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Jon Marc Taylor #503273 1115 E, Pence Road Cameron, Missouri 64429 |
Prisoners' GUERRILLA HANDBOOK To Correspondence Programs in the U.S. & Canada PMB 103 BOX 1305 Brunswick, ME 04011 $24.95 + shipping |
PIECING TOGETHER A COLLEGE EDUCATION
BEHIND BARS
Part IIIE-Mail by Jon Marc Taylor, MA Bio/Address
The
use of Credit-Equivalency exams (as covered in Part II of this series) is
probably the best dollar for dollar value for any student with limited
educational resources. However, for most students these exams will not meet the
entire curriculum required for most degree programs. Other, more specific,
course credits will have to be earned.
The
traditional means to fulfill these last few class requirements (many times even
for on-campus students) would be to enroll in a standard correspondence
course, submitting a dozen or so lessons and taking on an average two proctored
exams. This option will be covered in the fourth and final article in this
series. In keeping with the overall strategy to piece together your college
education as inexpensively as possible, and to earn a diploma in the shortest
amount of time, end-of-course exam options, prior learning portfolio
accreditations, and credit bank services are reviewed next.
END-OF-COURSE EXAMS:
End-of-course
exams, also called "Course Credit-by-Examination" among
other labels, is an educational structure similar to CLEP and DANTES exams,
except in this case, the credits granted are usually for a more specific course
in a college curriculum. This method is of particular use when one to a few
defined classes are necessary to fill out a degree program's requirements.
These
exams are basically the same tests, sometimes the correspondence course's two
standard exams edited together that are used in the traditional correspondence
program. The value in utilizing this option is in reduced expenses and time
invested. In the typical situation, the expense of Credit-by-Examination courses
is from one-third to one-half what traditional per credit hour
enrollment costs.
In
most programs you can enroll in these courses (which at some schools are the
same ones available for traditional correspondence study), purchase the study
guide, syllabus and texts, and then schedule your End-of-Course exam when ready.
There are no assignments or midterms to complete; you study in preparation to
pass the single end-of-course exam. For most students, the selection of a
particular class using these means is based upon, some to a great deal of prior
knowledge in the subject, as well as a particular need for the transcript
credit; usually to fulfill a minor or major area of study.
Employing
similar strategies, as with Credit Equivalency Exams, those associated expenses
can be reduced further. Used texts can be purchased, similar topical books can
be pulled from your library shelves, or a couple of you can take the same
Credit-by-Examination course, splitting the material fees. Further,
add these materials to your resource library, constantly expanding the
opportunities for those following in your footsteps, motivated by your example.
Many
colleges and universities offer End-of-Course Exam options, even if
they do not clearly state this fact in their catalogs. Direct inquiry will
typically result in these opportunities. Two schools that have extensive (well
over one-hundred Credit-By-Examination offerings)
are Ohio University and the University of North Carolina (SEE Sidebar 1).
PRIOR LEARNING:
Prior
Learning, also called "Experiential Learning" or "Life-Work
Experience”, can be a time and money saving way to accelerate your advancement
toward a college degree. Prior Learning is the scholastic world's recognition
that many students bring a level of work experience and life knowledge that can
be assessed and accredited with varying amounts of academic credits.
The
central principle that underlies assessment of work or life experience is what
students know is more important than how they learned it. If students can
demonstrate that their existing knowledge and skills are reasonably comparable
to those of college-trained students, then comparable credit is awarded.
Credit is usually obtained through the process of writing a
"portfolio" which summarizes and documents the student's knowledge.
Not
all life-learning can be converted into collegiate credit, but you may be
surprised how much you already know is indeed creditworthy. There are eight
major categories that may yield college-equivalent credits. These
categories are:
-
Work (skills and activities performed on the job, including military service)
-
Homemaking (maintenance, planning, budgeting, child psychology, cooking and nutrition)
-
Volunteer Work (church activities, political campaigns, service organizations such as Jaycees and Toastmasters)
-
Non-credit Learning in Formal Settings (business training courses, clinics, conferences, lecturer and workshops)
-
Travel (tours, business trips, significant vacations, living abroad)
-
Recreational Activities & Hobbies (acting/community theater productions, arts & crafts, aviation training, gardening & landscaping, musical skills, and on and on)
-
Independent Reading Viewing Listening (extensive or intensive self-directed study)
-
Conversations with Experts. ( SEE Sidebar 2 for examples of possible credited experiences)
To
receive credit for these experiences you must construct a Prior Learning
Portfolio. A portfolio is a written document justifying and documenting your
request for college-equivalent credits. Preparing a portfolio is not an
easy task, but it can be well worth the effort. Many schools provide
instructions on how to compose your portfolio. (SEE Sidebar 3 for a
listing some resources that can assist you in preparing your portfolio).
