Standard Two

Educational Program And Its Effectiveness
Standard 2.A – General Requirements The institution offers collegiate level programs that culminate in identified student competencies and lead to degrees or certificates in recognized fields of study. The achievement and maintenance of high quality programs is the primary responsibility of an accredited institution; hence, the evaluation of educational programs and their continuous improvement is an ongoing responsibility. As conditions and needs change, the institution continually redefines for itself the elements that result in educational programs of high quality.
2.A.1	The institution demonstrates its commitment to high standards of teaching and learning by providing sufficient human, physical, and financial resources to support its educational programs and to facilitate student achievement of program objectives whenever and however they are offered.
2.A.2	The goals of the institution’s educational programs, whenever and however offered, including instructional policies, methods, and delivery systems, are compatible with the institution’s mission. They are developed, approved, and periodically evaluated under established institutional policies and procedures through a clearly defined process.
2.A.3	Degree and certificate programs demonstrate a coherent design; are characterized by appropriate breadth, depth, sequencing of courses, synthesis of learning, and the assessment of learning outcomes; and require the use of library and other information sources.
2.A.4	The institution uses degree designators consistent with program content. In each field of study or technical program, degree objectives are clearly defined: the content to be covered, the intellectual skills, the creative capabilities, and the methods of inquiry to be acquired; and, if applicable, the specific career-preparation competencies to be mastered.
2.A.5	The institution provides evidence that students enrolled in programs offered in concentrated or abbreviated timeframes demonstrate mastery of program goals and course objectives.
2.A.6	The institution is able to equate its learning experiences with semester or quarter credit hours using practices common to institutions of higher education, to justify the lengths of its programs in comparison to similar programs found in regionally accredited institutions of higher education, and to justify any program-specific tuition in terms of program costs, program length, and program objectives.
2.A.7	Responsibility for design, approval, and implementation of the curriculum is vested in designated institutional bodies with clearly established channels of communication and control. The faculty has a major role and responsibility in the design, integrity, and implementation of the curriculum.
2.A.8	Faculty, in partnership with library and information resources personnel, ensure that the use of library and information resources is integrated into the learning process.
2.A.9	The institution’s curriculum (programs and courses) is planned both for optimal learning and accessible scheduling.
2.A.10	Credit for prior experiential learning is awarded only in accordance with Policy 2.3 Credit for Prior Experiential Learning.
2.A.11	Policies, regulations, and procedures for additions and deletions of courses or programs are systematically and periodically reviewed.
2.A.12	In the event of program elimination or significant change in requirements, institutional policy requires appropriate arrangements to be made for enrolled students to complete their program in a timely manner and with a minimum of disruption.

Standard 2.B – Educational Program Planning and Assessment Educational program planning is based on regular and continuous assessment of programs in light of the needs of the disciplines, the fields or occupations for which programs prepare students, and other constituencies of the institution.
2.B.1	The institution’s processes for assessing its educational programs are clearly defined, encompass all of its offerings, are conducted on a regular basis, and are integrated into the overall planning and evaluation plan. These processes are consistent with the institution’s assessment plan as required by Policy 2.2 Educational Assessment. While key constituents are involved in the process, the faculty have a central role in planning and evaluating the educational programs.
2.B.2	The institution identifies and publishes the expected learning outcomes for each of its degree and certificate programs. Through regular and systematic assessment, it demonstrates that students who complete their programs, no matter where or how they are offered, have achieved these outcomes.
2.B.3	The institution provides evidence that its assessment activities lead to the improvement of teaching and learning.

