Understanding the Military Evaluation Process: A Sound
Academic Practice
Cynthia BruceAssociate Director, Military Programs
California State University-FullertonMay 16, 2008
ACECenter for Lifelong Learning
Guiding Philosophy
“WHAT an individual learns is more important than WHEN, WHERE, and
HOW the individual learned it.”
What is the Military Evaluations Program (MEP)?
The Military Evaluations Program provides institutions with a basis for recognizing military educational experiences in terms of civilian academic credit.
Since the early 40s, MEP has reviewed and made credit recommendations for thousands of college-level courses offered by the military services.
Since 1974, MEP began evaluation of military occupational specialties as well.
Commission on
Lifelong Learning
Commission on Lifelong Learning
Term Ending June 30, 2008 John J. Bowen, University President, Johnson & Wales
University (RI) Robert A. Corrigan, President San Francisco State
University (CA) Jay Halfond, Dean, Metropolitan College, Boston
University (MA) Scott E. Knapp, President, Central Maine Community
College Cameron J. Martindale, Senior Vice Chancellor for
Advancement and External Relations, Troy University (AL)
Irvin D. Reid, President, Wayne State University (MI) Craig D. Weidemann, Vice President for Outreach, The
Pennsylvania State University
Term Ending June 30, 2009 Tony Atwater, President , Indiana University of
Pennsylvania Fay R. Avery, Chancellor, University of Northern
Virginia Lionel R. Bordeaux, President, Sinte Gleska University
(SD) Vicky L. Carwein, Chancellor, Washington State
University Tri-Cities Terrence A. Gomes, President, Roxbury Community
College (MA) Judith A. Ramaley, President, Winona State University
(MN)
Term Ending June 30, 2010 Deborah M. DiCroce, President, Tidewater Community
College (VA) Mauri Ditzler, President, Monmouth College (IL) William B. Drake, Jr., President, Midway College (KY) Rockne Freitas, Chancellor, Hawai'i Community
College Sandra L. Kurtinitis, President, The Community College
of Baltimore County (MD) David E. Leasure, President, Jones International
University (CO) David L. Levinson, President, Norwalk Community
College (CT) Anita D. McDonald, Chancellor, Pennsylvania State
University–DuBois Regina S. Peruggi, President, Kingsborough
Community CollegeCity University of New York
Ronald P. Sexton, Chancellor, Montana State University–Billings
Jesse R. Smith, President, Jones County Junior College (MS)
Special Appointment Nicholas H. Allen, Provost Emeritus and Collegiate,
Professor, University of Maryland University College Lee Bash, Dean, College for Working Adults, William
Penn University (IA) Phyllis Eisen, Executive Director, Center for Workforce
Success, National Association of Manufacturers (DC) Victor Herbert, Dean of Instruction, Fire Department,
City of New York Jerome H. Sullivan, Executive Director, American
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (DC)
Commission Chair – Term Ending June 30, 2009 Roger H. Sublett, President, Union Institute and University (OH)
ACE Staff Officer: Susan Porter Robinson, Vice President, Lifelong Learning, Center for Lifelong Learning
Who determines the courses or occupations to be reviewed for Military? DANTES contract each fiscal year (October 1)
Respective branches identify courses and occupations and submit requests through the service liaisons for scheduling with ACE
Course materials received at ACE offices POIs (programs of instruction) from military schoolhouse point of contact Minimum 45 contact hours to be considered
Occupation materials Descriptions Job task analysis Promotional exams (if applicable)
ACE’s Content Review Committee (CRC) Scope and complexity Disciplines
Military
Formal military instruction and military
occupations specialties courses approved by a central authority
Correspondence courses with proctored end-of course exams
Distance learning/online courses with documented rigid control test conditions and firm identification of the student.
Course Evaluations
Program Evaluations Content Review Committee
Selection of EvaluatorsThe Program Evaluations Content Review Committee meets weekly to determine the appropriate content/academic areas from which the slate of potential evaluators for each review team should be drawn.
Members of the Committee reflect a diversity of backgrounds in academe as well as professional experience. Committee members include:
James H. Selbe, Director of Program Evaluations
Cynthia Bruce, Associate Director, Military Programs
Deborah Ross Warin, Associate Director, CREDIT Programs
Shannon Demko, Assistant Director, CREDIT Programs
Evelyn Howard, Assistant Director, Military Programs
Michele Spires, Assistant Director, Military Programs
Ad hoc committee members within ACE are consulted with regard to a specialized content area.
