pacrao review june 2016

PACRAO Review http://www.pacrao.org/b

Volume 6, Number 1June 2016

ISSN 2324-8084

Volume 6 • Number 1 • June 2016

Developing a Conference Session: 19 Nifty Steps to Turn an Idea pp. 2-11 into an Outrageously Excellent Presentation

Sue Eveland, University of Oregon Nontraditional Credit within Higher Education pp.12-19

Nathan Cicchillo, University of Phoenix Developing Professional Excellence in the Registrar’s Office pp.20-23

Michael Santarosa, University of Utah Traits to Emulate: A Tribute to Tom Watts pp.24-26

Rebecca Mathern, Oregon State University

Developing Training to Better Serve Undocumented Students, pp.27-30 Our University’s Most Vulnerable Populations

Christina Joy Kim, University of California, Irvine



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Developing a Conference Session: 19 Nifty Steps to Turn an Idea into an Outrageously

Excellent Presentation

Sue Eveland University Registrar University of Oregon

Everyone always says that a good way to begin to get involved with PACRAO is to present a session at a conference. It’s a short-term, low-stakes, low-time contribution that does not involve travel to meetings or homework assignments or a multi-year commitment. You’re only in the spotlight for an hour or so, and then you can step back and pat yourself on the back for contributing something of yourself to your colleagues and to your organization. Sounds easy! So how do you get started? And what’s the point,

anyway?

1. Accept the Challenge

Everyone always says that a good way to

begin to get involved with PACRAO is to

present a session at a conference. It’s a short-

term, low-stakes, low-time contribution that

does not involve travel to meetings or

homework assignments or a multi-year

commitment. You’re only in the spotlight for

an hour or so, and then you can step back and

pat yourself on the back for contributing

something of yourself to your colleagues and

to your organization. Sounds easy! So how

do you get started? And what’s the point,

anyway?

2. Be the Program

Our state, regional and national organizations

depend on members like us to “be the

program” at our conferences. The heart of

any conference is the program: the sessions

and the plenary speakers. Sessions are what

make conferences worth attending. Sure,

there is value in networking and reconnecting

with our colleagues at conferences – and we

always seem to have fun and eat a lot – but in

the end, we attend conferences for the value

of the program.

None of our associations can afford to pay

professionals to come in and present all of our

sessions to us. That’s why our associations

rely on members to step up and “be the

program.” Who better than us to show each

other good ways to do things, or tricks about

software, or the pitfalls of implementing new

laws or policy? Sometimes presenting is a

chance to brag about a problem we have

successfully solved; sometimes presenting is

a chance to share something that worked for

us on our campuses or in our offices;



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sometimes presenting is a chance to share a

problem and commiserate with each other

about the trouble we are having on our

campus. Admit it: we all have plenty of

topics. We just need to take a look around!

3. Pick a Topic

So, the first thing you need to do on this

journey is to pick a topic. Have you

implemented something new in the past year?

That could be anything from a implementing

a new piece of software or implementing a

new faculty policy or just a implementing a

new way of doing an old task. This does not

have to be earth-shattering. Have you

changed how you are handing a process?

Have you reorganized something? Have you

had an “Ah-ha” moment?

I recently was thinking about the “then and

now” of processing transfer credit. At the

University of Oregon (UO), we have an

extremely efficient process for handing

incoming transfer credit which involves lots

of technology solutions coupled with daily

monitoring and management of all of our

tasks. I have presented a session called

“Technology Tools to Meet Outrageous

Transfer Articulation Service Agreements” at

several conferences (OrACRAO, PACRAO,

AACRAO and AACRAO Tech). (By the

way, anytime you can work the word

“outrageous” into a session title, that’s a good

thing!) In presenting that session recently in

Phoenix, I realized that most people in the

room have no idea what it used to be like in

the olden days before we had all these

technology tools at our disposal. I also found

myself getting a lot of detailed questions

about how a transcript actually moves along

the steps of the processing path from the time

the envelope arrives in the building to the

time the credit shows on the student’s degree

guide. I hit upon the idea of showing the

process “then and now.” My idea was to

show my audience the painful, error-ridden,

frustrating way we used to do things, and

contrast that with the speedy and accurate

way we do this work today. A perfect topic!

4. Craft a Catchy Title

The next step in the journey is to craft a

catchy title. You want something that will

summarize the content of the session, yet be

catchy, or maybe even clever (or

outrageous!). If you can tie into the theme of

the conference, go for it. At AACRAO’s

100th conference, I presented “100 Tips and

Tricks for a Productive Office.” At

OrACRAO 2016, I presented “Cracking the

FERPA Code” (with a subtle nod to The Da

Vinci Code). Other recent session titles that I

have used include: “AACRAOnyms: A

Primer of Higher Ed Acronyms for New

Professionals” (misspelled by design and

presented at AACRAO); “The A, B, C’s of

Writing Good Instructions;” “The Registrar’s

Toolkit: Nifty Solutions for Everyday



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Questions and Problems.” (Nifty is a nifty

word in a title!)

For my title, I came up with “A Day in the

Life of a Transfer Transcript.” I think this

sounds catchy and summarizes what the

session will be about - what happens to a

transcript in a day and in its life. Might it

remind you of the Life of Pi? Or the old

Beatles’ song?

5. Draft a Description

Once you have your topic and a title, the next

step in your journey is write up a 50-word (or

fewer) description. No working on the

presentation yet. Get your description ready

so you can submit your session when the call

for sessions comes in your email. Usually,

there is a limit to the length of your

description because, if your session is

selected, this description will be printed in

the conference program (and those cost

money, so planning people don’t want you to

write a novel!). In some cases, you are

permitted to have an additional “long session

description” that will appear on the

association’s website, where real estate is

unlimited. Then your shorter version will be

used for printed materials. Focus on the short

description first. Type it up in a Word

document so you can use spell checker and

grammar checker (most session proposal sites

do not have those features) and so you can

use the character and word count feature

(ALT T W for those of you who like

keyboard shortcuts). This paragraph contains

178 words, in case you wondered. Save your

session description as a Word document, so

you can re-use it for another conference at a

different time.