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Standard 2.C – Undergraduate Program The undergraduate program is designed to provide students with a substantial, coherenst, and articulated exposure to the broad domains of knowledge.
The Commission encourages a tripartite structure for baccalaureate and academic or transfer associate degree programs: (1) general education requires students to master competencies for independent learning and to develop an awareness of the fundamental areas of knowledge; (2) the major requires students to achieve a knowledge base in a specific area of concentration; and (3) electives provide the opportunity for students to pursue other intellectual interests. The instructional program, as a whole, is based on a clear rationale with the component parts designed to reflect that rationale. Degree and certificate programs are characterized by clarity and order which are discernible in model curricula shown in official publications and are recorded in official student records of actual programs pursued.
Baccalaureate and academic or transfer associate degree programs include a substantial core of general education instruction with identifiable outcomes and require competence in (a) written and oral communication, (b) quantitative reasoning, (c) critical analysis and logical thinking, and (d) literacy in the discourse or technology appropriate to the program of study.
Associate degree programs are designed to prepare students for careers in vocational and technical fields, and for transfer to a senior institution. Accordingly, the educational requirements for these degrees must be carefully determined in order to fulfill their respective purposes.
Programs of study for which applied or specialized associate degrees are granted, or programs of an academic year or more in length for which certificates are granted, contain a recognizable body of instruction in three program-related areas: (1) communication, (2) computation, and (3) human relations described in Policy 2.1 General Education/Related Instruction Requirements.
2.C.1	The institution requires of all its degree and pre-baccalaureate programs a component of general education and/or related instruction that is published in its general catalog in clear and complete terms.
2.C.2	The general education component of the institution’s degree programs is based on a rationale that is clearly articulated and is published in clear and complete terms in the catalog. It provides the criteria by which the relevance of each course to the general education component is evaluated.
2.C.3	The general education program offerings include the humanities and fine arts, the natural sciences, mathematics, and the social sciences. The program may also include courses that focus on the interrelationships between these major fields of study.
2.C.4	The institution’s policies for the transfer and acceptance of credit are clearly articulated. In accepting transfer credits to fulfill degree requirements, the institution ensures that the credits accepted are comparable to its own courses. Where patterns of transfer from other institutions are established, efforts to formulate articulation agreements are demonstrated.
2.C.5	The institution designs and maintains effective academic advising programs to meet student needs for information and advice, and adequately informs and prepares faculty and other personnel responsible for the advising function.
2.C.6	Whenever developmental or remedial work is required for admission to the institution or any of its programs, clear policies govern the procedures that are followed, including such matters as ability to benefit, permissible student load, and granting of credit. When such courses are granted credit, students are informed of the institution’s policy of whether or not the credits apply toward a degree. (See Glossary, Ability to benefit)
2.C.7	The institution’s faculty is adequate for the educational levels offered, including full-time faculty representing each field in which it offers major work.
2.C.8	In an effort to further establish an institution’s success with respect to student achievement, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities shall require those institutions that offer pre-baccalaureate vocational programs to track State licensing examination pass rates, as applicable, and job placement rates.

Standard 2.D – Graduate Program A graduate program is a set of advanced academic experiences beyond the baccalaureate level which must be satisfactorily completed to warrant the award of a graduate degree such as a master’s or doctorate.
Graduate degree programs may generally be classified into two categories: those that prepare students mainly as scholars and researchers and those that prepare students for a profession. The objective of a research-oriented graduate degree program is to develop scholars — that is, students with skills necessary to discover or acquire, organize, and disseminate new knowledge. The objective of the professional graduate degree is to develop in students their competence in interpreting, organizing, and communicating knowledge and to develop the analytical and performance skills needed for the conduct and advancement of professional practice.
2.D.1	The level and nature of graduate-degree programs are consistent with the mission and goals of the institution.
2.D.2	Programs of study at the graduate level are guided by well-defined and appropriate educational objectives and differ from undergraduate programs in requiring greater depth of Study and increased demands on student intellectual or creative capacities.
2.D.3	When offering the doctoral degree, the institution ensures that the level of expectations, curricula, and resources made available are significantly greater than those provided for master’s and baccalaureate level programs.

