Weatherford College strives to provide students with opportunities to receive credit for prior learning while still maintaining the academic integrity of its academic programs. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is the evaluation of an individual’s learning outside of the college classroom. PLA gives students an opportunity to earn college credits for college-level knowledge they have acquired through experience including military service, licensure or certifications, or WC workforce continuing education. In order to ensure the academic quality of credit earned through PLA, all assessment criteria are developed and processed by academically qualified faculty in the discipline, with approvals obtained as outlined for each pathway.
Participants benefit from recognized learning outside the traditional classroom, reduced program costs, and timely degree completion. To accommodate this need, Weatherford College has developed the Prior Learning Assessment Guidelines and Procedures Manual. This Manual is designed to provide information about the diverse ways in which students obtain academic credit for knowledge and skills learned outside a classroom setting. This academic college credit can be awarded through the following seven (5) prior learning programs/pathways:
- Military Training
- External Exams – CLEP, AP, IB
- Internal Credit by Exam
- WC workforce continuing education to Credit Conversion
- Licensure or Professional Certification
Students may petition course credit for any one of the aforementioned pathways. Course credit is awarded when content mastered through an experience is similar to the student learning outcomes of an WC course and is consistent with the mission of the College.
The Academic Affairs Division and the Enrollment Management Division work collaboratively to process prior learning assessment requests. The Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Services ensures PLA adheres to institutional policies, individual program accreditation requirements, and regional accreditation standards, maintains academic integrity, and follows current business processes. As appropriate, PLA opportunities are supported by faculty who qualify to teach the course(s) in accordance with credentialing guidelines set forth in Board Policy. The Office of the Executive Dean of Enrollment Management & Registrar provides support to PLA applicants through academic advising, application assistance, and posting credit. WC Policies are consistent with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) principles.