If you are submitting your session to an

association that asks for a long session

description, you can expand your short

description as much as you’d like, or simply

use the same one for both. I often do that.

Here’s my short session description for “A

Day in the Life of a Transfer Transcript:”

In the olden days, before the internet and EDI

and document imaging workflows, handling

transcripts for transfer students was a

tedious, repetitive and time consuming

process. This session will explore both the old

and the new ways of managing transfer of

credit, with an emphasis on technologies that

speed the process and ensure equitable and

accurate transfer credit award for all

students. (62 words)

6. Work within PowerPoint

Ok, so now you have a topic, a title and a

description. Now you can start working on

your presentation. My preference is to just dig

right into PowerPoint and write and organize

my content as I go.



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Select a design template: First I select a

design template. At UO, our Enrollment

Management division has developed an

official template for presentations. I like

using it because it is branded to UO, is

interesting to look at, and no one else at the

conference will be using it (except perhaps

other UO colleagues). Some associations,

such as AACRAO, offer a session template

that you can use if you so choose. That can be

helpful in that the template is branded to the

conference and it usually includes a slide of

helpful announcements that you might want

to make at the beginning of your session (turn

off cell phones; turn in evaluations; etc.). You

can also choose from the many options

offered in the PowerPoint collection or create

your own.

Build a Title Slide: On the title page, include

your session title, the name of the association

and year, city and state of the conference,

your name and title, and your institution’s

name. In some cases, you will know ahead of

time when you are scheduled to present

during the conference and your session

number. AACRAO, PACRAO and

OrACRAO all have rubrics for session

numbering. Putting your session number on

your title slide will help your attendees find

your session evaluation later (or maybe even

nominate you for the “Best Session” award).

Save your work often. Here’s a sample Title

Slide from a recent presentation of mine.

Create an Outline Slide: A good first slide

after the title slide is one that will help frame

the material you are going to cover for your

audience. Good speakers know to 1) tell your

audience what you are going to tell them; 2)

tell them; and then 3) tell them what you told

them. For “A Day in the Life of a Transfer

Transcript,” my first slide can be pretty

simple; I’m going to talk about the olden days

in the first part of the session, and the

technology-heavy solution we use today in

the second part of the session. In other

presentations, I have had as many as ten items

on this first slide. This slide serves as a

roadmap or outline of your presentation, and

it tells your audience what you are going to

cover.

Be Brief: After that, dive in and start writing

your pages. Limit the amount of content on

each of your pages. Write bullet points and

short phrases to remind you what to talk

about during your presentation, but don’t

write out your entire spiel. No one wants you

to stand at the front of the room and read your



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slides to them. Add Visuals: When possible,

paste in visuals for your audience. Pictures

and screen shots break up the content pages

and can prompt you about what to say. Use

clipart if appropriate. For “A Day in the Life

of a Transfer Transcript,” I am planning to

recreate the olden days and take pictures of

transcripts piled up in various bins and

folders. For the second part of the session, I

plan to take screen shots of Banner,

document imaging, DuckWeb (self-serve),

Degree Guides, etc. I plan to do this

travelogue style, as if the transcript were on a

little journey for a day, and I’m providing the

travelogue.

Practice Fair Use: When using photos, clip

art and cartoons be sure to practice fair use.

There are lots of images and cartoons on the

web; many of them are copyrighted and

should not be used without permission (and

sometimes even payment!). Include

Consistent Clipart: One trick I like to use in

my presentations is to use a consistent piece

of clipart to signify something to the

audience. In my “100 Tips and Tricks”

presentation, I used a little eyeball graphic

(which actually moves back and forth during

the presentation) to indicate that the content

on that page was available without a

password or account via the web. See the

example below, which is also an example of a

first slide where I tell my audience what we

are going to cover.

Incorporate Screen Shots: Here’s a page from

later in the presentation (below). It’s an

example of using a screen shot of a web page

to demonstrate how something works. As you

can see, there is no text on this screen. The

images are enough to remind me as the

speaker about what to talk about on this slide.

Plus the eyeball (my consistent clipart) tells

the audience that they can visit the web later

and look at this tool again.



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Add a Trio of Concluding Slides: Once you

finish all your content, add three final slides.

The first should be a recap of what you just

covered. Add another slide for “Questions,

Comments, and Discussion.” Finally, add a

“Thank You” slide which also contains your

contact information and perhaps a reminder

to your audience to please submit a session

evaluation. Run your spell checker and

grammar checker one more time and save

your work.

7. Keep Going

Continue adding slides and content and

images. Tell your story. Keep saving your

work often.

8. Try these PowerPoint Tricks

Duplicate Slides: When you get too much

content on a page (your clue is that suddenly

the type font shrinks or your content falls

outside the text box), use the “New Slide:

Duplicate Selected Slides” to quickly copy

that slide. Delete the bottom half of the

content on the first slide, and delete the top

half of the content on the second slide, and

now you have two slides with the same title.

Review and Re-sort Slides: Use the “View:

Slide Sorter” function to see how your

presentation is shaping up, and to reorganize

slides and entire sections of slides. Just right

mouse click on a slide and drag it/drop it

where you want it to be.

Two Slides for Highlighting: Rather than

using “Transitions” to add an arrow to

highlight content or add a circle around a

piece of content, I simply duplicate the slide

and then add the arrow or circle to the second

slide. Your audience will never know you

have two slides, and you won’t have to worry

about whether the transition will work or not.

Further, if you make handouts for your

audience or post a PDF of your presentation

later, the two slides will be distinct.

9. Print and Edit

Now, print out your slides (two to a page or

three to a page) and do a thorough edit. I

would suggest you do this on paper and not

on the computer. Doing editing on the

computer can get you bogged down and off

track because your inclination will be to fix

little things as you read. On paper, you can

make notes to add content such as another

bullet or a screen shot of something. You can

edit for parallel structure. You can get a feel

for whether the presentation as a whole is

solid or disjointed. You can work on the

transitions between one section and another.

Once you have edited on paper, go back to

the PowerPoint and make your edits. And

save your work.



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10. Practice Your Presentation

Now is the time to practice your presentation.

