1. MI-litary Equivalency Project:
Exploring Campus Workflows Around Awarding Direct Credit for JST

2. Michigan Community College Association
Katie Giardello Director, Veteran & Transfer Initiatives Michigan Center for Student Success
Michigan Community College Association

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4. Let’s Re-Visit: MI-litary Equivalency Project Goals
Build institutional capacity to utilize American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations listed on the Joint Services Transcript (JST) to establish direct transfer equivalencies.
Support institutions in articulating military experience to general education requirements and build equivalencies for specific Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs), as appropriate to each campus.
Showcase developed equivalencies in institutional transfer equivalency databases.

5. MEP Highlighted Resources See https://micmve
MEP Highlighted Resources See for more resources
Previous Events – Catch up on what you may have missed!
3-4PM, Building Campus Strategy for the MI-litary Equivalency Project.  Click here to view the slideshow from this webinar. Click here to review the event’s recording.
PLA and Transferability, presented by the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Click here to access the slide deck from this presentation. Click here to review the event’s recording.
1PM, The ACE Review Process- Insights from MI Faculty. Click here to access the event recording.  Click here to review the slideshow from this webinar. See the Faculty Reviewer Informational Flyer to learn more about becoming an ACE faculty reviewer. Click here to review details from the Q and A session at the end of the session.
On-Demand Resources Recommended for Additional Understanding
Using the Joint Services Transcript (JST) and the Military Guide (ACE)
ACE MOS Review (ACE)
ACE Tools and Resources (ACE)
Mapping Military Training and Occupations to Postsecondary Credentials (ACE)

6. MCMC Recent Webinar –
Free TES Military Product Makes Articulating Credit for Military Learning Easier See for additional excellent archived webinars
The Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit hosts "Evaluating Military and Alternative Credit" webinar with guest Tim Horzmann, process analyst for CollegeSource, Inc. CollegeSource is proud to help institutions across the country in the evaluation of military credits. They offer a free limited version of their Transfer Evaluation System (TES®) and Transferology™ to help aid both institutions and service members explore transfer options. In this webinar, Tim covers how to use their TES® product to help in the evaluation of military credit in a variety of methods. Then he will cover how to use those equivalencies to attract servicemembers with the Transferology™ network.”
Review the recording here: Evaluating Military and Alternative Credit 

7. MEP Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars See https://micmve
MEP Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars See for more details, including registration links
May 25, 10AM – WEBINAR: A Closer Look at DSST Exams. Click here to register.
June 2, 2017, 10AM-3PM at Jackson College – MEP Campus Workgroup Seminar, featuring ACE training and facilitated planning discussions. Click here to read more about this event and register here.
September 26, 2017, 10AM-4PM, Lansing, MI – MEP ACE Credit Mapping Seminar (open to all disciplines, with emphasis on healthcare and special strand for Nursing)

9. Prior Learning Assessment for Military
AACC/Lumina foundations – the Right Signals Grant

10. Agenda
Introductions
Factors leading to the revitalized PLA program at CCBC
The Right Signals Grant (funding source)
ATPL Subcommittees
Prior Learning Leadership Series – Workshops or Faculty/Staff
Discussion

11. Who we are, Presenters Christina Duncan, Director of Veteran Services
Nicole Zampino Zairi, Coordinator of Articulation, Transfer & Prior Learning Assessment
BOTH

12. Who We Are, Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Population 786,650
3rd largest population in MD
612 square miles
33% college degrees
15.7% of individuals 25 years + do not have a high school diploma
68,000 non-native speakers
Rob

13. Who We Are, CCBC Nearly 65,000 students: 11% full-time, 89% part-time
91% are 20 years old or older
Average age, 28
Christina
Most CCBC students are late 20-30s and attend part-time while working: prime candidates for PLA.

14. Revitalized Support for PLA at CCBC
Rob
Suggestion in 2012 self-study report to Middle States
Increasing interest in helping people transition from con ed to credit, and questions about how to do it
Completion Agenda
CCBC saw a big spike in enrollment during recession, since enrollment has been dropping post-recession
High school population leveling off
Sense that competitors doing more PLA than us, and were gaining students
Many adults in region have some college credit but no degree
Interest in serving returning veterans (960 active duty and retired military students/semester)

15. Military PLA at CCBC
Top majors taken by military-connected students receiving PLA
Credits being awarded to military-connected students
4-year, feeder schools
Employment for veterans
Hurdles
Christina-
Common Majors
General Studies
Pilot
Nursing
Humanities & social Sciences
Business
MIL Credits:
Awarded as of Fall 2016
113
Categories:
Criminal Justice
Cyber
Health, Wellness & Phys Ed
Business Management & Maritime Studies
Aviation
Communications
Science & Biology
UMUC is our largest Military Feeder that accepts PLA, but University of Baltimore has also agreed to accept all PLA that is rolled into an Associate’s Degree.
Employment: According to BLS, until recently veterans were more likely to be unemployed than the general population, and Female veterans were more likely to be unemployed than their male peers. Gap in CIV certs/skills.
Hurdles:
ACE previous reviews lacking in curriculum details
PRE- data
Program was disjointed

