Alpena Community College students will have a simpler path to earning college credit for learning gained on the job, through apprenticeships, military service and industry training after trustees approved a new credit-for-prior-learning policy.
The ACC Board of Trustees unanimously approved Policy 4042 Credit for Prior Learning at its regular August meeting. The policy replaces the college's College Level Examination Program Policy and Non Traditional Credit Evaluation Policy.
What the new policy covers
Under the policy, students may receive academic credit for verifiable college-level learning from professional learning, work experience, military service, industry certifications and other experiential opportunities. The prior learning must align with ACC course outcomes and the requirements of a student's degree program.
Accepted credentials and evaluation methods listed in the policy include Advanced Placement and other standardized examinations, departmental examinations, military training and experience evaluated under American Council on Education guidelines, industry apprenticeships, certifications and licenses, articulated workforce training, and portfolio-based assessments.
The college said the process is intended to expand access to credit, help students complete credentials faster and create a more equitable, transparent and consistent way to evaluate college-level learning earned outside the classroom.
Kalitta Air relationship helped prompt change
Paige Gordier, ACC's vice president of instruction, said the policy revision followed the college's new relationship with Kalitta Air in Oscoda. Kalitta offers a 2.5-year Airframe and Powerplant technician apprenticeship program. After completing that apprenticeship, students take five additional classes at ACC to earn their full certification.
Gordier said ACC has already awarded credit for electrical and journeyman/linemen programs. She explained that the previous policy required each student's experience to be evaluated separately, while the new approach allows broader determinations for established training programs.
“We just wanted to clarify the policy to make it more usable for training in the field,” Gordier said.
With the revised process, ACC can determine in advance how existing apprenticeships apply toward college credit. Students may also assemble a portfolio documenting job experience. A professional certificate, such as an OSHA certificate, can likewise be used for credit when it meets the policy's requirements.
Gordier described the revised process as a more seamless way for students to earn additional credit. She said ACC may have been the first program in Michigan to offer credit for electrical and lineman apprenticeships and was the first to work with Kalitta to tailor prior-learning credits to its program.
Michigan Reconnect adds timely opportunity
The policy change comes as Michigan residents age 21 and older who do not already hold a college degree may qualify for full or partial state funding to earn one through Michigan Reconnect.
Gordier said the state is encouraging colleges to recognize apprenticeships, giving ACC's expanded prior-learning process added relevance for adults seeking credentials while bringing professional and technical experience into their college pathways.