Portfolios have four components:
-
a request for specific course credits
-
a resume identifying your educational, professional, and other relevant activities
-
a narrative demonstrating that you have "college-equivalent" knowledge and skills
-
documentation to support your claims of accomplishment
It
is crucial that you be able to document your experiences. (Sidebar 4
provides some means by which you can document your life experiences) Your
portfolio will be evaluated by an assessment team at the schools you apply for
credit. Criteria used to evaluate your portfolio includes, but not limited to:
-
the amount and level of decision-making responsibility
-
the number of reporting relationships with subordinates and colleagues
-
the span of financial control
-
the duration of training experiences
-
the overall level of responsibility required.
Schools
and the American Council on Education (ACE) are striving to create
"menus" or uniform credit awards for non-traditional experiences. (SEE
Sidebar 5 for samples some recommended credit-levels for various
life experiences) ACE publishes two massive books making such recommendations: The
National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs and Guide
to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces. Urge
your education director or librarian to order these reference guides for your
educational resource library.
Many
colleges and universities offer portfolio credit evaluations. The number of
credits possible to be earned range from a few to over one hundred, depending on
a student’s background and effectiveness in preparing their portfolios, as
well as the school's particular policies. Evaluation Fees vary from college to
college. They usually range from a few hundred to several hundred dollars for
registration and evaluation, and on average, from $30 to $60 per credit hour
granted and listed on the transcript.
CREDIT BANK SCHOOLS:
Schools
that have unrestricted transfer and portfolio credit granting policies are
called "Credit Bank Services." These fully accredited schools work
like a money bank accepting deposits of academic credits, however or wherever
earned, issuing a single, widely recognized transcript. These schools also offer
a wide variety of degree programs. Among the three listed colleges (SEE Sidebar
6), there are over 200 undergraduate areas for degree granting diplomas.
There
are seven basic categories of learning experiences that can be deposited in
credit bank accounts. These credit sources can be mixed and matched to fulfill a
majority, and in some cases, 311 of the necessary hours to complete a degree's
requirements. These seven categories are:
-
college courses, either classroom or correspondence
-
equivalency exams
-
military service occupations training and experiences
-
ACE accredited industry training programs
-
FAA pilot certifications and licenses
-
nursing performance examinations
-
all other life experiences coalesced in a portfolio assessment
For
students with diverse training and life experiences, credit banking services
provided by these profiled programs could be the best investment you can make,
pulling together all the creditworthy accomplishments you have earned. Even for
students with limited life experiences, and/or extensive credits earned via
widely accepted equivalency exams could benefit, if not necessarily from the
credit banking services, but from the liberal acceptance of transferred credit
hours towards these schools' degree granting programs.
Fees
vary between these services. Portfolio assessment fees range from $250 to $600
with per credit granted rates from free to $100. Annual service records
maintenance fees average another $100, with deft timing (i.e. applying when
enough total hours have been accrued) these fees can be avoided by immediately
applying for a degree. For those directly seeking a degree, rather than credit
banking services, the Charter Oak State College Foundation offers grants of up
to $500 per student for courses, tests and Portfolio Assessment fees. Apply
quarterly and apply early for this generous waiver program.
For
those able to submit credit deposits of 120 academic certifiable hours or
more, totaling all fees, a baccalaureate could be earned for around $500. Quite a
savings over the initially projected cost of $15,000 for a degree earned via
traditional correspondence studies. Only your imagination limits your creative
uses of all of these resources to achieve your degree. In the words of Marcus
Garvey:
According
to the commonest principles of human action,
no
man will do as much for you
as
you will do for yourself.
