Distance Education and Prior Learning Assessment
UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG INDEX

Since its founding, Mountain State University has worked to create new ways of making higher education accessible. Today MSU offers a wide array of learning options that benefit campus-based students as well as those who study from a distance. These choices include degree programs that you can complete online, individualized study classes, and credit for portfolios and standardized exams that demonstrate what you’ve already learned. Most options are available to both campus-based and off-campus students.

EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS
MSU provides a variety of options for attaining academic credit. Courses are offered in different distance learning formats and locations. Standardized tests that can be taken for academic credit include the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), and MSU Challenge Examinations. Through prior learning assessment, or PLA, you may also be eligible to receive academic credit for learning you’ve done in corporate, volunteer, or military training, or by developing a portfolio that documents the work and learning you’ve completed that relate to an area of study.

If you are planning to take courses through individualized or online study, sit for a standardized test, or develop a portfolio for prior learning credit, you are encouraged to analyze your intentions with an enrollment coordinator or academic advisor to better understand MSU’s degree requirements and the policies and procedures that may apply.

Courses offered through individualized study and online formats have the same learning objectives and outcomes as their classroom-based counterparts and are designed and led by qualified faculty members. Because these courses and programs do not generally follow the traditional academic calendar, it is especially important to be aware of and follow financial aid policies and procedures.

Academic Requirements for Students in Distance Education and PLA
While many programs provide a great deal of flexibility in how you can complete degree requirements, you are required to complete at least 30 credit hours at MSU for a bachelor’s degree, 18 hours for an associate degree, or 6 hours for a certificate. You must complete at least 3 credit hours toward any degree or certificate on an MSU campus or at an approved educational site unless you are enrolled in a program designated as available entirely through distance education. It is your responsibility to ensure that the options you choose will meet the requirements of your degree program.

Individualized Study
Individualized study, or IS, provides an opportunity to study at your own pace and convenience with guidance and feedback from a faculty member. IS courses are
available to all students, and you can enroll in a course at any time. Once you enroll, you have four months to complete the course, with up to two one-month extensions available for a fee. Examinations can be taken on or off campus; some exams require an approved proctor.

IS courses are available in two different formats. For paper-based IS courses, you can submit assignments by either e-mail or postal mail. Some IS courses are available in a web-enhanced version.

When you enroll in an IS class, you will receive a syllabus that includes general course information, a list of learning objectives, a suggested schedule for course-related learning activities, and information on how to communicate with the instructor. You will also receive a copy of IS policies and procedures, as well as information on verifying your enrollment and participation in the class, accessing your student and e-mail accounts online, ordering textbooks, and arranging for an exam proctor.

The drop period for IS classes is 10 business days from the date of registration. After the drop period, you can withdraw from the class but will be held responsible for all tuition and fees. See Dropping, Withdrawal, and Refunds in the Registration and Payment chapter or contact the Registrar’s Office.

Students who withdraw from courses or fail to participate may lose financial aid and be responsible for all appropriate tuition and fees. See Withdrawal and Refunds for Financial Aid Recipients in the Financial Aid chapter or contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

See the MSU website for a list of currently available programs.

Online Study
Mountain State University provides selected courses and programs of study online using the Blackboard CE Learning Management System.

Online courses are offered in an 8-week format. During each 16-week semester you complete a sequence of four classes: two in the first 8 weeks and two in the second. This approach qualifies you as a full-time student for financial aid purposes and helps you focus your studies and manage your time without juggling assignments and projects from multiple classes. Online faculty members use Blackboard to post class announcements, guide online discussions, communicate with students, and assess and grade student coursework.

Many online programs are offered in a group learning environment, or learning cohort. (See the following section for details.) Classroom interaction and face-to-face instruction are replaced by online activities including group chats, threaded group discussions, e-mail, podcasts, and sharing of learning resources. Online library support and learning resources are provided.

Before enrolling in an online course or program, you should be proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; sending and receiving e-mail; posting messages to an online discussion group; downloading and uploading files; and the basic conventions of online communication. If you have technical questions about Blackboard CE or system compatibility concerns, contact technical support is available by calling 304.929.1496 or toll-free 800.766.6067 ext 1496 Monday through Friday between 8AM and 5PM Eastern, or by e-mailing
elearningsupport@mountainstate.edu.

See the MSU website for a list of currently available courses and programs.

Cohort Learning
Selected academic programs, as well as the Spectrum general education option, are offered in a group learning environment, or learning cohort. Cohorts are formed on MSU’s campuses and sites, at other locations within West Virginia, and online. The same group of students meets together once a week and complete their entire program together. Because this format accommodates many work schedules, it is especially attractive to working adults.

The learning community approach offers a number of positive benefits. The experiences, ideas, and perspectives of the other cohort members contribute to each student’s learning. Students form networks of relations and create an environment in which they feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas.

See the MSU website for a list of currently available programs.

