Alternative Sources of Credit

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ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF CREDIT

Advanced credit may be granted by Motlow for courses in areas for which a student has demonstrated satisfactory achievement and proficiency. The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all sources for graduation is 30 credit hours, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents.  Sources of advanced credit include:

Advanced Placement Examination Program
Advanced Standing Credit in English
Armed Services Credit
Certified Administrative Professional Rating
Challenge Examination Program
College Level Examination Program
Correspondence Courses
Dual Credit Program (Credit by Assessment)
Licensed Practical Nurse Licensure
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all sources is 30 total credit hours required for graduation, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents.  For additional information about alternative sources of credit, contact the Office of Admissions and Records at Motlow.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION PROGRAM CREDIT

Motlow College participates in the Advanced Placement Examination Program (APEP) of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes Advanced Placement Examination Program Credit, is 30 credit hours for graduation; credit may be given to qualified students in any two of the following subject areas:

The maximum amount of alternative sources of credit allowed from all sources is 30 total credit hours required for graduation, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents. 

*TBR Community Colleges will award/transfer PLA credit for AP scores in to the Suggested course or the equivalent course at their institution.  There may be variations in course number and/or course title.  Community Colleges should award the PLA credit for course other than the suggested course when it is in the best interest of the student.

ADVANCED STANDING CREDIT IN ENGLISH

Students under 21 years of age with an ACT sub score in English/Writing of 27 to 30 or an SAT sub score in Writing of 610 to 680 will be given 3 hours of advanced standing credit for ENGL 1010.   Students under 21 years of age with an ACT sub score in English/Writing of 31 or an  SAT sub score in Writing of 690 or higher will be given 6 hours of advanced standing credit for ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020.  The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes advanced standing credit in English, is 30 credit hours required for graduation.

ARMED SERVICES CREDIT

Veteran students who have received an honorable discharge after serving active duty with the armed forces may request credit by submitting a valid DD214 form. Up to four (4) hours of physical education credit may be granted. Students will receive one credit for each six (6) months of active duty. These credits meet the physical education activity requirements for all programs of study.

In evaluating armed services credit, Motlow State Community College uses as a reference the Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experience in the Armed Services published by the American Council on Education. Contact the Office of Admissions and Records for additional information.

The maximum amount of alternative sources of credit allowed from all sources is 30 total credit hours required for graduation, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents. 

CERTIFIED ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL RATING CREDIT

After successfully completing 12 semester hours at Motlow State Community College (excluding learning support hours which earn institutional credit only and may not be used to meet any degree requirements, a (CAP) may receive a maximum of 12 semester hours credit from the following courses for which college credit has not already been received:

Upon receipt of formal application, verification will be made of the 12 hours credit already received from Motlow and the CAP rating. Credit for the requested course(s) will then be recorded. The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes Certified Administrative Professional Rating Credit is 30 credit hours required for graduation. The application for credit is available in the Department of Business and Technology.

This acceptance of the CAP rating for credits is subject to change whenever (1) the content of the CAP exam is revised so that it does not correspond with the content of the courses designated for credit or (2) the courses at Motlow are revised substantially.

CHALLENGE EXAMINATION PROGRAM CREDIT

Students who have achieved competence equivalent to that offered in a course through on-the-job training, previous instruction, or other methods may receive credit for selected courses as designated by the department head in conjunction with the faculty member administering the challenge examination. To receive credit by challenging a course the student must:

1. Enroll in the course for credit.

2. Apply for credit by examination by completing the upper portion of the Challenge Examination Application. This form and further instructions may be secured in division offices. With this form, the student must submit evidence that he/she is qualified to challenge the course.

3. Take an examination during the first two weeks of classes prior to the last day to drop a class and be deleted from the roll for that term. (If the student intends to add a class upon receiving the results of the challenge exam, then the exam should be completed before the last day to add a class as specified in the class schedule.) The examination will cover major aspects of the course as determined by the faculty member.

4. Attend class regularly until the proficiency examination is given. Failure to attend class regularly may disqualify a student from taking the examination.

A letter will be sent by the chair of the appropriate discipline to the student to notify him/her of the test results. If the examination is successfully completed, the student will not be required to attend the class for the remainder of the term. The student will receive the credit hours with a grade of “P”, which will not be used in computing grade point average. The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from Challenge Examination Program is one-fourth of the total number of credit hours required for graduation. If the examination is not successfully completed, the student should either withdraw from the class or continue in attendance for the remainder of the course. A student may challenge a specific course only once, and this challenge program may not be used to remove an “I” or an “F” grade or to improve a grade already earned.

