LEWISTON, Idaho - Lewis-Clark State College is pleased to announce that students may once again earn credit for their experience through the new Prior Experiential Learning (PEL) program.
Through completion of a Prior Experiential Learning portfolio, a student may demonstrate that his or her life and work experience is equivalent to the learning outcomes of certain courses. Faculty with expertise in the course subject area will assess each PEL portfolio and award credit, where merited, for college-level learning, characterized by a balance of theory and practice, derived from experience. Students will receive support and guidance for writing effective PEL portfolios through an online required course, ID 321: Portfolio Development. Students who have completed ENGL 102 (Research Writing) or an equivalent course may enroll in ID 321 as soon as the 2014 fall semester to get started.
Lewis-Clark State College has a long tradition of promoting access to higher education and is re-introducing the revised PEL program in an effort to serve adult students and to encourage them to start and complete a college education.
“Former students and employers may remember this program from the 1990s as the “Portfolio” program,” said Mary Flores, LCSC Dean for Academic Programs. “College leadership believes that awarding credit through assessment of what students know and can do will be a good tool to help working adults make progress toward completion of a degree or certificate.”
“In many cases, learning by doing can be the most effective way of mastering a subject or skill and can justifiably and significantly contribute to many college certificate and degree programs,” added LCSC President J. Anthony (Tony) Fernández.
Prospective PEL students may find out more about the program by contacting the LCSC Office of Admissions at 208-792-2210. An LCSC advisor can help students identify coursework and programs for which individuals may be eligible for PEL credit. The program is administered through the Office of the Dean for Academic Programs.