Transcript Middle Tennessee State University

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE
UNIVERSITY
Prior Learning Assessment
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Middle Tennessee State University
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Founded 1911
Began as 2 year “Normal” college
Over 26,000 students
156 majors/minors
2 online, several Hybrid and evening school majors
Over 300 online and hybrid courses
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ADCP Program
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Adult Degree Completion Program
New program – Introduced F07
Over 7000 inquires to date
Marketed primarily by radio ads
Online majors increased from 250 to 869
Graduate over 300 per year
PLA is part of the ADCP
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ADCP Marketing
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Radio ads prior to each semester
“Sales calls” to area businesses and organizations
Web site: www.mtsu.edu/adcp or
www.finishmydegreenow.com or
www.mtsuanytime.com
Newspaper, radio and TV publicity whenever
possible
Internal marketing within University: Colleges of
Business, Education, Nursing
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Other University Assessment Programs
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Military Credit
CLEP tests
Advanced Placement tests
Challenge exams/course challenge
Engineering Technology Portfolio
Global Studies
Nursing: LPN and RN to BSN
Other department specific programs
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Prior Learning Assessment
The process of earning college credit from learning
acquired through a student’s work, training,
volunteer experiences, and personal life. Earn
College Credit for What You Know by Janet
Colvin
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PLA Program Features
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Block of elective credit-not course match
Maximum of 30 hours
Specialization Area related to major
Credit used in 2 majors of BS degree and BUS
degree
Based on ACE type evaluations
Portfolio
3 credit hour 3000 level class-online, hybrid or
accelerated
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PLA TOOLS
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Transcript/learning evaluation
Web Site: www.mtsu.edu/adcp
PLA Handbook
Portfolio Development Class-Online, hybrid, and
accelerated
Time budget work sheet
Orientation first week of class
Uses of Credit Agreement
Academic Plan
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PLA Participant Status
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Over 7000 inquiries: F07-F11
255 PLA students to date
222 or 87% completed portfolios
21 Average credit awarded
38% graduated
73% either graduated or are enrolled in classes F11
66% were not enrolled at MTSU prior to PLA class
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Why We Do It
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Shirley
Chuck
Helen
Greg
Sam
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Shirley
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Attended MTSU in the 1990’s
Athletic Scholarship
Business Major
Good GPA and Senior Status
Stopped out due to personal reasons
Returned in 2007 as online student, but required Business
courses were not available online
Earned over 120 hours, but when major changed from Business
she had too many Business hours
PLA credit for Supervisory and Worker’s Compensation
training allowed her to earn enough non business credit to
complete her degree.
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Chuck
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Left MTSU in 80s to start a family and career
Needed 18 hours to graduate
Moved out of Tennessee
Faced with out-of-state tuition or 30 hours of
residency at institution in his new state
Returned to MTSU online and earned enough credit
from PLA for concrete management and procurement
training to complete degree.
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Helen
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Adult, online student, parent, full time police officer
3.0 average taking 15 hours online each semester
Earned 28 hours of credit from PLA for Police
Academy training
Graduated and enrolled full time in online Masters
program
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Greg
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Attended MTSU off and on over past 20 years
accumulating 19 hours
Wife earned PhD and pressure from his job to earn a
degree
Completed 6 year apprenticeship program evaluated
by ACE for 60 hours of credit
Awarded 30 hours of credit through PLA
Jump started his return to education
Now has 60 hours toward his degree
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Sam
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Stopped out of private college in 1992
Career/technical ed HS teacher
Aspires to be a HS principal
Spring 08: 9 hrs CLEP
Summer 08:
12 hrs CLEP/challenge
 16 hrs classroom credit
 21 hrs PLA credit
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Fall 08: 9 hrs classroom credit
Graduated Fall 2008
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Some Things to Consider
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Retention, persistence, and graduation expectations
must be adjusted for adult students
Individualized student specific academic plans are
an expectation of the nontraditional student
Load and persistence requirements for financial aid
are not appropriate
Reasons for initial student failure seem to carry over
to return to school
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