You can do this in front of someone if you

like, or not. I would suggest you actually

stand while delivering the material, and time

yourself so you know how long your

presentation will take. You might find

yourself wanting to make changes; make

quick notes to yourself, but keep forging

ahead on your practice run-through. You can

go back after the trial run and fix things.

Once you feel confident you have all the

content down, and you can deliver the

presentation within about 45 minutes or so,

you’re all set! Now, all you have to do is wait

for that approval from your association.

11. Connect with Conference Planners

If prompted by the association, be sure to

confirm your willingness to present and

respond to all questions the conference

planners may ask about your audio visual

equipment needs or other details. Some

conferences, such as AACRAO, ask that you

upload your presentation prior to the

conference.

12. Print Handouts (Or Not)

Most conferences let you decide whether or

not to provide printed handouts. If you do

print handouts, you’ll have to try to figure out

how many to print and whether you really

want to lug them across the state or country. I

have known friends pay excess weight fees

for taking handouts in their checked luggage

– paper is heavy! If you do print handouts, I

would suggest you use the three-slides-to-a-

page version, printed on both sides, and

stapled. The text on these handouts will be

legible and there will be room for your

audience to take notes. Many associations are

now posting PDF’s of all presentations on

their web sites either before or after the

conference. You audience will be able to get

to them online if you upload yours.

13. Confirm Arrangements at the

Conference

Once at the conference, some associations ask

you to check in with them at a particular

room prior to your presentation. Reconfirm

the day, time and location of your session. Go

and look at your session room. This will help

you familiarize yourself with how to find the

room, especially at big conferences, and give

you a chance to see how the room is set up.

There might be a podium on the floor or a

podium up on a riser or stage. There might be

a table and a couple of chairs at the front of

the room or not. You can check on the

audio/visual equipment, too.

14. Arrive Early for Your Session

When it is time to present, be sure to arrive at

your room early. At AACRAO, your



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presentation will be on a conference system

computer; a tech person will come and check

on you and make sure your presentation is

displaying. At other conferences, you may be

using your own laptop and hooking it into a

projector provided for you. Get your

presentation opened up in presentation mode

set to the first screen. When people walk by

the room, they can peek in and see your title

slide and know that they are in the right

place. If you have handouts, you can set them

in piles by the doors, or stand by the door and

greet people as they come in and hand them a

handout.

15. Let Your Facilitator Help You

It is likely that a facilitator will be with you

in your session room and will ask you if you

want help with your handouts, if you want a

5-minute warning or a 10-minute warning at

the end of the session, and if want to be

introduced or not. All of this is up to you.

Personally, I like the facilitator to help with

handouts, to call the crowd to order, deliver

any conference messages (do your

evaluations, please!) and to give me a 10-

minute warning so I know if I am running out

of time. But I do like to introduce myself.

16. Introduce Yourself

When I introduce myself, I give my name,

title and institution (of course, this is written

on the Title Page of my presentation that is

showing on the screen behind me). I like to

add how long I have been in my position and

a little bit about how long I have worked in

higher education. Something like this: “My

name is Sue Eveland, and I am the University

Registrar at the University of Oregon in

Eugene, Oregon. I have worked at UO for the

past 15 years, and have been the Registrar

since 2008. Prior to joining UO, I worked at

Iowa State University for 17 years.”

17. Provide Technical Context (as

Appropriate)

Following that, if the presentation warrants

this, I tell the audience what technical

solutions are in play at the University of

Oregon. Doing so will actually stave off your

audience members from interrupting you

during your presentation just to ask you these

details. Sharing this also helps frame the

information for them and helps them

understand if what you are presenting will

work at their campus or not. You can make a

slide for this if it helps you remember

everything, or simply have the list written out

on a note card. For presentations that have

nothing to do with technology, skip this step.

An example might be a FERPA presentation.

Here’s how I would cover this piece: “To

give you some idea of what systems we use at

UO, our student information system is

Banner. We use u.achieve for our degree

audit system. We are a heavy EDI user. Our



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document imaging system is Singularity. We

use 25Live for our classroom scheduling

system and What Do You Think for our

course evaluation system. We have College

Scheduler. We use TES and the National

Student Clearinghouse. Michael Sutter is our

diploma printer. We use both Leepfrog’s

CAT and CIM products for our catalog and

curriculum management software. We are

looking into buying CLSS”

18. Answer Questions: In the Midst, at

the End, and/or Following the Conference

Finally, before you jump into your

presentation, you might announce to the

audience your preference about taking

questions during the presentation or holding

all questions till the end. You will find, if you

take questions during a presentation, that

your audience will ask questions about things

you are about to cover later in your

presentation. In that case, I would suggest

you say, “I’ll get to that in a bit,” and keep

going (don’t answer the question). Answering

questions during a presentation can derail you

and prevent you from getting through your

entire presentation. If you are an

inexperienced presenter, I would suggest you

ask your audience to hold all questions till the

end. At the end of your presentation, you can

thank your audience and then open it up for

questions. It’s fair to admit that you don’t

know the answers to every question that

might come up, but offer to check and get

back to the person. Afterward, audience

members often come up to thank you, ask for

your business card, or ask another question.

Some will ask you to share something

specific (will you send me your cheat sheet

about XYZ?). One way to handle this is to

give them your business card and ask them to

email you with their question after the

conference. Another way is to ask them to

provide their business card with a note on the

back about what they want. I prefer the latter

because then I get to know some of the

people in my audience.

19. Congratulate Yourself!

And there you have it. Your journey is

finished. It is time to unplug your computer,

gather up your things, and leave your

presentation room to the next presenter. After

the conference, don’t forget to update your

resume’ and then start thinking about your

next “Idea” to “Fabulous Presentation”

journey. I’ll see you at PACRAO!!!