Contact the appropriate curriculum chair/director for additional information concerning challenge of specific courses. Procedure for challenge of selected nursing courses is outlined in the Nursing Program section of this catalog.

COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM CREDIT

The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all credit sources, which includes College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Credit, is 30 credit hours required for graduation. Motlow has been approved as a limited CLEP Testing Center. An application and a fee (see Expenses and Business Regulations) must be submitted through the Office of Testing at least four weeks prior to the test date. This office should be contacted for any additional information. CLEP results may not be used to remove an “I” or “F” or to improve a grade already earned.

The following is a list of the CLEP subject examinations administered at Motlow State Community College and for which credit is granted by the college. Opposite the examinations are the Motlow State Community College course equivalents. Motlow does not grant credit on the basis of the CLEP general examination.

CORRESPONDENCE COURSE CREDIT

Credits earned by correspondence and extension may be accepted toward graduation subject to the following:

1. The credits earned must be from a college which is a member of the National University Extension Association or the Teachers College Association for Extension and Field Services.

2. Students in residence enrolled in eighteen or more hours at Motlow may not earn credit in correspondence courses at the same time.

The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes Correspondence Course Credit, is 30 credit hours required for graduation.

DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM

The Dual Credit Program is a collaborative effort between Motlow State Community College (MSCC) and the secondary institutions (high schools) located within the college’s eleven-county service area. The purpose of the program is to provide pathways for secondary students to acquire college credit while still attending a secondary institution. The program objectives are to:

• Integrate secondary education with post-secondary education as a means of reducing repetition in Career and Technical Education courses.
• Reduce costs for attaining a post-secondary education.
• Reduce the time required to complete a post-secondary program of study and/or prepare students to enter the workforce.
• Encourage students to pursue a post-secondary certificate or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree.

Students are able to earn college credit by completing courses that are being taught as part of their regular high school curriculum, and that have been aligned to meet the learning outcomes of comparable courses offered by the college. Students may earn college credit by successfully completing the aligned high school course, and then successfully completing an end-of-course assessment that is developed and administered by the college. Effective with the 2016-17 academic year, students will be charged a testing fee for each Dual Credit Exam scheduled.

High school students who have completed an approved high school course, and who wish to take a Dual Credit exam must submit a completed Dual Credit Application to Test along with the $25.00 exam fee. Application and payments should be sent to:

Motlow State Community College
Business Office, Dept. 180
P.O. Box 8500
Lynchburg, TN 37352-8500

Credit Card payment by phone: (931) 393-1531 or (931) 393-1532

High school students who successfully pass the Dual Credit Examination with a grade of 70% or higher are then eligible to receive the appropriate number of MSCC credits for the aligned course. The earned credit hours will be retained by the college on behalf of the student for a maximum of two (2) years after anticipated high school graduation date listed on the Dual Credit Application to Test. The credit will be recorded on the student’s academic transcript upon written request of the student after the student has been admitted to the College (including dual enrollment), and has completed three (3) collegiate level credits.

College credits earned through the Motlow State Community College Dual Credit program may transfer to other post-secondary institutions at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the receiving institution to determine if the earned credit will transfer.

Motlow State Community College will create a Dual Credit Course Option menu from which secondary institutions will be able to select courses for dual credit opportunities. This menu of courses will be reviewed annually for changes in curriculum alignment.

High school students who successfully pass the Dual Credit Examination with a grade of 70% or higher will receive a letter along with instructions for requesting the earned credit be added to their academic record.

The maximum amount of alternative sources of credit allowed from all sources is 30 total credit hours required for graduation, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents.

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA)

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) - PLA is a term used to describe learning gained outside a traditional academic environment.  Put another way, it is learning and knowledge students acquire while living their lives, such as by working, participating in employer training programs, serving in the military, studying independently, volunteering or doing community service, and studying open source coursework.  In short, PLA is the evaluation and assessment of an individual’s life learning for college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) allows the student to earn collegiate credit for prior experiential learning. Some of the methods include CLEP, challenge exams, Advanced Placement, and CAEL. To receive credit for Prior Learning work experiences, students register for CAEL 100 (Spring 2018 semester pilot). CAEL 100 is eligible for 3 credit hours on a Pass/Fail basis. During the CAEL 100 class, the student will develop a portfolio that will explain the experience that would qualify the student for credit. Credit is determined by comparing their experience to college course learning outcomes, while developing research, writing, and critical thinking skills that would equate with the experiences of a traditional course. Once a portfolio is submitted and approved for credit, the CAEL faculty will make the recommendation to the institution and the institution will add the portfolio credit to the student’s transcript.

The maximum amount of alternative sources of credit allowed from all sources is 30 total credit hours required for graduation, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents.