Pennsylvania PLA Summit

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Pennsylvania PLA Summit

• Widener University
• University College
• Tina Phillips, Ed.D.

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Widener University

• Founded 1821, now has eight Schools and Colleges
• Began as liberal arts school
• Currently has schools in Engineering, Nursing,
  Business, Hospitality Management, Human Service
  Professions (includes education, physical
  therapy, social work, clinical psychology), Law,
  and University College
• Four campus locations
• Chester, PA is the Main Campus
• Wilmington, DE and Harrisburg, PA
• Exton, PA
• 6,500 students
• 2700 traditional undergraduates
• 1900 law students on two campuses (1 school)
• 1200 graduate students (PT and FT)
• 600 undergraduate adult students (UC)
• 125 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Members

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University College

• Part-time non-traditional undergraduate evening,
  weekend distance learning college
• Three campuses
• PLA venue since early 1980s
• CLEP
• Challenge
• Portfolio Assessment
• BLOC

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PLA at University College

• Advisors
• Viewbook
• Website
• www.widener.edu/uc
• Possibilities Newsletter

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PLA Methods at UC

• CLEP used mostly for general education courses
• Challenge exams faculty designed and used most
  for WU specific courses (computers, business,
  nursing, etc.)
• Portfolio Assessment student documentation/portf
  olio that demonstrates mastery of course learning
  objectives
• Currently experiencing a decline in use
• Up to 90 transfer credits allowed for BA/BS
  degrees via combination of course-by-course
  transfer and PLA

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University Colleges Special PLA Aspect

• BLOC advanced standing or college credit for
  vocational/professional training programs that
  require national certification or registry
• Used 100 of the time for Bachelor of Science
  Associate of Science in Allied Health and
  Professional Studies

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Maximum of credits in BLOC

• Dependent upon type of Prior Learning
• Associate of Science in Applied Science
• 30 to 45 credits
• Hospital based Certificate allied health programs
• 51 credits
• Community College Allied Health degree programs
• 30 or 40 credits

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Rationale for BLOC

• Allied Health
• Credit was granted due to adoption of a
  national educational standard for allied health
  programs
• Accreditation standards must be met for all
  allied health training programs for students
  eligibility for registry and/or certification
• in order to work in some of the allied health
  fields (currently or in the future) a minimum of
  an associate degree will be required
• There is a need for prepare supervisors and
  educators for allied health workforce

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Rationale for BLOC

• Professional Studies
• Many universities dont accept all AAS credits
• Courses deemed technical and they dont easily
  transfer into existing Bachelor degree programs
• Although AAS was initially good for student, as
  they move up career ladder there is a need BS/BA
• AAS is a Regionally Accredited degree
• Also offer IBEW workers credit for their
  apprenticeship program (PONSI)

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Maintaining Academic Integrity

• Articulations with Hospitals and/or Community
  Colleges
• Determination of credits is based on curriculum
  review of didactic and clinical courses
• All portfolios assessments are conducted by FT
  faculty and credit is granted upon successful
  completion
• Professional development sessions designed for
  advisors and staff that focuses on learning
  assessment and how to evaluate outcomes

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Challenges

• Changing non-traditional student
• Busier than before
• Questioning the effort and time required for
  portfolio development
• FT faculty belief that student needs
  instruction
• New focus on assessment
• changing the conversation to focus on student
  learning outcomes and how to demonstrate mastery

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Strategic Plan Goals

• Development of online course (orientation) that
  aids students in
• Choosing best prior learning option
• Portfolio design development
• Evaluating work-based training programs for prior
  learning credit

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Value of PLA to

• Institution
• Provides the institution the opportunity to meet
  the educational needs of individuals who want to
  return to learning and key to student retention
  and persistence
• Students college opportunity
• to those who have limited resources and need a
  head start, saves time and cost
• to those who have vocational and/or professional
  training that currently does not hold college
  credit value

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Student Story

• Adult student working locally as an registered
  radiologic technologist
• PLA provided the student with an opportunity
  student to meet their educational goals
• The awarding of bloc college credit for
  technical training created a sense of pride and
  accomplishment as well as a head start toward a
  degree program