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Sue Eveland, MA has worked in higher education for 32 years, first at Iowa State University for 17 years, and then at the University of Oregon since 2001. She has been UO’s University Registrar since 2008. Sue has served UMACRAO, OrACRAO and PACRAO in many roles over the years, including both elected and appointed positions, on boards and as a conference planner. Sue served as President for OrACRAO in 2006 and for PACRAO in 2013. She was awarded UMACRAO’s Exemplary Service Award in 1997 and OrACRAO’s Herb Chereck Award for Excellence in

2016. She just completed serving as the OrACRAO 2016 Planning Committee Chair and currently serves as PACRAO’s Archivist. Yes, she has a day job, though some wonder when she has time to do it! Sue is married to Big Bucks Bruce, who is retired and has been traveling extensively. Sue hopes to join him soon!

Author's Comments: It would not be an exaggeration to say that Sue presents at every state, regional, and national ‘CRAO that she attends, so she has lots of experience when it comes to developing and delivering conference sessions. She also practices a technique called “passing

the salt,” which is an expression that means asking a specific colleague to do something specific (Will you edit our conference program? Will you write up a web page about Things to Do Around Town? Will you ask your president to speak at our conference?). This time, turnabout is fair play: VP for Professional Development Julia Pomerenk passed the salt to Sue by asking her to write a PACRAO Review article on the topic of developing and presenting sessions at conferences. For first-time presenters, Sue hopes this article helps you get going; for seasoned presenters, maybe

you’ll catch a tip or two for your future endeavors!



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Nontraditional Credit within Higher Education

Nathan Cicchillo Director of Admissions and Evaluation

University of Phoenix

The assessment of nontraditional credit has existed for decades, in one form or another, in higher education. However, it has only been within the past few years that the topic of nontraditional credit has begun to gain momentum within the industry. While some institutions may have assessed nontraditional credit for years and have a mature assessment process, other institutions may just now be investigating

the potential to help students by using nontraditional credit assessment. With additional focus placed on the acceleration of degree completion timeframes, and a reduction of educational expenses for students, it is understandable that students and institutions are now investigating nontraditional credit alternatives to

meet those needs. This article was based on the presentation, Perspectives on PLA and Nontraditional Credit, created by Marc Booker, Associate Provost, University of Phoenix.

The assessment of nontraditional credit has existed for decades, in one form or another, in higher education. However, it has only been within the past few years that the topic of nontraditional credit has begun to gain momentum within the industry. While some institutions may have assessed nontraditional credit for years and have a mature assessment process, other institutions may just now be investigating the potential to help students by using nontraditional credit assessment. With additional focus placed on the acceleration of degree completion timeframes, and a reduction of educational expenses for students, it is understandable that students and institutions are now investigating nontraditional credit alternatives to meet those needs.

There is a growing population of working adults within the United States pursuing post-secondary education. According to P.J. Stokes, “18-22 year-old full-time undergraduate students residing on campus account for only 16% of higher education

enrollments, the attention given to this group of students obscures the fact that the vast majority of college and university students are ‘nontraditional’ – largely working adults struggling to balance jobs, families, and education” (Stokes, Undated, para 1). Many of these adult learner students have gained degree-applicable knowledge through their vast experiences, both personal and professional, and students are now looking for opportunities to apply this knowledge towards their degree. Institutions seeking to implement an assessment process may view the assessment of nontraditional credits as a daunting task, but with an increased demand from students, higher education has a responsibility to create or adopt industry-accepted methods of nontraditional credit assessment.

There are many different forms of nontraditional learning commonly pursued by students which are widely accepted by most institutions. Therefore, it is helpful to define some terminology for the purpose of this



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article.

• Nontraditional/Alternative Credit: Credit obtained from learning outside of the traditional academic classroom

• Prior Learning Assessment (PLA): The process and/or mechanisms of assessing prior learning of an individual for potential credit towards an academic degree program (typically through portfolio or artifact evaluations)

Definitions are important when discussing nontraditional credit as individual states or accrediting bodies may have limitations on the application of PLA or nontraditional/alternative credit. Understanding what these terms represent or how they are used is critical to ensuring all regulations are met regarding the assessment of PLA and nontraditional/alternative credit in one’s state or jurisdiction.

Different Types of Nontraditional Credit

There are three categories of nontraditional credit which one can tie to the general source of the assessment to equate to a credit award:

• Credit by examination • Credit for learning obtained from

individual work or life experience • Credit for learning obtained through

standardized training programs or courses not offered in the traditional academic environment.

Credit by Examination

Credit by examination is the most widely

recognized and accepted method of nontraditional credit for several reasons:

• The requirements and scoring information contained on the examination transcript typically identifies the exam completed, as well as the credit amount earned for the exam. Therefore, there is little-to-no assessment required at the institution level.

• These exams typically satisfy and apply towards lower-division general education or elective requirements for a degree program. (However, there are some credit-by-exam entities that do provide upper-division examinations)

• Credits are generally easier to accept and apply within institutions because the lower-division content areas of a degree program are commonly less prescriptive than the upper-division and major components of the degree program.

Credit by examination is a common starting point for Institutions seeking to enter the nontraditional credit space. In most cases the assessment and evaluation process for these activities can typically be bundled into an institution’s existing transfer credit evaluation process with minimal impact on resources. Prior to accepting the examinations for credit, it is important to investigate if a credit by examination entity proctors exams, to ensure identity verification of the individual completing the examination and to create a sound testing environment.

Some of the most common credit by exam programs are CLEP (College-Level Examination Program), DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests, formerly



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DANTES, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support), UExcel (Excelsior College Examination Program), and AP (Advanced Placement Exams). However, this is not an all-encompassing list, and other examination types are also widely accepted within the industry.

• CLEP is an exam program offered by the College Board and the exams are assessed by the American Council on Education. CLEP is one of the most prevalent credit-by-exam programs in the industry, offering more than 30 exams primarily covering lower-division general education topics.

• DSST is an exam program offered by Prometric, and the credits are assessed by the American Council on Education. DSST is largely associated with military students due to its ties to the Department of Defense. DSST also offers more than 30 examinations which cover both upper-division and lower-division topics.

• UExcel exams are offered through Excelsior College, and the exams are assessed by the American Council on Education. They offer more than 50 exams covering both upper-division and lower-division topics.

