Sticking Points: Tips for Advancing the PLA Conversation

Bitsy Cohn, Director, Credit for Prior learning, CCCSDanielle Forrest, Prior Learning Specialist MSU Denver

Dr. Rey Hernandez, Associate Professor of Economics, MSU Denver

What do you consider crucial to advancing the

prior learning assessment conversation?

Faculty Perspective

•Engagement•Building buy-in•MSU Faculty PLA Task Force

▫Creation▫Charge▫Outcomes

Student Perspective• Ease of access is key

Where to go, how to get information, faculty/staff awareness

• Articulating experience in a portfolio Understanding what college-level learning

means Addressing writing deficiencies Connecting theory and practice

• Time commitment• Cost• Navigating the process

Best PLA practices for students•Establish a permanent position

▫Screener, resource specialist, advisor able to help students define their end goal

▫Familiar with transfer, admissions, registrar, and academic departments

•Establish a campus hub▫One place on campus to go for all PLA support

•Clearly delineated list of classes available for all PLA – portfolio, dept. exam, CLEP, DSST, etc.

Leadership Perspective

•Policy•Articulation•Standards/Rigor•Faculty driven•2:4 at the table•National best practices•Leveraged resources

Contacts

•Bitsy Cohn▫bitsy.cohn@cccs.edu

•Danielle Forrest▫fforrest@msudenver.edu

•Rey Hernandez▫rherna42@msudenver.edu

CC BY and Attribution This Workforce Solution, ” Sticking Points: Tips for Advancing the PLA Conversation” presentation by Bitsy Cohn at the Colorado Adult Learning Symposium (CALS) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work created under the Department of Labor, TAACCCT3 grant, permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.cccs.edu/CHAMP.