By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
Jane ruefully examined her transcript. "Ah, the wages of youthful indiscretions," she thought. "Or, was I simply immature?"
It did not matter at this point. She had to face the fact that years ago she had spent a great deal of time of money and effort in college with very little to show for it. She never thought she'd ever have the nerve to go back until she found a program at a college that offered online degrees.
She could transfer her credits, and could take courses online. Even better, they had a portfolio assessment program that allowed her to potentially earn credit for prior learning.
That was a good deal, thought Jane. Even though she had not exactly been a stellar student, she had been very successful in her job. After starting as a cashier at a well-known fast food franchise, she had risen through the ranks and had been an assistant manager, and now a store manager.
In her ten years in managing fast food restaurants, Jane had learned a great deal about managing people and restaurants. While she learned a lot on the job, she had also attended a number of seminars and workshops.
Jane decided to resume classes after finding out about online programs and a special accelerated associate degree in business through her local community college. The courses were 8 weeks in length, and she could take make progress very quickly. What was perhaps the most exciting about the program was that it included a portfolio assessment course, and the opportunity to create portfolios.
Jane was uncertain about the process, so she asked the director of the program to explain it carefully to her.
"It's a fairly straightforward process," said Dextra Ritter, who had been at the helm of the program since its inception.
"You must sign up for the course in how to prepare a portfolio. It's a one credit-hour course, so it is not prohibitively expensive, but it is very useful because you learn how to look for courses in the catalogue that correspond with the life experience that you have. Then, you create a presentation that documents how and where the materials correspond with the course content. You must also demonstrate knowledge, which could be through a certificate that you earned in a workshop, or by writing a paper, or creating a project."
There were more details, which were outlined in a book that was required for the course. It was a relief for Jane, who realized that much of the experience she had gained in the last ten years directly corresponded to courses in the college catalogue.
She was able to earn 12 hours of credit through the prior learning assessment / portfolio process in the following areas:
- Management
- Personnel Management
- Restaurant Operations Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Inventory Control
Her counselor recommended that she take exams and earn credit by exam as well. Jane was very nervous about that option.
"I have always suffered from test anxiety," Jane explained. "I'm not sure why, but it really does affect me."
Ms. Ritter recommended that Jane sign up for test preparation reviews, and that she start taking practice tests online. "Perhaps the best ones might be the psychology and the American History exams," she said. "You can study for them fairly easily, and the college accepts the courses toward your degree."
Jane was very happy with her decision, and even happier as she approached graduation. When she finally reached her goal, she was surprised to find out that everyone at the restaurant had been cheering her on.
They threw a party to celebrate her achieving her associates degree and they urged her to go on for her bachelors. Two other employees, encouraged by her success, signed up for the same program.
"I'm going to keep you really busy, Ms. Ritter," said Jane, smiling.
"That's wonderful!! I love working with adult learners!"