Selection of EvaluatorsCommittee responsibilities and procedures:
Review the submitted course materials to identify and determine the academic content areas reflected in the course descriptions and learning outcomes
Discuss the areas of academic expertise or training, as well as the program areas and institutions from which potential evaluators should be drawn
Achieve a consensus regarding the academic fields to be represented in the evaluation team
Index courses by Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) coding developed by U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Selection of EvaluatorsCommittee responsibilities and procedures:
List of faculty expertise (based on the CIP disciplinecodes aligned with each profile) is developed
CRC evaluates the review team list of candidates for each academic field
CRC selects a team of at least three subject matter specialists whose competence is most appropriate (per discipline area/course)
Institutional and geographic diversity in forming the subject matter review teams is essential
After the evaluation team has been formed, the Associate Director confers with them, reviewing the procedures and responsibilities with which they are charged in conducting the review
Institutional RepresentationFaculty Reviewers by Type of
Institution
4-Year College32%
University37%
Practitioner or Other
3%Community
College28%
Evaluation Process
Occupational Review at Camp Lejeune, NC
Bobby Anderson, Larry Davis and George Boulward
Course Review at Great Lakes, IL: Malcolm Allen, John Sutton, and Bohdan Likaschewsky
1. Pre-meetings with points of contacts phone conferences;
review handbook and
expectations
2. ACE representative and Subject-matter specialists (faculty) travel to military base
3. Review written materials (conduct interviews for occupations)
4. Document evaluation and write descriptionsLearning outcomesAssessment measuresOutcomes to collegiate learning (credit
recommendation)
Course Review: On Site In-briefing / overview of courses by point of contact and
mission of schoolhouse
Review materials (hands-on) Instructor materials Learner materials Assessments
Tour unique lab environments or training simulators
Speak to SMEs / instructors for courses
Course Review: On Site Consensus by reviewers (3 per course)
Team write-up Learning outcomes Instruction methods Topics Credit recommendation Special notes
Exit briefing
Sample Course Team Consensus Sheet (TCS) - Military
Military Occupation Review: Official Documentation
Occupation manuals Duties, qualifications, expectations
Technical guides / training manuals Promotion examinations
Study guides Other official military documentation
Branch specific
Military Occupation Evaluation: Service Member Interview
Focus on the representation of the job expectations at the pay grade
Clarification and validation of the official military documentation
Military Occupation Review: Team Process
Synthesis of information Alignment to current curricula Determination of post secondary content and rigor
Credit recommendation Related competencies
Team consensus must be 100%
Military Occupation Team Consensus Sheet (TCS)
Military Occupation: Related Competencies
Specific to the occupation review
Aligned with each of the credit recommendation subject areas
Displayed in Military Guide Online (not on service member’s transcript)
New requirement October 2006 (feedback from institutions)
After the Review
Military
Team documentation returned to main office Internal review of team materials Final report to military schoolhouse and
appropriate liaison 30-45 days Feedback look with military schoolhouse Exhibits uploaded to database
Credit Recommendation “Life”Military: Courses POI updates
Change in course Change in curriculum Any change
No more than 10 years
Re-reviews included as part of DANTES contract
Military: Occupations No more than 10 years
Trends of realignment, merges, job-task structures impact re-reviews
Defining College Level Work
Content and Rigor
MUST BE at the Postsecondary Level!
Evaluative Criteria
Course content
Learning outcomes
Evaluative instruments appropriate to measure the participant’s learning
Applicability to a range of postsecondary programs
Depth and breadth of material
Outside assignments
Level of difficulty
Levels of CreditVocational / Certificate This type of coursework is normally
found in year-long certificate programs that are designed to provide students with occupational skills.
Course content is specialized, and the accompanying training emphasizes procedural (hands on) rather than analytical skills (theory).
Lower Division Course emphasis is on learning
basic principles that have broad judgmental applications.
Coursework typically found in programs leading to the associate degree and/or the first two years in a baccalaureate institution.
Upper Division Course content usually involves
specialization of a theoretical or analytical nature beyond the introductory level.
Course content is usually found in the last two years of a baccalaureate program.
Graduate The course and its content
typically involves: - Critical analysis.- Scholarly and professional
application of specialized knowledge within a discipline.
- Independent study.- Original research.
No Credit Recommended
Material presented in the course is not comparable to courses offered by colleges and universities
Material offered is inadequate for a judgment to be made
Inadequate evaluation/assessment tool
Military Guide Onlinewww.militaryguides.acenet.edu
TRANSCRIPTSTRANSCRIPTS
WANTED: A FEW GOOD FACULTY MEMBERS
To ensure a formalized process that colleges and universities can trust
To network and learn from colleagues across the country
To validate and support students’ non-traditional learning
To integrate training and learning to an educational portfolio.
Why Serve on an ACE Review Team?
Serve as an Evaluator ACE pays all evaluators an
honorarium and travel.
You must be actively teaching college-level courses.
When a review is scheduled that
requires your area of content expertise, you will be contacted directly and advised of the opportunity to serve on the ACE team.
For more information: [email protected]/evaluators
Occupational and Course Review, Mobile, AL: LT Kevin Berry takes the team on a tour of the aircraft.
Faculty Evaluator Database
Online application Reviewed before imported Academic institution affiliation Degrees / credentials Courses teaching
Delivery Level
Short “standard” biography Resume or CV required Audit every couple years
www.acenet.edu/evaluators/servehttps://militaryguides.acenet.edu/EvaluatorForm.htm
Evaluator Handbook Sample
www.acenet.edu/evaluators
How to Contact Us............
American Council On Education
Military Programs
One Dupont Circle, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
202-939-9432
866-205-6267
Cynthia Bruce
Associate Director, Military Programs
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