• AP exams are offered by the College Board for students completing Advanced Placement (AP) classes. (Students may take AP exams without completing AP courses.) The exams are assessed by the American Council on Education. The AP examination typically is the basis for the credit, not for the class itself. AP offers more than 30 exams. These exams are commonly completed by students seeking to bypass common general

education courses required in the first years of post-secondary education.

Credit for Learning Obtained Through Experience

The second category of nontraditional credit is credit for learning obtained through experience. Within this category, credit can be assessed for learning obtained outside of the classroom via a PLA assessment process. This learning can encompass both personal and professional experience that equates to college-level learning. Many different factors go into a PLA assessment such as content, hours spent learning, and the modality of learning (instructor-led learning vs. self-paced learning). However, the assessment must be made based on the learning gained through the experience and not for the experience alone. Additionally, students should be aware of their institution’s policies regarding the transferability of nontraditional credit as the assessment method may impact the transferability of PLA credit from one institution to another.

A PLA assessment can be conducted using an internal institutional process, or it can be outsourced to a third party that specializes in PLA assessment. Institutions making use of an internal PLA assessment process to assess experiential learning and institutions seeking to implement a PLA process to assess experiential learning should investigate and comply with any state or accreditation restrictions surrounding the application of this type of credit towards degree requirements. PLA limitations for experiential learning may vary from state to state, and from accrediting body to accrediting body. Therefore, it is imperative that any institution assessing and



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accepting PLA credit know and understand the PLA regulations that impact its process.

Within the industry there are two notable experiential learning assessment processes, portfolio and essay. Portfolio assessments focus on the assessment of nontraditional learning activities, experiences, and artifacts deemed college-level due to the rigor and content of the activities. Such activities may include industry certificates or licenses, corporate training courses, and transcripts for vocational coursework to name a few. The assessment is dependent on a student providing a learning artifact or credential earned for the experience, as this will demonstrate the student completed the learning at a satisfactory level worthy of a credential being awarded. These artifacts or credentials can include industry certificates such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA exam) or Real Estate license and corporate training that encompasses college-relevant topics.

Essays focus on the student demonstrating in written form the learning that occurred through the experience. Two methods are commonly used for assessing experiential essays, Bloom’s Taxonomy and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model. Bloom’s Taxonomy focuses on six cognitive processes for assessing learning (Vanderbilt University, 2016):

• Remembering • Understanding • Applying • Analyzing • Evaluating • Creating

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model focuses

on the four distinct segments to learning (Evans, Forney, Guido-Dibrito, 1998):

• Concrete Experience • Reflective Observation • Abstract Conceptualization • Active Experimentation

Both methods are accepted approaches for assessing knowledge demonstrated through the essay format.

For both the portfolio and essay processes, The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) has created ten standards for assessing PLA, and many institutions with internal PLA processes have adopted these standards when assessing PLA. CAEL also provides services to institutions that wish to outsource their PLA process to a trusted industry entity. CAEL’s Learning Counts is an online portfolio assessment service that uses faculty members to assess portfolio submissions and provides a credit recommendation for items assessed (CAEL, 2016). Additionally, it is accepted and expected that institutional faculty play a large part in the assessment process. Faculty involvement lends credibility and consistency to the process. Faculty and staff involved in the assessment process should be content experts for those topics they are assessing, and they should be well trained and kept abreast of any changes to policies or processes regarding PLA assessment.

Credit for Standardized Training Programs

The third category of nontraditional credit is credit for standardized training programs. Many organizations have sought to create an academic equivalence for their training programs or industry-recognized assessments.



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The most common form of this is military credit where military training for occupations are assessed by the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE assesses both formal training programs and industry examinations for credit. ACE recommendations are typically easier to place towards degree requirements as the recommendations from ACE include content and credit information including upper-division vs. lower-division recommendations. Therefore, the need to conduct an individualized assessment is mitigated for those institutions that are willing to accept the prior credit recommendation from ACE.

ACE has assessed activities for more than 35,000 programs. These ACE assessments encompass military training, credit-by-exam entities, corporate training, as well as non-institutional educational providers that offer self-paced programs resulting in proctored exams that mirror lower division general education coursework from an institution. According to the ACE website, “The ACE College and University Network has more than 2,000 institutions that recognize and consider ACE credit recommendations for workplace and military training and occupations and other credit for prior learning options” (American Council on Education, 2016, para 3).

Benefits of Nontraditional Credit

In 2010, CAEL conducted a study encompassing 48 institutions including more than 62,000 students (Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, 2010). The basis of the research was to investigate the effect nontraditional credit had on students’ performance during their degree program and

to answer the following questions:

“Do adults who earn PLA credit have better graduation rates, compared with those who do not earn PLA credit?

Do they have better persistence? Do they earn their degrees in a shorter

period of time” (Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, 2010, p. 2)?

The research concluded there are numerous benefits for students who pursue and apply nontraditional credit, the primary benefits were:

• Reduces time spent on degree • Reduces educational cost • Improves persistency rates for

institutions (Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, 2010)

Based on a research brief from CAEL’s (2011) research, “the 4,905 students in our sample who earned PLA credits earned an average of 17.6 of those credits, the equivalent of more than five 3-credit courses” (p. 1). This benefit equates to roughly a semester of time and tuition saved for the student. Additionally, the research indicated, “adult students who receive PLA credit are two and a half times more likely to persist to graduation—and complete their degrees—than students who do not receive PLA credit” (Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, 2011, p.1). Therefore, students who receive PLA credit are not only able to connect their life experience to their educational pursuit-- thus creating a more engaging and fulfilling student experience-- but also enhance their chance for success and for persistence as students. Current Trends The space of nontraditional credit is one of the most innovative and polarizing areas in higher education. Among trends and topics,



