The PLA Advisor: Negotiation Skills Required! Prof. Janice Karlen and Prof. Susan Sanchirico CUNY – LaGuardia Community College

SENIOR and GRADUATE COLLEGES HONORS and PROFESSIONAL About CUNY SENIOR and GRADUATE COLLEGES HONORS and PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES Baruch College Brooklyn College The City College of New York College of Staten Island CUNY Baccalaureate Degree CUNY Online Baccalaureate Degree Hunter College John Jay College of Criminal Justice Lehman College Medgar Evers College New York City College of Technology Queens College York College CUNY Graduate Center CUNY Graduate School of Journalism CUNY School of Law CUNY School of Professional Studies CUNY School of Public Health Macaulay Honors College Borough of Manhattan Community College Bronx Community College Kingsborough Community College LaGuardia Community College Queensborough Community College

Policy and CUNY General Education Articulation PLA Credit Senior college vs. Community college Articulation Specific programs at specific schools PLA Credit Credit varies by program/by college Veterans Credit

Current CUNY PLA initiatives CUNY – CAEL Grant (Ford Foundation) Bronx Community College / Lehman College LaGuardia Community College / York College CUNY – wide PLA The Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies CUNY BA City College York College LaGuardia Community College

About LaGuardia Founded as a Co-op college, experiential learning had been at the core of the academic offerings. While program requirements have changed, the foundation of experiential learning is acknowledged and provides a framework for all forms of PLA –workplace learning, portfolios, internship credit, military experience, etc. The PLA program operates under the auspices of the Office of Academic Affairs. The faculty members who are involved have been designated as “coordinators.”

LaGuardia PLA Policy Exemption Credit for credit courses offered at LaGuardia = course match Granted on basis of an examination or project equivalent to final course requirement Equivalencies are determined by the faculty of the appropriate department Approved by the chairperson To receive credit by exemption, the student applies to the appropriate chairperson or designee. The maximum number of exemption credits towards a LaGuardia degree is 10 These 10 exemption credits may be applied toward LaGuardia’s 30-credit residency requirement The maximum number of exemption credits towards a LaGuardia certificate is 6 Note: Exemption credits are awarded to degree students only

PLA at LaGuardia National Standardized Tests and Challenge Examinations Portfolio Evaluation (including ePortfolio) Foreign Language Placement Exams Register and pass third level course and receive 6 credits for first and second level language courses Military Transcripts: AARTS, SMART, Community College of the Air For DD214 – Honorable Discharge = elective credits Published Guides (such as the American Council on Education CREDIT program and the Program for Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction [PONSI])

The Evaluation and Approval Process Review materials – certificates of completion, military transcripts, corporate training, etc., and determine who would be the appropriate faculty member for portfolio assessment. As a course match institution, any PLA must line up with instructional and performance objectives of existing courses - do not grant partial or blanket credit. For courses within our own departments, we can prepare the paperwork for credit that will be signed by the chairperson. If the course is for another department, we facilitate the process with the chairperson. Military service credit we take directly to the Registrar’s Office for processing.

The Evaluation and Approval Process Military transcripts and the online database are utilized to match training to courses at the college. If training/courses do not carry the exact same name or credit hours, the Admissions Office will not process it and students are referred to meet with one of the Credit for Prior Learning coordinators. While the option for portfolio review is available, few students consider this option. Many do not have the experience necessary to document the learning or the writing skills required to complete narratives. As there are limited electives available in community college degrees, their options are often limited.

Negotiating Within CUNY Within LaGuardia Differing institutional models Differing levels of commitment Within LaGuardia The ePortfolio course The Business example The Math Example The Science Example

PLA Advisors As educators As mentors As champions As negotiators

PLA Advisors As educators Administration at the college has supported the PLA effort. The coordinators have met with various departments, chairpersons, committees (Academic Standing), and the Senate to provide an overview of PLA. With the knowledge that the program follows the CAEL standards and credit review is based on college-level learning and is course match, there has been agreement that the program is viable and beneficial for students.

PLA Advisors As mentors Support the learner to identify what was learned Conduct formal or informal pre-screening for candidates who can demonstrate college level learning Assist in the process of determining the learning that has resulted from experience Assist learner to match prior learning to academic program and personal goals

PLA Advisors As champions Assist learner with resources (samples, guides) Assist learner with strategies to demonstrate balance of theory and application Assist learner to prepare demonstration of the learning and experience Encourage/support learner to continue in the process

PLA Advisors As negotiators Facilitate process with faculty content experts who are trained in the assessment practices Assist with the determination of the level of competency achieved and the credit equivalency as needed Provide supporting documentation and information regarding past practice to assist in credit determination Reinforce the concept of PLA = college level learning

PLA and CUNY Looking into the crystal ball…..

For further information: www.lagcc.cuny.edu/cpl cpl@lagcc.cuny.edu Thank you! For further information: www.lagcc.cuny.edu/cpl cpl@lagcc.cuny.edu