The
final article in this series will put it all together, exampling associate and
baccalaureate curriculums, and some of the "best buys" in traditional
correspondence study.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Jon
Marc Taylor received the Robert F. Kennedy and The Nation/I.F. Stone
Journalism Awards for his reporting on "Pell Grants for Prisoners,"
and is the author of the Prisoners' GUERRILLA HANDBOOK
To Correspondence
Programs in the U.S. & Canada: $23.95 ($3.00
discount for prisoners) from Audenreed Press, PMB 103 / POB 1305, Brunswick, ME
04011 / 1 (888) 315-0582
(Author
retains all second serial / reprint rights)
SIDEBAR
1
OHIO
UNIVERSITY
UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA
Office
of Independent Study
Independent Studies
Tupper
Hall 302
CB – 1020 The Friday Center
Athens,
OH 45701-2979
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1020
Credit-By-Examination
Credit-By-Examination
$42.00
per credit hour
$21.00 per credit hour (in-state student)
one-half
of standard tuition fee
$44.00 per credit hour (out-state student)
168
course options
one-third of standard tuition fee
108 course options
SIDEBAR
2
EXAMPLES
OF POSSIBLE CREDITWORTHY ACTIVITIES
playing tennis |
being a camp counselor |
|
leading
a church group |
playing in a band |
|
taking a body-building class |
living
in another culture |
|
reading War and Peace |
repairing a car |
|
building model airplanes |
performing
magic |
|
learning shorthand |
designing and weaving a rug |
|
starting a small business |
writing a speech |
|
navigating a small boat |
writing a speech |
watching public television |
organizing
a union |
| writing a book | devising a marketing strategy |
SIDEBAR
3
PORTFOLIO
PREPARATION GUIDANCE MATERIALS
Earn
Credit for What You Know by Lois Lamdin ($24.!U + S&H)
(as
well as other helpful publications)
Council
for Adult & Experiential Learning
55
East Monroe Street Suite 1930
C
Chicago, IL 60604
Portfolio Video Seminar & printed Study Guide -
Follet's
Bookstore
Governors
Sate University (IL)
1-800-GSU-8GSU,
exit: 4558
National
College Studies
Student
Assistance Division / Dept BG1
675
Blue Mountain Road
Saugerties,
NY 12477
SI
MEANS
OF CREDITWORTHY DOCUMENTATION
official commendations |
certificates |
| course outlines | testimonials & endorsements |
| bills of sale | newspaper articles |
| awards & honors | official job descriptions |
| copies of speeches made | military records |
| copies of exams taken | writing samples |
|
samples of arts & crafts made |
licenses |
| designs & blueprints | works of art |
SIDEBAR
5
SELECTED
EXAMPLES OF STANDARDIZED AWARDS
| Credit(s) | Activity |
| 6 | Alcohol and Drug Counselor |
| 43 | Apprentice Program-Plumbing or Pipefitting |
| 12 | Bandleader (Army MOS) |
| 3 | Basic
Reading Tutor Training |
| 17 | Computer Electronic Technical program |
| 1 | Basic Life guarding (Red Cross) |
| 12-18 |
Certified
Case Manager (Social Work or Nursing) -credits |
| 4 | Emergency Medical Technician: |
| 24 | Fluency in Spanish |
| 15 | Ground Surveillance Radar Repair (Army MOS) |
| 24 | Legal Clerk (Army MOS) |
| 3 | Private Pilot License |
| 6 | Real Estate Salesperson License |
| 45 | Registered Nurse |
| 2 | Water Safety Instructor |
| 2 | 9400 Copier Repair Course (Xerox Corporation) |
SIDEBAR
6
CREDIT
BANK SERVICES & DEGREE GRANTING SCHOOLS
Charter
Oak State College
Regents College
55
Paul J. Manafort Drive
7 Columbia Circle
New
Britian, CT 06053-2142
Albany, NY 12203-5159
Thomas
Edison State College
Regents Credit Bank
101
West State Street
1450 West Avenue
Trenton,
NJ 08608-1176
Albany, NY 12203-3524
Jon Marc would appreciate any comments you would care to share. E-Mail
Part III - you are here
