Award of Credit by Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Guidelines

Original Issuance Date: August 13, 2021
Last Revision Date: August 13, 2021

1.     Purpose of Guidelines

As with the assessment of classroom learning, the objective of prior learning assessment is to identify student competency of a specific set of learning outcomes. These guidelines were created to support implementation of University of Wisconsin System policies and procedures and university development and implementation policies and quality prior learning assessment practices.

Guidelines were developed considering criteria for accreditation and assumed practices established by the Higher Learning Commission and the joint transfer principles established by the American Council for Education (ACE), the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

2.     Publishing Office(s)

Office of Academic and Student Affairs, Academic Programs and Faculty Advancement

3.     Affected Stakeholders on Campus

UW institution faculty and Staff

4.     Primary Responsibility

UWSA Office of Academic and Student Affairs, Academic Programs and Faculty Advancement will maintain the guidelines. UW institution faculty and staff will refer to this guidance in development and implementation of PLA policies and procedures.

5.     Guidelines

A. Principles of Quality Prior Learning Assessment

1. Credit for prior learning is awarded based on assessed learning outcomes, not for experience.
2. Credit for prior learning is documented and represents university-level achievement and competency of learning outcomes that are equitable to those assessed within a conventional university course.
3. Credit for prior learning assessment is based on standards and criteria that measure appropriate levels of learning and guided by established learning assessment practices and methodologies.
4. Credit for prior learning assessment is conducted by qualified academic subject matter or credentialing experts.
5. Institutions articulate to students their credit for prior learning options and processes and advise students as to how credit earned through prior learning assessment will be applied to a student’s academic program.

B. Prior Learning Assessment Guidance

I. American Council on Education (ACE) Credit Recommendations – Military Training and Occupations

1. In accordance with Chapter 36.31(4)(am)(bm), Wis. Stats, UW universities must provide opportunities for admitted students to demonstrate college-level learning through the review of completed military and occupational training. This training may be documented on the Joint Services Transcript (JST) and ACE credit recommendations, or via equivalent Department of Defense documentation of training or approved credit recommendations.
2. All Joint Services Transcript (JST) associate or baccalaureate level training identified as lower or upper division shall be considered for credit award.
3. Credit recommendations will be equated to courses that fulfill academic program requirements, whenever possible.
4. Institutions should develop a process for students to engage in their prior learning assessment and optimize their academic progress, so that students are given the opportunity to object to credit award or initiate a request that their prior learning be reviewed using an alternative PLA format.
5. Circumstances regarding financial aid, satisfactory academic progress (SA), accreditation and licensure, or other consideration should be examined to ensure the award of credit will not harm the student’s progress to degree completion.
6. Additional principles to support practice
   1. Faculty and staff should be provided with training regarding how credit recommendations are formed, where information regarding credit recommendations can be found, and what supplemental information is available to facilitate the application of the recommendations.
   2. Notwithstanding Chapter 36.31(4)(bm), Wis. Stats, credit may be awarded following an evaluation of the credit recommendations and/or supplemental assessments that are administered by verified content experts.
   3. When applying the credit recommendations results in the assignment of elective credits supplemental prior learning assessments can be used to award course credit or credit that may be applied to the academic degree program requirements.
   4. Universities will make information specifying how credit earned will be applied to a student’s academic program assessable to the student.
   5. When military trainings to university course equivalencies are identified, these equivalencies should be published in public-facing credit equivalency systems such as Transferology.

II. Workplace Training and Industry Exams, Credentials, and Non-Military Credit Recommendations

1. UW System institutions are encouraged to provide opportunities for an admitted student to demonstrate college-level learning through the review of previously completed training, industry exams or credentials, and/ or training reviewed by credit recommendation services such as the American Council on Education (ACE), the National Credit Recommendations Services (NCRS), or other validated credit recommendation service.
2. Additional principles to support practice
   1. Faculty and staff should be provided with training regarding how credit recommendations are formed, where information regarding credit recommendations can be found.
   2. Credit may be awarded following an evaluation of credit recommendations and/or supplemental assessments administered by qualified university faculty and staff.
   3. When utilizing credit recommendation services faculty and staff may consider how additional supplemental prior learning assessments can be used to award credit that may be applied to the academic degree program requirements.
   4. Universities will make information specifying how credit earned will be applied to a student’s academic program assessable to the student.