16. The results are in…
~75% of faculty didn’t know what PLA was or was unsure
~75% were also not aware if it was being used in their area
~90% felt that PLA could benefit their students in their degree program
Faculty were interested… they NEEDED TO KNOW MORE
Rob
The feedback was VERY helpful because it showed us that
A lot of our faculty didn’t know what PLA was BUT
They thought it could help our students and they wanted to learn more!

17. The Dawn of the Sub-committees
PLA Military Credits Subcommittee
The purpose of the Articulation, Transfer and Prior Learning Military Subcommittee is to remove barriers for veterans by evaluating their skills and knowledge received in the military to promote achievement of their academic goals.”
PLA Advocate and Advertise Subcommittee
The purpose of this subcommittee will be to establish and carry out goals that would advocate for PLA student progress, and to advertise those options.
Professional Development and Training Subcommittee
The purpose of this subcommittee will be to work towards an increasingly educated and trained CCBC campus on all updates that the team encompasses Articulation, Transfer, and Prior Learning Assessment in the form of trainings and workshops.
Articulation & Transfer Subcommittee
The Articulation Transfer and Prior Learning (ATPL Team) attempts to bridge knowledge, policies, and practice by bringing together individuals, two-and four-year institutions, state agencies, higher education associations, and other interested entities to address the issues related to transfer and prior learning assessment processes within CCBC, so as to facilitate student success and degree completion.
Micro-credentialing Subcommittee
The purpose of this subcommittee will be to establish and implement stackable, micro-credentials that would accelerate a student’s ability to provide proof of marketable skills to employers even before graduation.
Christina
With all of this new information we determined that dividing our efforts up into groups focused and concentrated on each goal would be the most beneficial.
Each committee had a specific task. These tasks were directly aligned then to the Operational FY17 Strategic Plans for the college, such as Strategic Goals 1.3 in CCBC overall Strategic Plan “Eliminate institutional barriers that impede student success and the delivery of services,” being directly linked to the faculty receiving professional development on evaluating Military transcripts for college credit.

18. Link to CCBC Military PLA Website
Military Subcommittee
Christina
Developed MIL PLA website
Link:
Developed Banner articulation module for storing military transcript database
Hired PT military transcript evaluator position
Developed 2 workshops for faculty and advisors, one on military transcripts and one on benefits of PLA
Developing a Military Advisor Board: Students, military friendly transfer 4-years, employees at CCBC with military experience/spouses/kids to give recommendations.
ACDV 101 for Military & VA
Collaborated to have our test centers Fully Funded
Approved almost 400 ACE courses for CCBC credit
Link to CCBC Military PLA Website

19. Awarding Faculty and Staff Credit
CAEL Standard IX from 2017, “All practitioners involved in the assessment process should pursue and receive adequate training and continuing professional development for the functions they perform.”
Rob
After receiving the faculty buy-in and understanding of their knowledge gaps with the survey, we also took into consideration the CAEL standards that were lacking at CCBC.
To teach the other standards to faculty to make sure all the SMFEs (Subject Matter Faculty Experts) around the college are on the same page with all 10 CAEL standards.
Such as #3. “Assessment should be treated as an integral part of learning, not separate from it, and should be based on an understanding of learning processes.”

20. Dawn of the Prior Learning Assessment Leadership Series
Rob
We created a series of 5 courses to educate faculty and staff about the PLA program here at CCBC.
Each course covers a different piece of material.
Each is offered in person 2-4 times a semester.
Courses are also now in Blackboard so that the material can be covered online to accommodate schedules.
Faculty & Staff that complete the workshops online take a quiz to be awarded credit.
Faculty & Staff that complete at least 3 of the 5 courses are awarded a Certificate of Completion for the annual reviews or portfolios.
NEXT SLIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDIT-

21. Dawn of the Prior Learning Assessment Leadership Series
Prior Learning Assessment 101 – An Overview of Prior Learning Credit Options at CCBC
Prior Learning Assessment 102 – Credit for Military & Related Experiences
Prior Learning Assessment The Unseen Benefits of a Robust Prior Learning Assessment Program
Prior Learning Assessment Best Practices & Instruments in Developing Prior Learning Assessment Credit Assessments
Prior Learning Assessment Assessing Work Experience for Micro-Credentials
Each workshop is 1.5 hours long.
Christina
These are the five courses that we have developed and are all now offered in person and online.

