Academic Policy Changes and Introductions
2021-2022 Catalog Updates
English Proficiency Examination PLO Policy for International Students Expanded.
Elizabethtown College welcomes students each year from more than 25 countries who choose to study at Elizabethtown either as exchange students for a semester or year, or who pursue full degree programs. International students may choose one of several options in order to meet the Power of Language: Other (Modern/Ancient Language) Core Program Area of Understanding, For more information, please visit our webpage dedicated to English Proficiency Examinations .
New Prior Learning Assessment Policy.
Prior Learning Assessment, PLA, is a process by which learning mastered outside of a formal classroom is reviewed for college-level equivalency. Credit for PLA may be granted for learning acquired from work and life experiences; civic, community, or volunteer work; individual study; and in-service training sponsored by associations, business, government, and industry, including the military. PLA is a rigorous process in which a student must demonstrate that he or she has college-level learning, which entails knowledge, skills, and competencies obtained as a result of prior experiences in a particular area. PLA is awarded based on learning, not experience. PLA provides students the opportunity to validate their relevant learning.
PLA creates a pathway for our non-traditional students to accelerate their academic progress toward earning an Elizabethtown College degree. Any Elizabethtown College program approved to award credit through PLA will have it clearly published on their school’s webpage. Credit for PLA will only be awarded when: (1) A student is an actively enrolled, degree-seeking student at Elizabethtown College and has completed a minimum of 6 Elizabethtown College credits prior to applying for PLA; (2) Students interested in pursuing PLA credit should check with their academic advisor to ensure that they do not enroll into a course for which they may later be seeking to earn PLA equivalent credit; (3) Students must be in good academic standing with Elizabethtown College; (4) Students must be in good financial standing with Elizabethtown College; (5) A student has not previously attempted, completed, or transferred in the equivalent course for which PLA credit is being sought; (6) The PLA credit must apply to the student’s major or program of study.
There is a non-refundable $450 fee charged for the assessment of a PLA portfolio, due upon submission and regardless of the outcome.
To obtain PLA credit for the types of learning listed above, the student may:
- Contact an approved prior learning assessment service. Once the assessment is complete and a transcript is available, the student may submit an official copy to the Registration and Records Office for evaluation of transfer credits into their Elizabethtown College degree program. Approved providers include: The American Council for Education (ACE), The National College Credit Recommendation Service (National CCRS) and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).
- Complete a one credit course, PL 1500 Experiential Learning Portfolio, which will prepare the applicant to submit a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Application and Portfolio. The portfolio must demonstrate college-level competencies and writing skills and include a narrative explaining how their specific experience aligns with the student learning outcomes of a course(s) in the Elizabethtown Catalog. Each statement must be accompanied by tangible evidence and support documentation.
A maximum of 32 credits may be earned through PLA and Transfer Credit through Examination policies. PLA credits do not count toward residency or the students’ academic grade point average. Students are responsible for understanding the impact of PLA credits transcribed by Elizabethtown College and future plans for transfer, and or additional degrees
2020-2021 Catalog Updates
Interdisciplinary Colloquia - Natural and Physical Science Clarification
Effective immediately, Interdisciplinary Colloquia with an Natural and Physical Science component shall stand in their own NPS disciplinary category. IC 201, 203, and 205 are all classified as non-lab Natural and Physical Science Core. This provision shall have no impact on the requirement that at least one NPS course must have a lab component.
Transfer Students with Earned Associates Degrees
Transfer of Associate Degrees Candidates approved through Admissions with an earned associate’s degree, consisting of at least 40 corresponding general education credits from a regionally accredited college or university will be recognized as meeting all of the requirements of the Elizabethtown College Core Curriculum with full junior standing. The foregoing provision does not supersede curricular prerequisites or departmental program requirements established in the College catalog. Nor does it exclude the student from completing the signature learning requirement, or residency requirements, for completion of a bachelor’s degree.