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Standard 2.E – Graduate Faculty and Related Resources Essential to graduate education are the recruitment and retention of a faculty that excels in scholarship, teaching, and research. To provide an acceptable level of instruction for the graduate student, faculty whose responsibilities include a major commitment to graduate education are involved in keeping pace with, and advancing the frontiers of, knowledge.
Successful graduate programs demand a substantial institutional commitment of resources for faculty, space, equipment, laboratories, library and information resources.
2.E.1	The institution provides evidence that it makes available for graduate programs the required resources for faculty, facilities, equipment, laboratories, library and information resources wherever the graduate programs are offered and however delivered.
2.E.2	The institution demonstrates a continuing commitment of resources to initiate graduate programs and to ensure that the graduate programs maintain pace with the expansion of knowledge and technology.
2.E.3	Institutions offering graduate degrees have appropriate full-time faculty in areas appropriate to the degree offered and whose main activity lies with the institution. Such faculty are related by training and research to the disciplines in which they teach and supervise research.
2.E.4	Faculty are adequate in number and sufficiently diversified within disciplines so as to provide effective teaching, advising, scholarly and/or creative activity, as well as to participate appropriately in curriculum development, policy development, evaluation, institutional planning, and development. Small graduate programs ordinarily require the participation of several full-time faculty whose responsibilities include a major commitment to graduate education.
2.E.5	In the delivery of off-campus programs, full-time faculty whose responsibilities include a major commitment to graduate education provide physical presence and participation in the planning, delivery, and assessment of the programs.
2.E.6	The institution that offers the doctoral degree has a core of full-time faculty active in graduate education at its main campus and at each off-campus location where doctoral programs are offered.

Standard 2.F – Graduate Records and Academic Credit Graduate admission and retention policies ensure that student qualifications and expectations are compatible with institutional mission and goals. Graduate program faculty are involved in specifying admission criteria, transfer of graduate credit, and graduation requirements.
2.F.1	Graduate program admission policies and regulations are consistent with and supportive of the character of the graduate programs offered by the institution. These policies and regulations are published and made available to prospective and enrolled students.
2.F.2	Admission to all graduate programs is based on information submitted with the formal application such as undergraduate and graduate transcripts, official reports on nationally recognized tests, and evaluations by professionals in the field or other faculty-controlled evaluation procedures.
2.F.3	Faculty teaching in graduate programs are involved in establishing both general admission criteria for graduate study as well as admission criteria to specific graduate programs.
2.F.4	Graduation requirements for advanced degrees offered by the institution are determined by the faculty teaching in the applicable graduate programs. At minimum, the policies governing these graduation requirements include:

•	the specified time period in which the degree must be completed;
•	the number of credit hours that must be completed at the degree-granting institution, normally at least two-thirds of those required for the degree;
•	the minimum number of graduate-level credits, normally at least 50% of those required for the degree;
•	for the master’s degree, a minimum of one academic year of full-time study or its equivalent, with a minimum of 24 semester or 36 quarter hours;
•	the number of graded credit hours that must be earned for the degree;
•	the minimum standard of performance or acceptable grade point average, normally a B or its equivalent;
•	the types of qualifying and exit examinations which the candidate must pass;
•	the proficiency requirements the candidate must satisfy; and
•	the thesis, dissertation, writing, or research requirement which the candidate must satisfy.

2.F.5

Transfer of graduate credit is evaluated by faculty based on policies established by faculty whose responsibilities include a major commitment to graduate education, or by representative body of such faculty who are responsible for the degree program at the receiving institution. The amount of transfer credit granted may be limited by the age of credit, the institution from which the transfer is made, and the appropriateness of the credit earned to the degree being sought.

2.F.6

Graduate credit may be granted for internships, field experiences, and clinical practices that are an integral part of the graduate degree program. Consistent with Policy 2.3 Credit for Prior Experiential Learning, credit may not be granted for experiential learning which occurred prior to the student’s matriculation into the graduate degree program. Unless the graduate student’s faculty advisor structures the current learning experience and monitors and assesses the learning and its outcomes, no graduate credit is granted for current learning experiences external to the student’s formal graduate program.

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Standard 2.G – Continuing Education and Special Learning Activities
The changing nature of the demands placed upon individuals in today’s society requires many of them to engage in life-long education. Many higher education institutions have incorporated into their missions an extension and public service component to provide for life-long learning opportunities. These opportunities are referred to as continuing education, professional development, extension education, outreach, special programs, public and community service programs. Such programs may be for either undergraduate or graduate credit, or non-credit, may be offered on and off campus, and may be offered through a variety of instructional formats.

The provisions of this standard apply to:

•	Off-campus programs and courses for credit, including those at branch campuses, extension centers or satellite sites, external degree programs, and military base programs.
•	Degree-completion programs.
•	Distance learning courses and courses taught exclusively on or off campus by special delivery systems, such as computer-based instruction, correspondence,television, video or audio cassette, or through other electronically-accessed means.
•	Practices providing credit for prior experiential learning.
•	Travel/study and study abroad programs.
•	Courses certified by the institution offered in secondary schools for college or university academic credit.
•	Non-credit community service programs and courses, including those that offer Continuing Education Units (CEU).
•	Relicensure courses, in-service, and credential programs.
•	Testing, evaluation, and examination procedures for granting degree credit.
•	Workshops, seminars, short courses, conferences, institutes, special evening and summer programs.

Off-Campus and Other Special Programs Providing Academic Credit Continuing education and special learning activities, programs, and courses offered for credit are consistent with the educational mission and goals of the institution. Such activities are integral parts of the institution and maintain the same academic standards as regularly offered programs and courses. The institution maintains direct and sole responsibility for the academic quality of all aspects of all programs and courses through the management and supervision by faculty and institutional administrators. Adequate resources to maintain high quality programs are ensured.
2.G.1	The institution provides evidence that all off-campus, continuing education (credit and noncredit), and other special programs are compatible with the institution’s mission and goals, and are designed, approved, administered, and periodically evaluated under establihed institutional procedures.
2.G.2	The institution is solely responsible for the academic and fiscal elements of all instructional programs it offers. The institution conforms to Policy A-6 Contractual Relationships with Organizations Not Regionally Accredited.
2.G.3	Full-time faculty representing the appropriate disciplines and fields of work are involvedin the planning and evaluation of the institution’s continuing education and special learning activities.
2.G.4	The responsibility for the administration of continuing education and special learning activities is clearly defined and an integral organizational component of the institution’s organization.
2.G.5	Programs and courses offered through electronically-mediated or other distance delivery systems provide ready access to appropriate learning resources and provide sufficient time and opportunities (electronic or others) for students to interact with faculty.
2.G.6	There is an equitable fee structure and refund policy.
2.G.7	The granting of credit for continuing education courses and special learning activities is based upon institutional policy, consistent throughout the institution, and applied wherever located and however delivered. The standard of one quarter hour of credit for 30 hours one semester hour of credit for 45 hours of student involvement is maintained for instructional programs and courses.
2.G.8	Continuing education and/or special learning activities, programs, or courses offered for academic credit are approved in advance by the appropriate institutional body and monitored through established procedures.
2.G.9	Credit for prior experiential learning is offered only at the undergraduate level and in accordance with Policy 2.3 Credit for Prior Experiential Learning.
2.G.10	An institution offering an external degree, degree-completion program, or special degree has clearly articulated policies and procedures concerning admission to the program, transfer of prior-earned credit, credit by examination (e.g., College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Entrance Examination Board and the institution’s own examinations), credit for prior experiential learning, credit by evaluation, and residency requirements.
2.G.11	When credit is measured by outcomes alone or other nontraditional means, student learning and achievement are demonstrated to be at least comparable in breadth, depth, and quality to the results of traditional instructional practices.
2.G.12	Travel/study courses meet the same academic standards, award similar credit, and are subject to the same institutional control as other courses and programs offered by the sponsoring or participating institution. Credit is not awarded for travel alone. The operation of these programs is consistent with Policy 2.4 Study Abroad Programs, and Policy A-6 Contractual Relationships with Organizations Not Regionally Accredited.

Standard 2.H – Non-credit Programs and Courses Non-credit programs and courses, including those that award Continuing Education Units (CEU), are consistent with the mission and goals of the institution. These offerings are characterized by high quality instruction with qualified instructors.
2.H.1	Non-credit programs and courses are administered under appropriate institutional policies, regulations, and procedures. Faculty are involved, as appropriate, in planning and evaluating non-credit programs.
2.H.2	The institution maintains records for audit purposes which describe the nature, level, and quantity of service provided through non-credit instruction.
2.H.3	When offering courses that award Continuing Education Units (CEU), the institution follows national guidelines for awarding and recording such units which call for one CEU being equivalent to 10 hours of instruction and appropriate to the objectives of the course. (See Glossary, Continuing Education Unit, and Policy A-9 Non-credit, Extension, and Continuing Education Studies.)

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Policy 2.1 General Education/Related Instruction Requirements
The Commission endorses the concept of general education and, as described below, requires of all undergraduate programs a substantial and coherent program of general education or a program of related instruction. By design, the policy is intended to be qualitative rather than quantitative in nature. No formula for specific application or particular pattern of general education is endorsed. However, every institution is expected to publish in its general catalog a clear and complete statement of its requirements for general education and/or related instruction, as appropriate.