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MOOCs, non-institutional education providers, and graduate-level nontraditional credit are three items that are pushing the boundaries of nontraditional credit. MOOCs MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) allow open access to free or low-cost course content, materials, and lectures via the internet. Anyone wishing to participate can do so, and those individuals can learn at their own pace. The primary obstacles with accepting credits from MOOC activities center around student verification and how to source the activity to a credit award since most MOOCs do not have any end assessment tied to the activity. Non-Institutional Educational Providers Over the past five years, non-institutional educational providers have gained momentum in the nontraditional credit space. Organizations such as StraighterLine, SOPHIA Learning, and Study.com have been offering students opportunities to complete primarily lower division general education credit at a significantly reduced price point. The activities from these non-institutional educational providers are assessed by ACE, which allows the activities to be accepted by academic institutions in the form of transfer credit. The future of these non-institutional education providers will be determined based on the transfer mobility of the activities and how institutions will choose to use and apply these activities to augment their general education content areas. Graduate-Level Nontraditional Credit and PLA Nontraditional credit is still primarily applicable towards undergraduate degree requirements. However, use towards graduate requirements is increasing. This

increase is due somewhat to the rise of competency programs. Some state and accrediting bodies have limitations surrounding graduate level nontraditional credit and PLA. Most graduate programs have more restrictive policies surrounding program residency requirements and transfer policies which limit the ability to apply non-traditional credit at the graduate program level. Conclusion This article is intended to provide some additional insight into nontraditional/alternative credit and its uses within higher education. However, its intent is not to persuade institutions to adopt a PLA process. Institutions should review their student needs, accreditation guidelines, and state regulations regarding non-traditional credit, and institutions should only implement what makes sense for their specific institution based on the institution’s mission, goals, and objectives. Whether an institution has a mature process for assessing and applying nontraditional credit or an institution is just beginning to investigate the possibility of entering the nontraditional/alternative credit space, it is important to understand the landscape of this emerging trend in higher education. References American Council on Education. (2016).

College and University Partnerships. Retrieved from http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/College-and-University-Services.aspx

Council for Adult & Experiential Learning.

(2010). Fueling the race to postsecondary success. Retrieved from



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www.in.gov/che/files/CAEL_Executive_Summary.pdf


(2011). Moving the starting line through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Retrieved from http://www.cael.org/pla/publication/moving-the-starting-line-through-prior-learning-assessment-pla


(2016). Learning Counts. Retrieved from http://www.cael.org/higher-education/learning-counts?utm_referrer=http://www.cael.org/?gclid=COn2wtXErMwCFYRrfgodDxgItQ

Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Stokes, P. J. (Undated). A national dialogue: The secretary of education’s commission on the future of higher education. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/stokes.pdf

Vanderbilt University. (2016). Bloom's

Taxonomy. Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/



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Nathan Cicchillo, MBA has worked in higher education for over 13 years, and since 2011 he has served as the Director of Admissions and Evaluation at University of Phoenix. During that time Nathan

has overseen the University’s Prior Learning Assessment department. In 2014, University of Phoenix received the Southwest

Alliance for Excellence, Showcase in Excellence Award, for the University’s Prior Learning Assessment - Professional Training

Portfolio Process. Nathan has earned all of his academic credentials from University of Phoenix, most recently receiving his Master of Business Administration.

Author's Comments: This article was based on the presentation, Perspectives on PLA and Nontraditional Credit, created by Marc Booker, Associate Provost, University of Phoenix. I am

grateful for Marc who provided his expertise and knowledge that greatly assisted with the creation of this article.



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Developing Professional Excellence in the Registrar's Office

Michael Santarosa Associate Registrar University of Utah

Given our role as higher education leaders, the professional development of our staff is often high on our priority list. We want our staff to continue growing and developing their skills and knowledge. We want them to enjoy work and thrive in their positions. And given resource-constraints we often need them doing more with less. Yet, despite these ambitions, many registrars are at a loss when

considering how to move forward. Two of the major obstacles we run into involve determining what we really ought to do to advance our staff’s professional development and finding the time and

resources to do it. At the University of Utah we recently embarked on a year-long journey in the pursuit of professional excellence that may serve as a model for how you might implement something

similar on your campuses.

Given our role as higher education leaders, the professional development of our staff is often high on our priority list. We want our staff to continue growing and developing their skills and knowledge. We want them to enjoy work and thrive in their positions. And given resource-constraints we often need them doing more with less. Yet, despite these ambitions, many registrars are at a loss when considering how to move forward. Two of the major obstacles we run into involve determining what we really ought to do to advance our staff’s professional development and finding the time and resources to do it. At the University of Utah we recently embarked on a year-long journey in the pursuit of professional excellence that may serve as a model for how you might implement something similar on your campuses.

For context, the Registrar’s Office at the University of Utah consists of 35 staff members. Of this number 11 are salaried and considered “professional staff” and 24

are in full-time hourly, clerical positions. One of the challenges we realized was that many of our professional staff, though hard working and knowledgeable about their areas, seemed to lack a broader vision for how their worked fit within the contexts of enrollment management or student affairs. Some appeared dissatisfied with their work while others were too comfortable with the status quo. Others performed as if they were still in clerical positions, albeit rewarded for their dedication with better income. In response to this situation, our University Registrar, Tim Ebner, and I set out to develop a program that would address these challenges and hopefully inspire our professional-level staff to embrace all that being a leader and professional entails.

To help inform and guide efforts we drew upon three different theoretical sources. First, we considered the idea that adult, professional learning should be approached differently than with traditional aged college students. According to Knowles (1976,



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1990), andragogy (adult learning) involves beginning with the that adults are self-directed learners pursuing knowledge from their intrinsic motivation to better themselves and understanding the role of teacher as facilitator of learning rather than transmitter of knowledge. Knowles further suggested that work-related relevance critical for adults. This prompted us to involve the professional staff in the program design to ensure ownership and commitment. Next, we followed a basic cycle of learning at work suggested by Taylor and Furnham (2005) which entailed seven components: (a) analyze needs, (b) select participants, (c) write learning objectives, (d) design content, (e) facilitate, (f) evaluate, and (g) modify as needed. And finally, we agreed with Van Velsor and McCauley’s (2004) assertion that leader development includes a process of assessment, challenge and support as well as a variety of developmental experiences. Together with the professional staff we committed to 17 different learning outcomes in the areas of knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be strengthened over the course of 14 different meetings throughout the academic year. Some of the knowledge outcomes involved gaining an introductory understanding of basic student development theories and better understanding self and others. We expected that participants would advance their skills related to modeling and communicating professional excellence as well as establishing or strengthening mentor relationships both on and off campus. Some of the attitudes we sought to deepen were valuing continuous improvement; seamless navigation; and the removal of barriers to student success and taking responsibility for

maintaining trust, respect, authenticity and fairness.

