation skills required

Prof. Janice Karlen
and
Prof. Susan Sanchirico
CUNY – LaGuardia Community College
About CUNY

SENIOR and GRADUATE
COLLEGES
Baruch College
Brooklyn College
The City College of New York
College of Staten Island
CUNY Baccalaureate Degree
CUNY Online Baccalaureate
Degree
Hunter College
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Lehman College
Medgar Evers College
New York City College of
Technology
Queens College
York College
HONORS and PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
CUNY Graduate Center
CUNY Graduate School of
Journalism
CUNY School of Law
CUNY School of Professional
Studies
CUNY School of Public Health
Macaulay Honors College
Borough of Manhattan
Community College
Bronx Community College
Kingsborough Community
College
LaGuardia Community
College
Queensborough Community
College
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
Current CUNY PLA initiatives
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 CUNY – CAEL Grant (Ford Foundation)
 Bronx Community College / Lehman College
 LaGuardia Community College / York College
 CUNY – wide PLA
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The Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies
CUNY BA
City College
York College
LaGuardia Community College
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.”
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
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 NonCollegiate Sponsored Instruction [PONSI])
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.
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.
Negotiating
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 Within CUNY
 Differing institutional models
 Differing levels of commitment
 Within LaGuardia
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The ePortfolio course
The Business example
The Math Example
The Science Example
PLA Advisors
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As educators
As mentors
As champions
As negotiators
PLA Advisors
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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 collegelevel learning and is course match, there has been
agreement that the program is viable and beneficial for
students.
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
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
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
PLA and CUNY
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 Looking into the crystal ball…..
For further information:
www.lagcc.cuny.edu/cpl
[email protected]