General Education Options
Eligible students have the option of completing their general education requirements through Spectrum, which is designed to help students begin a program of study at MSU. Spectrum integrates general education requirements over four semesters that can be completed with one night a week in the classroom. For complete information, see the Spectrum listing in the General Education Requirements chapter.

An online general education sequence is also available. See the General Education Requirements chapter for details.

Standardized Testing Credit
College-level credit is available for successful completion of various national standardized examinations. Available examination programs include the computerized College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Standardized Subject Tests (DSST), and the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) examination.

The University also provides its own challenge examinations, which are developed specifically to meet University and degree requirements. These exams are equivalent to the comprehensive final examinations in traditional courses; you can earn credit for a course by passing the challenge exam for that course. Unlike most standardized exams, which are pass-fail, challenge exams carry a grade of A, B, C, D, or F; exam grades appear on your transcript and are included in your grade-point average. When you register for a Challenge Exam, you will receive a study guide and the title of a recommended textbook. You must take the exam within two months of registering for it.

Contact the MSU Testing Center for additional information on standardized testing.

Prior Learning Assessment
Mountain State University allows students to receive academic credit for the learning associated with experience gained through work, military service, professional training, hobbies, recreation, and other meaningful activities. These experiences are evaluated for their equivalency to specific MSU courses and their ability to satisfy institutional and degree requirements. Mountain State University’s prior learning assessment (PLA) option follows the academic and administrative standards established by the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). When possible, American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations are used in evaluating military and corporate training programs.

To apply for prior learning credit, you must develop and submit a learning portfolio that documents your learning experiences in light of specific MSU course and degree requirements. While developing this portfolio can be a rewarding process, it also represents a significant investment of time and resources.

Learning portfolios are evaluated by a faculty reader/evaluator who determines if the learning described satisfies the University’s criteria relating to the assessment of prior learning experiences. The faculty reader/evaluator makes a recommendation to the senior academic officer for experiential learning. If approved, the recommendation for granting prior learning credit is forwarded to the registrar for final review and (if approved) recording onto your transcript. Recommendations are subject to appeal in accordance with the University’s academic appeal process.

Additional information on prior learning assessment and portfolio development is available in the Learning Portfolio Development Guide, which is available on the MSU website.

Credit for Training and Certifications
Certifications, licenses, corporate training programs, and other documentation of learning that has taken place outside a traditional learning environment can be evaluated for potential academic credit. For individual students, this evaluation is done on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the University’s prior learning assessment process. For corporate partnerships and articulation agreements (which govern the transfer of credit from another institution of higher education), learning associated with specific degrees, certifications, licenses, and training programs is assessed and uniform credit and course equivalencies are established in accordance with University standards and prevailing professional guidelines.

Any credit awarded for training does not appear on your official transcript until all degree requirements have been met and your degree is certified.

Credit for Armed Services Training
Mountain State University recognizes the value of the learning experiences associated with courses and occupational training programs completed by members of the U.S. armed services. The University makes use of the credit recommendations from the most recent edition of the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by the American Council on Education (ACE).

Mountain State University is a member of the Service Members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) consortium of schools, through which more than 1,800 colleges and universities annually serve hundreds of thousands of servicemembers and their families.

SOC coordinates associate and bachelor’s degrees in a variety of curriculum areas for the Army (SOCAD), Navy (SOCNAV), Marine Corps (SOCMAR), and Coast Guard (SOCCOAST). These degree programs are offered by colleges and universities that are accessible to Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Army National Guard, and Air Guard servicemembers worldwide. Member colleges within the SOC consortium agree to accept ACE credit recommendations and transfer credits from other member schools as appropriate for their degree programs.

SOC programs are designed to be flexible and typically offer several means of earning academic credit, including credit by examination through CLEP and DANTES; use of the ACE credit recommendations for military learning experiences; and access to coursework through various delivery methods including traditional classroom instruction, distance learning, and computer- or web-based instruction.

As a member of SOCAD, Mountain State University offers several Army Career Degree (ACD) plans. The ACD program matches the learning associated with a Military Occupational Specialty, or MOS, with the requirements of a specific degree program. ACD plans include an array of options for meeting college requirements through Army training, classroom study, distance learning, testing, certification, and licensure. Currently available ACDs include MSU degree programs matched to Army MOS 68S (91S) Preventive Medicine Specialist and 68W (91W) Health Care Specialist.

Mountain State University is also a member of SOCMAR and SOCCOAST, and offers additional SOC-approved associate and bachelor’s degree programs.

Continuing Education
From upgrading skills to mastering new technologies to learning creative arts, Mountain State University is dedicated to meeting the ongoing needs of the community. Continuing education programs work with individuals and groups to provide educational services in a variety of formats.

MSU offers some noncredit courses in such areas as social work and health sciences. These courses provide Continuing Education Units, or CEUs, as a standardized method of documenting continuing education experiences. CEUs can be offered for learning in any format, at any educational level, and in any subject. They can document learning to help with upgrading professional skills or with obtaining or renewing a professional licensure, certification, or registration.