The only costs incurred besides the investment of time and relationships, involved purchasing the short film series by Marcus Buckingham entitled, Trombone Player Wanted as well as access codes for the StrengthsFinder assessment. The six motivational clips in the film series lasted about 10-15 minutes each and provided an excellent opening for conversations about what it means to embrace our strengths and thrive at work. In one of our sessions, an Academic Advisor and our Associate Director of Career Services debriefed the StrengthsFinder and led the staff in exercises to help embed the StrengthsFinder methodology in our everyday conversations. In other sessions we interviewed a Registrar from one of our benchmark institutions by teleconference, our Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, and the Director of a Student Affairs graduate program. In these interviews we learned about the professional journeys of these colleagues and they offered practical advice for our participants to embrace their own journeys. In other sessions we invited colleagues from various Student Affairs divisions at the University to introduce our group to student development theories and explore how they might be utilized to better inform our work with students and others.

Three meetings remain before the conclusion of this program. However, mid-point feedback from participants indicated they are all satisfied with the sessions and believe this is a good use of work time. All of the responders stated they were learning more about themselves and how to develop as



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professionals. At the conclusion of the program we will conduct a more thorough assessment but even now we are quite pleased with the success of the initiative and have noted a marked shift in the teamwork and enthusiasm with which our professional staff operate. References Buckingham, M. (Producer). (2006).

Trombone Player Wanted. [DVD]. Available from www.tromboneplayerwanted.com

Knowles, M. S. (1976). Separating the Amateurs from the Pros in Training. Training & Development Journal, 30(9), 16. Retrieved from: http://www.astd.org/TD/

Knowles, M. S. (1990). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Co.

Taylor, J., & Furnham, A. (2005). Learning at Work: Excellent Practice from Best Theory. New York, NY: Palgrave McMillan.

Van Velsor, E., & McCauley, C. D. (2004). Our View of Leadership Development. In C. D. McCauley & E. Van Velsor (Eds.), The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development (pp. 1-22). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.



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Michael Santarosa, Ed.D. has worked in higher education for approximately 20 years at institutions in California, Alaska, Indiana, and Utah. Since 2012 he has served as the Associate Registrar at the University of Utah overseeing student service operations, professional development, and assessment projects. On August 1, he will transition

to serve as the Registrar at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

Author's Comments: A version of this article appeared in AACRAO’s Connect Field Notes on March 23, 2016.



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Traits to Emulate: A Tribute to Tom Watts

Rebecca Mathern University Registrar

Oregon State University

Tom Watts worked at Oregon State for more than 15 years and had long served as the Associate Registrar. During that time Tom oversaw many different units within the office but focused on compliance

areas such as graduation, athletics eligibility and veteran certifications. Tom also has extensive experience supporting the scheduling team on campus and led the transition to zone scheduling, created a structure to

offer group midterms and final exams, and also served as the Interim University Registrar during a transitional period in 2012. His commitment and support to OSU and the profession was second to none.

These comments reflect statements made at a retirement reception for Tom in April 2016. Serving in Many Capacities

Tom Watts has worked his way through the Office of the Registrar at Oregon State University, doing practically every task in the office, save for technical programming. Tom has been a mainstay in the office for 15 years. And that, my friends, is why I’m absolutely distraught about losing Tom.

Working with a Timeline

During my first week working with Tom, he informed me that he had three years, seven months and 18 days before retirement. Clearly, he wasn’t counting. So, his retirement is not a huge surprise to me; it is still a huge disappointment to lose such a fabulous colleague who has been consistently friendly, hardworking, discreet, and loyal to the office, his colleagues, and to me. Tom has taught me to be more patient, thoughtful and introspective about the work we do.

Being Available

Tom was always available. I could count on one hand the number of times Tom went out for lunch while at OSU. He was always there for staff. No matter the time of day, I knew I

could count on Tom to be at his desk and ready to serve students and staff. I don’t know how we will replace that level of service.

Solving Problems

Tom was always solving problems. We had a small hiccup back in December 2013. It fell in the form of 14 inches of snow, right at the end of the term. Final exams had to be re-scheduled. Our core response team came together to brainstorm next steps. After 20 minutes, Tom left the room. We were all tense and stressed, but why did Tom get up to leave? Somewhat irritated, I checked on Tom. To my surprise (and slight embarrassment), he looked up from his work (with some annoyance) to let me know that he was rescheduling group exams. Good call, Tom. You were solving that particular problem while the rest of us were talking about solving problems.

Thriving in the Gray Area

Tom thrived in the gray area. He understood the complexity of our work and how the rules aren’t always as they seem. There is always



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more to a story, and the details that can change results for students. Tom knew how to handle situations that could impact one student or one thousand students.

Flying Below the Radar

Our office often talks about flying under the university radar, except when there is a problem. Tom is part of the team that makes sure that the complicated, multi-step work of scheduling, final exams, graduation and many nightly job operations run dependably well, in the background. Tom solved problems for people that they didn’t even know they had.

Providing Praise-worthy Service

Tom was nominated for many awards at OSU over the past several years. Not only did our office nominate Tom for service awards at OSU, so did faculty across the campus. His name, face and stature are synonymous with the office. I have not met one person on campus who can’t say, “Oh, Tom, yeah, I

know Tom.” Tom has two names around campus: Saint Tom and the Gentle Giant. Tom has earned his nicknames and the reputation that the names embody through his every-day contributions.

Adding Humor

Tom added humor to our office. After a particularly difficult interaction with a student or parent, he would send “therapy emails” that found the humor in the situation, for himself and for others. Following a knotted discussion about post-baccalaureates and undergraduates and exceptions, Tom mused: “Is a post-bac an undergraduate? Are dreams made of atoms? Are shadows? Is yoga a religion, or a philosophy, and if so, why am I not more flexible?” Responding to where on the web to place information about having apostilles verified by notaries, Tom opined: “Don’t you guys read the Bible? Jesus had 12 apostilles, and one turned out very badly. Probably did not have a notary.”



