Prior Learning Assessment Credit Policy

PURPOSE:

Jefferson Community College believes that students should be awarded credit for verifiable college-level learning regardless of where or how it was acquired. Many students have gained knowledge from experiences that are not validated by an official transcript.

DEFINITIONS:

Certain terms in this document are used with specific meanings, as defined in this section.

1. Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLAC) is the process of evaluating and awarding college-level learning that occurred before entering Jefferson.
2. The College’s residency requirement refers to the amount of a degree program that must be completed at JCC in order to be considered a student at the College.
3. A matriculated student is one who has been accepted by the Jefferson Community College Admission Office and is enrolled in a degree or certificate program.

STATEMENT OF POLICY:

1. Matriculated students and students enrolled in a microcredential are eligible for Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLAC).
2. Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLAC) is available for prior college-level learning verified by
   1. Standardized Published Examinations
      1. The College Board-College Level Exam Prep (CLEP)
      2. Advanced Placement (AP)
      3. International Baccalaureate (IB)
      4. DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
      5. Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT)
   2. Jefferson Community College Discipline Examinations
   3. Military Training and Experience
      1. The College grants credit for military training and MOS experience according to the American Council on Education (ACE) Guide.
      2. Credit from foreign institutions evaluated and approved by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
   4. Non-Collegiate Training using American Council on Education (ACE) National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs and The Directory of the National Program on Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction (PONSI)
   5. Professional and Industry Certifications, Licenses, and Credentials
      1. The College grants credit for the successful completion of coursework and programs leading to a professional license.
      2. Each course or program is individually evaluated for equivalency with Jefferson coursework by comparing the descriptions and learning outcomes of these professional licensing programs to the course description and learning outcomes of College courses.
3. Each student is responsible for providing the College with all required documentation as evidence of prior learning.
4. Faculty within the academic discipline are responsible for
   1. establishing guidelines and processes for Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLAC) in their academic and discipline specific areas;
   2. filing all current guidelines and processes with the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
5. The Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for publicizing the current guidelines and processes for Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLAC).
6. Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLAC):
   1. cannot be applied towards the College’s residency requirements for graduation, renewal of scholarships, or other requirements based on credit earned through the College;
   2. is recorded on the official college transcript according to the College Grading Policy;
   3. is not calculated in the student’s grade point average (GPA);
   4. cannot duplicate any previously awarded credit;
   5. is awarded only when it applies to programs of study at Jefferson.
7. Students are responsible for all costs associated with the awarding of Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLAC).
8. The Vice President for Academic Affairs is responsible for overseeing this policy.

APPROVED:
Resolution 158-23, June 2023