Alternative Avenues for Non-Traditional Students: Finding Value in Prior Learning Assessment as a Faculty Member

Prior learning assessment (PLA) is a powerful tool for engaging non-traditional students. The task of evaluating requests for prior learning credit often falls to faculty members in community college settings. Some faculty doubt PLA because it removes students from seats in the classroom. Others aren’t sure what to say, or if they should say anything, when they identify a student whose prior work or learning experience may qualify them for PLA. This webinar demonstrates how to use PLA as a tool for building relationships with non-traditional students who are harder to engage, ensuring students are seated in future courses, and adding to successful graduate and completion numbers.

This webinar assists participants in understanding the long-term personal and institutional value of prior learning assessment. After this webinar, participants will be able to identify potential PLA candidates, develop a referral plan, and build their own methods of evaluation to determine if a student should or should not receive credit.

Susan Peek has been a Success Coach and Prior Learning Specialist at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama for almost seven years and has worked in higher education for more than 10 years. She assisted the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education in developing a statewide prior learning process and associated forms and has customized PLA for use in the community and technical college setting. She graduated with her B.A. from Berea College and is currently just a thesis shy of her M.A. at Faulkner University.

Please Note:

Only those attending the LIVE webinar will receive a certificate of attendance. Thank you!