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Rebecca Mathern, Master of Liberal Studies is the University

Registrar at Oregon State University. She has been there since 2012 and previously worked as the Registrar at Portland Community

College. She is actively involved in PACRAO as the 2016 program committee chair and presents regularly at AACRAO. Hailing from the

great state of Minnesota, she is happily enjoying the fact that she doesn’t have to shovel the rain. In her non-existent spare time, she is

entertained by her two young children.

Tom Watts worked at Oregon State for more than 15 years and had long served as the Associate Registrar. During that time Tom oversaw many different units within the office but focused on

compliance areas such as graduation, athletics eligibility and veteran certifications. Tom also has extensive experience supporting the

scheduling team on campus and led the transition to zone scheduling, created a structure to offer group midterms and final exams, and also

served as the Interim University Registrar during a transitional period in 2012. His commitment and support to OSU and the profession was second to none.

Author's Comments: These comments reflect statements made at a retirement reception for Tom in April 2016. Tom is now retired and starting a new career of grandparenting as he and

his spouse have recently relocated to an even rainier location in Washington.



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Developing Training to Better Serve Undocumented Students, Our University's Most Vulnerable Populations

Christina Joy Kim Student Services Specialist

University of California, Irvine

In 2015 the University of California, Irvine admitted the university’s first undocumented student to the School of Medicine. UC Irvine’s decision to expand its admission pool--along with the advent of state laws AB130 and AB131 (California Dream Acts) in 2013 and the introduction of the federal DACA

(Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) immigration policy in 2012--has expanded higher educational opportunities for undocumented student populations statewide. Unfortunately, expanded

opportunities do not necessarily translate into expanded graduation rates. Faced with a presidential campaign hostile to undocumented persons, as well as multiple state governments challenging the

legality of DACA, undocumented students at our universities must not only navigate academic hurdles but also overcome emotional and legal obstacles. Student affairs officers have a responsibility to

upgrade their service models to accommodate underrepresented communities. A recommended starting point for upgraded service is the development and implementation of robust undocumented student

training programs.

In 2015 the University of California, Irvine admitted the university’s first undocumented student to the School of Medicine. UC Irvine’s decision to expand its admission pool--along with the advent of state laws AB130 and AB131 (California Dream Acts) in 2013 and the introduction of the federal DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) immigration policy in 2012--has expanded higher educational opportunities for undocumented student populations statewide. Unfortunately, expanded opportunities do not necessarily translate into expanded graduation rates. Faced with a presidential campaign hostile to undocumented persons, as well as multiple state governments challenging the legality of DACA,

undocumented students at our universities must not only navigate academic hurdles but also overcome emotional and legal obstacles. Student affairs officers have a responsibility to upgrade their service models to accommodate underrepresented communities. A recommended starting point for upgraded service is the development and implementation of robust undocumented student training programs. Challenges

Despite the best intentions of administrators, undocumented students face numerous challenges, both personal and academic, unique to their status. Perhaps the most notable challenge for the undocumented student population is their invisibility within



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our community, further complicated by our inability to accurately assess their needs. A majority of the undocumented students face emotional and mental insecurities related to deportation. In fear of putting their families at risk of being deported, undocumented students are heavily burdened with the weight of keeping their status confidential. Students frequently question whether pursuing education in a state that may not be considered “home” is worth the emotional, legal, and financial investment. Many students also face insecurity with their identities. Do they identify themselves as Dreamers, undocumented aliens, DACA-mented or some combination of the above? Due to struggles of prejudice and discrimination they have faced within the media and society, many students are unwilling to disclose their identities to university staff and the campus community. In addition, undocumented students may face difficulty when looking for opportunities to participate in educational programs. For example, to participate in a study abroad program, students must acquire a valid DACA status. This status may be granted only if undocumented students have obtained advanced parole. Advanced parole, however, does not guarantee that the student would be able to reenter the United States. With the possibility of facing legal reentry issues, a majority of the undocumented students choose not to participate in study abroad opportunities. Research and internship programs also pose difficulties for undocumented students. In

particular, some of these programs may be restricted to students with a certain type of citizenship status. Without these opportunities, it can be difficult for undocumented students to obtain work experience within their field of study.

Solutions In the face of so many challenges, what are crucial first steps that we can take? A critical first step is simply increasing awareness of this vulnerable student population by providing training opportunities for the entire University community. Such trainings would be designed to teach staff to be more empathetic and recognize the unique circumstances that undocumented students face on and off the campus. Moreover, the training programs would give university employees the opportunity to discuss and co-educate one another regarding the different effects that the undocumented status may create within their office procedures and policies.

Additionally, university staff members need to be made aware of campus resources available to undocumented students. By familiarizing themselves with the resources available to students on campus, staff would be able to better assist students and provide them with the best contacts for their situation. For example, UC Irvine’s Dreamer Coordinator is the primary resource for all UC Irvine undocumented students on campus. The coordinator will connect students to legal resources, scholarships, and opportunities to network with allies.



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Summary

In conclusion, campuses need to foster a culture where a student’s undocumented status should not be a barrier to his or her educational goals. By making training programs mandatory for university staff, the higher education system may be able to

change the culture and understanding of this underrepresented population. Training programs would give staff the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to better serve this student population.



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Christina Joy Kim, BA began working at the University of California,

Irvine in 2010 as a Financial Aid Peer Advisor. She was employed as a

student employee until 2012. After graduating from UC Irvine, she left

higher education to pursue opportunities within the hospitality industry.

However, she quickly realized that her passion for service was within the

higher education system. In 2013, she returned to her alma mater and

began her career within the University Registrar’s Office as a Student

Services Specialist. Joy is responsible for reviewing residency documentation to determine resident

or nonresident tuition, she oversees the undergraduate and graduate visitor programs, and she

assists students in person and over the phone on a daily basis.

Author's Comments: This article was based on an AB540 and UndocuALLY training hosted by Ana M. Barragan, the UC Irvine DREAMers coordinator.

pacrao review june 2016

Documents