Trinity Experiential Lifelong Learning (TELL)

Trinity is one of a growing number of colleges and universities which are receptive to the idea of awarding credit for the learning acquired through non-college experience prior to entering or returning to the pursuit of a college degree. Such learning, frequently called prior experiential learning, may result from such activities as work experience, volunteer work, community service, travel abroad or internationally, military or Peace Corps experience, independent reading or conversations with experts. Throughout this section, we will be referring to learning that has resulted from your experience since high school and that occurred when you were not enrolled in or under the supervision of a college or university, as prior experiential learning.

If you are among these adult students who have entered or returned to college, and if you are interested in receiving credit or recognition for prior experiential learning, this information is designed to assist you to maximize the amount of credit or recognition that you might receive from Trinity.  TELL credit is available for Undergraduate students pursuing an Associate's or a Batchelor's degree at Trinity.

Students interested in prior learning assessment will enroll in a course, the TELL Seminar (GST 301) which is designed for students who:

1. Have been approved by an advisor to submit a portfolio in one or more disciplines. 
2. Have been accepted into the TELL program by the School of Professional Studies. 

The course will focus mainly on method; during the Seminar students will conceptualize the relationship between who they are and what they have learned, and will organize materials reflecting the acquisition of expertise in an academic discipline.

The major project of GST 301is the preparation of one or more portfolios documenting the student's prior learning. Faculty evaluators will evaluate this portfolio for the possible awarding of credit. Successful completion of GST 301 does not guarantee that students will receive experiential learning credit. The evaluation in the seminar will reflect the students' ability to organize and to document material and to submit assignments on time.

While experiential learning has become a major movement in higher education, the difficulties in assessing these experiences are easily recognized. The purpose of this information is to assist you step by step with the task of:

1. Deciding whether you qualify for award of experiential credit. 
2. Preparing an application for TELL. 
3. Creating, developing and assembling a portfolio that will describe and document college-creditable skills and knowledge. 

Preparing a portfolio is not an easy process, and if done correctly, it can be time-consuming. Despite the difficulty, there are a number of important benefits which will result, regardless of credit or recognition you might receive.

Once you have completed a portfolio, you will have a realistic understanding of your present levels of competence--in order to plan further educational activities leading toward a degree -- as well as an understanding of the assessment procedure itself, so that you will be able to provide valid information to others in order to probe what you know and can do, suggest to others how they might proceed in their attempts to fairly and accurately evaluate you, and make informed judgments as to whether or not procedures that are being used by others are the best and most appropriate available. 

These capabilities are especially important to you as you continue your education both formally and informally.

Rationale and Criteria

Many adult students have felt that some of their non-college experiences are equivalent to what is taught in college and that they should receive credit for those experiences toward a college degree. Colleges generally do not award credit for raw experience itself, however.  Awarding credit or recognition is generally for the verifiable learning outcomes of non-college experiences: that is, if those experiences have applicability to
academic learning (liberal arts).

If you decide to enroll in Trinity's TELL program, you will find that the college will not award credit simply for your years of experience. You will be required to demonstrate what important knowledge, skills or values (competencies) you have attained as a result of your experiences.

Generally speaking, your competencies (knowledge, skills and/or values) must meet certain criteria: 

• The knowledge should be publicly verifiable. You should be able to document and demonstrate to an expert in the field that you possess the knowledge. 
• The knowledge should be equivalent to college-level work in terms of quality. In general the prior knowledge and experience should be related to courses in the catalog or to the requirements for
  graduation.
• The knowledge or experience should have an academic subject matter or knowledge base. Credit will not be given for manual skills nor for a narrowly prescribed routine or procedure. 
• The learning should have general applicability outside of the specific situation in which it was acquired. For example, credit will not be awarded for knowledge of specific personnel procedures and
  application which apply to only one company.  However, credit might be awarded for knowledge and experience in the principles of human resource management, of which personnel applications is one small component. 

Just the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is Prior Learning Assessment?
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) refers to a variety of means for receiving credit for education that has taken place outside the traditional classroom setting. TELL is one example of PLA. Others include the CLEP and DANTES exams and ACE credits.

Trinity allows students to apply up to 30 Prior Learning Assessment credits toward their degree. This can include a combination of TELL, CLEP, DANTES, and ACE credits.  Any prior learning credits awarded must also be in addition to the minimum 45 Trinity credits required for a degree.  Students must also meet all CORE and major requirements. Some of these can be met through prior learning assessment.

What is TELL?
TELL, the Trinity Experiential Lifelong Learning program, enables students to apply for credit for prior learning by putting together a portfolio of essays demonstrating knowledge equivalent to 200-level college courses. Students write their essays as part of a portfolio development course (known as the TELL Seminar) that carries 3 credits.

What is CLEP?
CLEP is the College Level Examination Program. It is a series of standardized tests that allows students to earn lower-level course credit. CLEP offers General and Subject Matter exams.

The General Exams include English Composition, Mathematics, Social Sciences and History, Humanities, and Natural Sciences. The Subject Exams are more specific (American History I: Early Colonizations to 1877, College Spanish I and II, Introductory Accounting, etc.).

These exams can be taken at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus and University of Maryland, College Park. Fees vary by site, but are generally around $50 per exam. The College Board publishes study guides for CLEP exams.

CLEP brochures are available at Trinity's School of Professional Studies, Main 250.

What is DANTES?
DANTES stands for Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support. It is a series of exams much like the CLEP exams. These tests were originally designed for the Department of Defense and have been
used for many years by military personnel.

What is ACE?
ACE is the American Council on Education, or the College Credit Recommendation service. This organization has established policies that are followed by most colleges and universities in the U.S. ACE has evaluated courses offered by many large corporations, government agencies and the military, and recommends college credits for some of these courses. If you have taken training courses through your employer and have documentation for them, you can have them evaluated for credit by ACE for a $25 initial assessment fee and an additional $5 fee for official transcripts. Trinity may accept some of these credits (ACE: 202/939-9434).

Reminder: You may apply no more than 30 prior learning credits toward your degree and must meet all CORE and major requirements. PLA Policies vary by department, so check with your Academic Advisor before proceeding with TELL or any examination program. It is especially important to guard against earning duplicate credits for courses that may be very similar.