Awarding of Credit for Prior Learning and Experience

Nunez Community College offers a variety of ways for a student to receive college credit based on learning experiences outside the traditional college classroom:

1. College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program.
2. Advanced Placement by ACT
3. Credit by Examination
4. Life Experience Assessment Program (LEAP)
5. Military Credits
6. Non-Traditional Credit from Other Institutions

When such credit is awarded, the student’s transcript will indicate the method (e.g., examination, portfolio, military) by which the credit was granted.

College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program

The College will grant credit to admitted students for certain courses in which the Advanced Placement (AP) exam score is a 3 or higher.

Credit for Advanced Placement must be requested during registration for the first semester of enrollment. A student must be both enrolled and in good standing at the time credit is awarded. A non-refundable $8 per credit hour fee must be paid prior to the credit being granted. For more information on how to apply for AP credit, students should contact the Registrar.

Advanced Placement by ACT

A student who submits American College Testing (ACT) scores of an acceptable level to Nunez Community College may request advance placement in English and mathematics. Credit for advanced placement courses must be requested during registration for the first semester of enrollment. A student must be both enrolled and in good standing at the time credit is awarded.

Advanced standing for mathematics and English is initiated by submission of official ACT scores to the Admissions Office. Upon verifying the ACT scores, the Registrar will enter the appropriate course credit on the student’s transcript.

Criteria and Procedures for Advanced Placement by ACT

English

An English score of 28 or higher will result in advanced placement in ENGL 1020 English Composition II and course credit for ENGL 1010 English Composition I upon successful completion of ENGL 1020 English Composition II.

Mathematics

1. A mathematics score of 19-26 will result in advanced placement in MATH 1300 College Algebra.
2. A mathematics score of 27 or higher will result in advanced placement in MATH 1400 College Trigonometry, and course credit for MATH 1300 College Algebra upon successful completion of MATH 1400 College Trigonometry .
3. A student with transfer credit in a mathematics course higher than pre-calculus algebra may be awarded bypass credit for MATH 1300 College Algebra if approved by the Chair of Mathematics and Science.

Credit by Examination

A Nunez Community College student who believes he/she is qualified to earn college credit for experience or previous training may request credit by examination. A student who wishes to apply for credit by examination must get the approval of the Program Chair of the Department in which the course is offered.

If the examination involves shop or laboratory activities, a brief description of the examination also must be approved by the Program Chair. Credit examinations must test all the competencies required to pass a course as currently required for regularly enrolled students.

The following regulations govern the program:

1. Credit examinations are approved by the Program Chair only after the student is enrolled in at least one course at the College.
2. A non-refundable fee of $8 per credit hour is charged prior to administration of the examination.
3. To receive credit, a student must demonstrate a minimum proficiency of 70% for all competencies in the course.
4. Semester hours of credit earned by credit examination are assigned a “P” grade. No quality points are earned. Such credit does not enter into grade point average computations.
5. Students intending to use credit by examinations to meet the degree requirements of other institutions should check the requirements of the receiving institution.
6. A student who wishes to take a credit examination for earlier courses in a sequence must take the examination by the end of registration for the semester in which he/she enrolls for the more advanced course. If proficiency is not demonstrated on the exam, the student will be administratively dropped from the higher-level course and placed into an appropriate-level course.
7. Students may take a credit examination in the same course only once.
8. Students may not take a credit examination in a course in which they are currently enrolled or which they have previously completed successfully at any regionally accredited college.
9. Students who are granted academic renewal may take credit examinations for any course completed with a grade of “C” or better prior to requesting renewal.
10. Students may not take credit examinations for a course that was audited.
11. Deviations from the policy described above must be approved by the Vice Chancellor  for Education, Training and Student Success or designee.

Procedures for Credit by Examination

1. The student requests an Application for Credit by Examination from the appropriate Division Office or the Student Affairs Office. Current enrollment is then verified. If the student is enrolled, the date, the student's name, student ID number, course number, course title, and credit hours are entered on the form and the student is directed for approval to the Program Chair of the Department from which the course is offered.
2. The Program Chair for the student’s major must be consulted by the student to make certain that the credit earned through examination may be used to fulfill program requirements.
3. The student takes the form to the Bursar’s Office and pays the required fee when the request has been approved by the Program Chair.
4. The Bursar’s Office, upon receipt of payment, completes the payment section of the form and issues a receipt to the student.
5. The student completes the examination with the instructor designated by the Program Chair to administer the examination.
6. The instructor administering the examination completes the test information section (score, date of exam, etc.) and submits the form to the Registrar where the form is processed, and a copy is distributed to the appropriate Division Office.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) 

Nunez welcomes students from a wide variety of backgrounds and learning experiences. Many students come to our institution with a firm grounding in a particular discipline. We recognize their prior learning by accepting a full range of College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) exams, which measure mastery of college-level, introductory course content. Students who achieve satisfactory scores on these exams can earn the credits and course exemptions.

Procedures for CLEP Credit

Students who have taken or wish to take CLEP exams should refer to the CLEP Credit matrix available on the Nunez Website for the current credit crosswalk.  Students with CLEP credit from a test not on the crosswalk for their major for acceptance criteria. Official score reports should be sent to Nunez Admissions once acceptance has been verified. A non-refundable $8 per credit hour fee must be paid prior to the credit being granted.

Life Experience Assessment Program (LEAP)

In accordance with recent trends recognizing non-traditional learning experiences, Nunez Community College offers students the opportunity to gain course credit hours through the Life Experience Assessment Program (LEAP). College credit may be awarded for knowledge gained through reading and private study but primarily through validated work experience. The central principle in the LEAP program is that what a student knows is more important than how the knowledge was gained.

Procedures for LEAP Credit

1. The student requests an application for LEAP Credit from the appropriate Division Office or the Student Affairs Office. Current enrollment must be verified. If the student is enrolled, the date, the student’s name, student’s identification number, course number, course title, and credit hours are entered on the form and the student is directed for approval to the Chair of the Department in which the course is offered.
2. The program manager for the student's major must be consulted by the student to make certain that the credit earned through LEAP may be used to fulfill program requirements.
3. If the request for LEAP credit is approved, the Program Chair will instruct the student on the components of an acceptable portfolio.
4. The student pays the appropriate fee in the Bursar’s Office, then completes the payment section of the form and issues a receipt to the student.
5. The student submits the completed form to the Program Chair, who requests that the student’s portfolio be evaluated by the appropriate instructor.
6. The instructor evaluating the portfolio may request additional documentation from the student.  Upon completion of the evaluation, the instructor submits his/her recommendation to the Program Chair.
7. If the instructor’s recommendation is approved by the Program Chair, the Chair completes the form and submits it to the Student Affairs Office.

Military Credits 

Students who have earned credit through courses taken while in the armed services may apply to the Veterans Affairs Representative for acceptance of these credits. Credit recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE) are usually accepted. The Dean of Instruction, the Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, or designee will determine which credits earned through military training are applicable towards graduation. These hours count as part of the total hours of non-traditional credits applicable toward a degree or certificate.

Procedures for Requesting Credit for Military Experience

1. The student must provide an Appraisal Request, a transcript, or an American Council of Education (ACE) evaluation of military experiences after a review of the Tracking System (ARRTS).
2. Upon receipt of the official transcript and/or ACE evaluations, the Registrar will post the ACE credit recommendations to the student’s transcript. Such credits are not counted as hours attempted; they count only as hours earned.
3. The student and the Dean of Instruction or the Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, depending on the credit requested, or designee will be given an unofficial copy of the updated transcript.
4. The student should meet with the appropriate Dean or designee to discuss the applicability of military credit to fulfill degree or certificate requirements.

No more than 25% of the total hours applicable toward a degree or certificate may be from non-traditional, portfolio-based, and/or LEAP credit. Also, no more than one-third of the hours composing the major or area of concentration may be from non-traditional, portfolio-based, and/or LEAP credit. A student must be both enrolled and in good standing at the time of application and may make an application only once for any given course. A non-refundable fee must be paid prior to the application being accepted.

Non-Traditional Credits from Other Institutions

The College may accept non-traditional credits that have been awarded by other regionally accredited institutions. These credits have the same limitations in their use in meeting graduation requirements as do non-traditional credit for which a student is eligible.

Transfer students who have been awarded non-traditional credit at other institutions should meet with their Dean to discuss the acceptance of such credit toward meeting graduation requirements at Nunez.