22. Christina
These are the Blackboard folders for each of the five courses.
Faculty can self enroll and then examine the material.
The lessons were created in Softchalk and include electronic textbooks.

23. PLA 102: Credit for Military & Related Experience
Covers the type of training received in the military and how it can be utilized for credit.
Explains how military courses are listed on the Joint Services Transcript (JST)/ACE Guide and how we can transfer them.
Christina
This helps faculty to understand the way courses and credits are given to military members and how they can apply to the community college.
It also explains how one can examine a JST and CCAF transcript and compare it to our courses to provide advice and suggestions for veterans.

24. CAEL Consultant’s Help with PLA 102
Rob
Expert consultants from CAEL on military credits were hired, and military knowledgeable faculty volunteered to work together to create a webinar specific to CCBC policies, training faculty and staff on the details of evaluating military and law enforcement credits.
This is offered continuously online, and 2-4 times a semester.
Topics include: reading JSTs, practice examples, looking at Industry certifications, stacking the credits towards degrees, and forms and processes needed to accomplish this at CCBC.
This became the 2nd workshop in the Series, PLA 102.

25. PLA 102: Credit for Military & Related Experience
Rob
Example of that PLA 102 webinar.
It was launched at the college-wide Professional Development Day in May 2016, it was well attended, and now the recording runs often. Amy from CAEL was able to call in and interactively present with us at PDD.

26. PLA 103: The Unforeseen Benefits of a Robust PLA Program
Covers the unexpected benefits toward military students that come with having a strong PLA program.
Focuses on military members and veterans, the challenges they face and how PLA can help them overcome obstacles post military and services CCBC offers to them.
Christina
Created by the Director of Veteran Services, former military faculty, and VITAL coordinator that is stationed at CCBC.
What is VITAL? 
Veterans Integration To Academic Leadership (VITAL) is VA’s approach to reaching out to student Veterans. The VITAL Initiative is a partnership between the VA Maryland Health Care System and local colleges and universities. VITAL staff members are available to help student Veterans address their overall mental health needs and concerns, while supporting them to use their strengths, skills and life experiences in the academic setting.

27. Christina
PLA 103 on-line

28. Prior Learning Assessment Leadership Series
89 faculty and staff have taken at least one workshop since May 2016.
To date, 17 completed the series and received a certificate.
Rob
Our own micro-credential in house for employees.
It is very helpful to get buy in from the senior level of your institution. It can be as simple as allowing faculty and staff to earn professional credit for completing the workshop that they can use on their annual review.
The more invested your institution is the better your program will be.

29. Military Transfer Coursework
Rob
Almost 400 courses have been accepted into the program!
For Health and Wellness – over 200 courses were reviewed to see if they would meet the PLA
Military Chart, Module, Banner:
Dennis Mitchel
Akira
Nicole
Darlene Anderson
Rob Hess
Rose Cramer
Linda Fleischer
Doug Williams
Noell Damron
Shawn McNamara

30. Questions?
Rob
Expert consultants from CAEL on military credits were hired, and military knowledgeable faculty volunteered to work together to create a webinar specific to CCBC policies, training faculty and staff on the details of evaluating military and law enforcement credits.
This is offered continuously online, and 2-4 times a semester.
Topics include: reading JSTs, practice examples, looking at Industry certifications, stacking the credits towards degrees, and forms and processes needed to accomplish this at CCBC.
This became the 2nd workshop in the Series, PLA 102.

31. Articulation of Military Learning at the University of West Georgia
Danny Gourley
Director of the Center for Adult Learners and Veterans

32. How We Started
Reviewed list of approved ACE exhibits at University of North Georgia
Met with UWG Provost to identify allies for a pilot program
Outlined methodology

33. The Military Articulation Process

34. Military Articulation: Faculty Form

35. Faculty Form: Military Learning

36. Faculty Form: Decision Block

37. Faculty Form: Comparison

38. Faculty Form: Learning Objectives

39. Faculty Form: Instructions

40. Military Articulation: Registrar Form

41. Registrar Form: Student

42. Registrar Form: Military Course

43. Registrar Form: Approval

44. Registrar Form: Notes

45. Registrar Form: Signature and Directions

46. Keeping Track of it All
Internal Google Sheet containing every ACE exhibit reviewed by CALV. Includes students impacted.
Shared Google Sheet containing every ACE exhibit reviewed by faculty. Access given to Provost, AVP AA, deans, and Registrar's Office.
Plans to post faculty-reviewed ACE exhibits on Transfer Equivalency Tool.

47. Military Articulation by College*
Departments
Reviewed
Approved
COAH 1
COE
COSM 5 10 2
COSS 3 6
RCOB
Nursing
TOTAL
12 DEPARTMENTS 28 12
* As of 4/13/17

48. Questions and Discussion