Life Experience Credit

1. Arrange for a personal interview with a counselor to determine the areas of life experience to be assessed and the advisability of seeking credit. This interview will also help you determine how your life experience credit may or may not relate to short or long-term educational goals. Alternate methods of accumulating credit will also be explored, such as the College Level Examination Program, independent study, and military training.
2. If appropriate, you will develop a portfolio for each area to be assessed, including documentation of learning. The portfolio will be submitted to the Success Center.
3. The portfolio will be sent to the department in the college most allied with the area to be evaluated. A faculty evaluator in that department will review the portfolio and determine applicable credit. The portfolio is then returned to the Success Center for permanent filing.
4. The Registrar's Office will be notified of the credit award, and the credit will be posted on your transcript in the manner that most clearly benefits your degree program.
5. You will be notified of your credit assessment and receive a bill.
6. All life experience credit requests are charged a non-refundable $25 administrative fee. For each portfolio submitted to faculty departments for review, there is an additional charge of $50. This additional charge is levied regardless of the outcome of the portfolio evaluation. A fee equal to 1/3 of the current tuition charge will be charged for awarded credit. Students requesting an evaluation will be asked to sign an agreement of payment form.
7. Life experience credit may or may not be transferable. If you plan on continuing your education at another school, that school should be contacted to find out what their policy is on credit for experiential learning.

Description of your degree plans: Indicate how this request for credit is to be integrated into your academic goals. State what type and how much credit you see as appropriate. (This will be explained in the interview with the counselor.)

Description of your past experience: Give a chronological review of your activities, responsibilities, and involvements. (Include dates, length of time involved, who, when, where.)

• Additional learning: Include lectures, seminars, workshops, trainings, books, films, and courses. Describe their content and amount of time you spent. Provide any artifacts and certificates of completion.
• If you are seeking credit in an area that represents something you have created such as art, music, photography, etc., finished products should be submitted to complement your portfolio.

Learning: From my provided involvements, I have learned and mastered the following: (Provide your response.)

• This section should document the learning, skills and competencies that have resulted from your experience. Statements such as "I learned" or "I can do the following based on my activities" may be helpful prompts.
• Consider using this area as a presentation of a syllabus for the life course you have “taken.”

Letters of testimony: To be obtained from leaders, experts, instructors, employers, etc. to document involvement. Letters should include direct reference to and support of your individual learning. Certificates, awards, diplomas, and letters of recognition relative to your life experience area may also be included in your submission.