Carroll Community College

Section One: Academic Regulations

Credit for Prior Learning

III. CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING

Academic course credit for prior learning will be awarded to students of the College who have proven competency equivalent to learning achieved in certain courses offered by the College. Credits awarded for prior learning will be posted on the student's permanent record when the credit is awarded.

A. General Regulations and Procedures

1. Students who think their prior learning is equivalent to knowledge or skill outcomes of certain college courses should contact the Admissions, Advising, and Counseling Center, room A102. This procedure is strongly recommended so that an advisor and the student may explore the appropriateness of the student's interest, the college courses most closely related to the student's prior learning, and the specific procedures to be followed.
2. Students must complete an application for credit for prior learning and submit the application to the chairperson (or his/her representatives) of the department in which the course is assigned. The chairperson or representatives will conduct an initial screening of the applicant's request to determine if the student has acquired sufficient prior learning to attempt credit by examination with a reasonable expectation of being successful.
3. Individual departments will decide and inform the Records Office of courses in which credit for prior learning is available, the procedures to be followed to obtain credit, and the criteria for evaluation. The opportunity to attempt to obtain credit for prior learning in some courses may only be available at certain designated times.
4. Credits awarded for prior learning may not be accepted as transfer credit by other institutions.
5. Students who request credit for prior learning will be charged a fee payable prior to the assessment of learning activity. The amount of the fee may vary with the extent of the assessment process and shall be in accordance with a schedule of fees posted in appropriate publications.
6. A maximum of 30 credits may be awarded for prior learning. The amount of credit awarded for prior learning may be no more than half of the specialized courses in a career program. For example, in a career program such as Accounting, a student may receive credit for prior learning in no more than half the Accounting courses he/she is required to take.
7. Students who exceed the credit limits outlined above may choose which courses they wish to receive credit, in order to conform with the credit limitations.
8. Credits awarded for prior learning do not count towards satisfying the College residency requirements for graduation.
9. Credits awarded for prior learning will appear on the permanent record with the notation "Credit for Prior Learning by Examination" or "Credit for Prior Learning by CLEP," as appropriate.
10. No letter grade will be assigned for credits awarded for prior learning. Thus, the student's GPA will not include performance demonstrated in the achievement of credit for prior learning.
11. Notification of credit awarded for prior learning for a course will be submitted to the Records Office or the appropriate form by the chairperson of the department in which the course is assigned. Residual material such as tests, test portfolios, or CLEP score answer sheets must be retained by the Records Office or the department chairperson.
12. Each department may set its own guidelines as far as the number of times a student is allowed to attempt to take a course through credit by examination.
13. Transfer credit (including credit earned via credit by exam or the College Level Examination Program, and/or CLEP) will be accepted in transfer even if the course has been attempted at Carroll, but will not improve the student's Carroll Community College grade point average.
14. The appropriate academic department will send notice, in writing, to the Records Office regarding the outcomes of all attempts to receive credit for prior learning. The Records Office will send official notice of the outcome to the student.
15. Students may either receive credit for prior learning in a course or may receive credit by completing a course in the traditional manner, but not both.

B. Examination Content

1. Examinations, whenever possible, should be based on nationally recognized standardized tests.
2. Where appropriate, examinations will be constructed and administered by the department responsible for the course.
3. Oral examinations, portfolios, practical application tests, or performances may be used in addition to or in place of written examinations. A portfolio may include books, articles, written reports, representative works (painting, sculpture, computer programs, musical compositions, etc.)
4. Identification of the courses in which credit by examination is available will be the decision of the individual departments concerned. Each department will determine the kind of evidence and the mode of evaluation it requires for the granting of credit.
5. The evaluation is based on the objectives of the courses offered at Carroll Community College and their comparability to the learning gained through the student's prior experiences.

C. Credit by CLEP

1. The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a national program of credit by examination. CLEP has its own fee schedule.
2. Individual departments will determine which courses students may be awarded credit via CLEP.
3. Students must submit an official copy of their examination results to the Records Office for evaluation and posting.
4. Effective July 1, 2001, students who score 50 or higher on any computerized CLEP exam, will be granted credit if applicable to the program of study. Credit may be granted for additional CLEP exams other than those listed below. See appropriate department chairperson for information.

D. Credit by Exam

The College participates in a credit by exam program and awards credit according to the following chart. Students interested in earning credit via the credit by exam program should meet with the appropriate department chairperson or academic advisor. As with all in-house testing, these credits may not be recognized by other institutions.

E. Advanced Placement

The College participates in the Advanced Placement Examination Program, which is administered by the College Entrance Examination Board and is coordinated through the high schools. Students must submit an official copy of their examination results to the Records Office for evaluation and posting. Credit is awarded in accordance with following chart.

F. Non-Traditional Credit

A student who applies for admission with credit for non-traditional learning must prove competency equivalent to learning achieved in certain courses offered by the College. A maximum of 30 credits may be awarded for prior learning. The amount of credit awarded for prior learning may be no more than half of the specialized courses in a career program.

G. Credit for Apprenticeship Training

Students who have satisfactorily completed a formal apprenticeship training program approved by the Apprenticeship Training Council, the Federal Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, or the College may receive credits to apply toward graduation. (The College approval will be determined by the appropriate department of the College.) Credit is generally granted at a rate equivalent to six credits per year of apprenticeship. General elective credits will be granted unless equivalent courses are offered by the College, as determined by the appropriate academic department.

Carroll Community College's CLEP Equivalents

Effective July 1, 2001, students who score 50 or higher on any computerized CLEP exam, will be granted credit if applicable to the program of study. Credit may be granted for additional CLEP exams other than those listed below. See appropriate department chairperson for information.

Advanced Placement Examination Program

Types of Non-Traditional Learning

1. Must be evaluated by department in which credit is awarded
2. Only upon successful completion of full apprenticeship program

I. Career Connections/Carroll County Public Schools Career and Technology Program Articulations

Carroll Community College maintains several articulation agreements with Carroll County Public Schools. These agreements are updated annually. Currently, students who have completed and met grade requirements for programs in Accounting or Financial Services, Administrative Assistant; Early Childhood Education; Computer Technology; Drafting; and Print Production may articulate courses to the College as follows:

   CCPS Accounting or Financial Services will be articulated as:
    ACCT-101, Principles of Accounting (3 credits) 
    (Total Carroll credits awarded: 3)

   CCPS Administrative Assistant/Secretarial Science will be articulated as:
    Up to 27 credits in Office Technology courses with proficiency testing

CCPS Child Care/Early Childhood Education will be articulated as:
ECE-101, Child Growth and Development (3 credits)
ECE-104, Methods and Materials in Early Childhood Education (3 credits)
(Total Carroll credits awarded: 6)

CCPS Computer Technology will be articulated as:
CIS-101, Introduction to Computers and Computing (3 credits)
CIS-120, Introduction to Visual Basic (4 credits); and possibly
CIS-125, Beginning Programming using C (4 credits)
(Total Carroll credits awarded: 11)

CCPS Drafting will be articulated as:
CAD-101, Introduction to Computer Aided Design (3 credits)
(Total Carroll credits awarded: 3 credits)

CCPS Print Production will be articulated as:
CGR-105, Introduction to Computer Graphics (3 credits)
(Total Carroll credits awarded: 3 credits)