Life Experience Credit

Assessment is designed to offer Jamestown Community College students college credit for relevant life experience learning. Traditionally, college credits are earned in formal classrooms within the academic semester. Jamestown Community College believes learning that approximates that of post-secondary education is also available through “extra-institutional” life experiences such as work duties, trainings, seminars, and practice of a profession or activity. It is the purpose of the Credit Life Experience Assessment Program to help individuals focus on their life learning and, if appropriate, translate them into college credit.

Individuals who are interested in having their life experiences assessed will take the following steps after talking to a counselor:

  1. Arrange for a personal interview with a counselor to determine the areas of life experience to be assessed and the advisability of seeking credit. This interview will also help the individual determine how his/her life experience credit may or may not relate to short or long-term educational goals.

    Alternate methods of accumulating credit will also be explored, such as: the College Level Examination Program, independent study, and credit for military training.

  2. Then if appropriate, the individual will develop a portfolio for each area to be assessed which includes documentation of his/her learning. The portfolio will be submitted to the Life Experience Counselor upon completion.
  3. The portfolio will be sent to the department in the college most allied with the area to be evaluated. A faculty evaluator in that department will review the portfolio and determine applicable credit. The portfolio is then returned to the Counseling and Career Development Center for permanent filing.
  4. The registrar 's office will be notified of the credit award and the credit will be posted on the student 's transcript in the manner that most clearly benefits the student’s degree program.
  5. The student will be notified of his/her credit assessment and receive a bill.
  6. All life experience credit requests are charged a non-refundable $25 administrative fee. For each portfolio submitted to faculty departments for review, there will be an additional charge of $50. This additional charge is levied regardless of the outcome of the portfolio evaluation. A fee of $51.00 per credit hour will be charged for awarded credit.  Students requesting an evaluation will be asked to sign an agreement of payment form.
  7. Life Experience Credit may or may not be transferable. If the student plans on continuing his/her education at another school, that school should be contacted to find out what their policy is on credit for experiential learning.

It is recommended that students do not begin to assemble or prepare a portfolio without first making an appointment with a Life Experience Counselor.

Students attending or planning to attend the Jamestown, Dunkirk or Warren sites can call the Counseling and Career Development Center at the Jamestown Campus at 338-1007 to talk to a Life Experience Counselor.

Students attending or planning to attend the Olean site can call the Counseling and Career Planning Center at the Olean campus at Olean 716-376-7508 to talk to a Life Experience Counselor.

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