III. Department Assessments

1. UW System institutions are encouraged to provide opportunities for an admitted student to demonstrate college-level learning through course- or program specific assessments (e.g. examinations, project-based, performance).
2. Principles to support practice
   1. UW System institutions specify which courses are available for credit by department assessments.
   2. UW System institutions develop a process for students to initiate a request that a course or requirement be considered for PLA.
   3. Evaluation of the examinations will be carried out by content area experts.
   4. Minimum standards required to earn credit by department assessment should be set by individual UW System institutions and their faculty and should be easily accessible and available to students.
   5. Information specifying grading policies and how scores will apply to the student’s academic program is easily accessible and available to students.

IV. Portfolio Review

1. UW System institutions are encouraged to offer a student the opportunity to earn college credit through portfolio review.
2. Principles to guide practice:
   1. Specify which courses or programs qualify for credit by portfolio review and in what degree program areas the credit may be applied.
   2. UW institutions support students in the development of a successful portfolio and elevate the use of PLA by portfolio as a High Impact Practice by offering a credit or non-credit course or other form of instruction designed to teach a student how to prepare an effective portfolio.
   3. Credit may be awarded for completion of a portfolio development course independent of the outcome of the assessment of the portfolio. Under most circumstances, this credit is awarded without a grade.
   4. Credit awarded that is based upon portfolio review meets the following criteria:
      1. Credit is granted for college-level learning demonstrated in the portfolio and obtained during work or other experience, not for the experience itself.
      2. The learning is documented and represents college-level achievement.
      3. Assigned grades for the credit awarded for prior learning reflects the quality of the prior learning and not the quality of the portfolio design.
      4. Credit may be awarded following an evaluation of the portfolio by content experts.
      5. Information specifying how credit earned through portfolio assessment that will be applied to a student’s academic program is easily assessable and available to the student.

V. University Sponsored Non-Credit Coursework and Programs

1. UW System institutions may offer a student the opportunity to earn university credit for learning assessed and demonstrated through institutional sponsored non-credit instruction.
2. Principles for practice:
   1. Provide non-credit and credit students with clear information regarding approved non-credit to credit pathways, specifying which non-credit programs qualify, and PLA activities that must be completed to earn the university credit.
   2. Inform students of policies regarding whether additional assessments are required to earn credit, the assignment of grades, timing of the assessments, and the transcription of credit.
   3. Credit may be awarded by content experts in the subject matter to be evaluated.

VI. Additional PLA Guidelines

1. Academic Planning
   1. Personnel involved in prior learning assessment should pursue and receive adequate training and continuing professional development for the functions they perform.
   2. Universities should ensure PLA transfer policy and practices are consistent with the UW System Administrative Policy 135 (SYS 135), UW System Undergraduate Transfer Policy.
   3. Transcription of PLA should conform to standards to be established by UW System policy.
   4. When designing academic programs, each UW university should consider how to incorporate prior learning assessment and apply credit awarded toward program requirements.
   5. The UW System should establish and maintain a system-wide repository of UW System institution course-specific exams.
2.  Non-Academic Planning
   1. UW System institutions develop and set reasonable PLA fee guidelines to support institutional development of fee policies that are consistent and equitable across the System.
   2. UW System and institutions identify and assess the impact that PLA award and fee structures will have on student financial aid planning and aid eligibility.
   3. UW System institution practices recognize, support, and encourage the contribution of faculty/staff involved in PLA.
   4. Opportunities and policies related to PLA be widely disseminated to students.
   5. Advising practices include processes to ensure policies, procedures, and criteria applied to PLA, including provision for appeal, are fully disclosed and prominently available to all parties involved in PLA.
   6. UW System institutions collect information to recognize, assess, and create market demand for PLA programs.

6.     Contact

Director, Academic Programs and Student Learning Assessment

7.     Guideline History

Original Issuance:

8.     Scheduled Review

August 2022