A substantial core of general education instruction is regarded as an essential component of all baccalaureate degree programs and of all academic or transfer associate degree programs. Similarly, a core of related instruction is regarded as a necessary integral part of all applied or specialized associate degree programs and of all certificate programs of an academic year or more in length. General education in degree programs shall be of collegiate level. The contents of general education, and of related instruction in applied or specialized degree and certificate programs, should be comparable, though not necessarily identical, to traditional academic offerings and should be taught by faculty who are clearly appropriately qualified. In some cases, institutions may provide for general education through admission or graduation requirements. Institutions are encouraged to include broad general education instruction as part of non-degree specialized programs in addition to directly utilitarian-related instruction.

General Education. General education introduces students to the content and methodology of the major areas of knowledge - the humanities and fine arts, the natural sciences, mathematics, and the social sciences - and helps them develop the mental skills that will make them more effective learners. General education may, of course, be taught in different ways, and an institution must judge whether its students are better served by curricula or requirements that approach the disciplines through content and methodology, or that approach the disciplines by concentrating on outcomes. The rationale and plan for the general education requirements should be cooperatively developed by the faculty, administrative staff, and trustees, and the expected outcomes should be stated in relation to the institution’s mission and goals.

Related Instruction. Programs of study for which applied or specialized associate degrees are granted, or programs of an academic year or more in length for which certificates are granted, must contain a recognizable body of instruction in program-related areas of 1) communication, 2) computation, and 3) human relations. Additional topics which should be covered as appropriate include safety, industrial safety, and environmental awareness. Instruction in the related instructional areas may be either embedded within the program curriculum or taught in blocks of specialized instruction. Each approach, however, must have clearly identified content that is pertinent to the general program of study.

Adopted 1988

Policy 2.2 Educational Assessment
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities expects each institution and program to adopt an assessment plan responsive to its mission and its needs. In so doing, the Commission urges the necessity of a continuing process of academic planning, the carrying out of those plans, the assessment of the outcomes, and the influencing of the planning process by the assessment activities.

As noted in Standard Two, implicit in the mission statement of every institution of higher education is the education of students. Consequently, each institution has an obligation to plan carefully its courses of instruction to respond to student needs, to evaluate the effectiveness of that educational program in terms of the change it brings about in students, and to make improvements in the program dictated by the evaluative process. Assessment of educational quality has always been at the heart of the accreditation process. In earlier times, this assessment tended to focus more upon process measures and structural features; hence, there was considerable emphasis placed upon resources available to enhance students’ educational experiences such as the range and variety of graduate degrees held by members of the faculty, the number of books in the library, the quality of specialized laboratory equipment, and the like. More recently, while still stressing the need to assess the quantity and quality of the whole educational experience, the communities of interest served by the accreditation enterprise have come to appreciate the validity and usefulness of using output evaluations and assessment as well as input measures.

Nearly every institution accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities engages in some type of outcomes assessment. Some are more formalized than others; some more quantified; some less so; some well- developed and long-utilized, and some of more recent origin and implementation. The intent of Commission policy is to stress outcomes assessment as an essential part of the ongoing institutional self-study and accreditation processes, to underline the necessity for each institution to formulate a plan which provides for a series of outcomes measures that are internally consistent and in accord with its mission and structure, and, finally, to provide some examples of a variety of successful plans for assessing educational outcomes.

Central to the outcomes analyses or assessments are judgments about the effects of the educational program upon students. These judgments can be made in a variety of ways and can be based upon a variety of data sources. The more data sources that contribute to the overall judgment, the more reliable that judgment would seem to be. There follows a list of several outcomes measures which, when used in appropriate combinations and informed by the institutional mission, could yield an efficacious program of outcomes assessment. This list is intended to be illustrative and exemplary as opposed to prescriptive and exhaustive.

	a.	Student Information. From what sources does the institution acquire its students? What percentage directly from high school? Community college transfers? Transfers from other institutions? What blend of gender, age group, and ethnicity has the institution attracted over time? Retained over time? Graduated over time? What is the mean measured aptitude, over time, of entering students? What are the local grade distribution trends? What changes have appeared over time?
	b.	Mid-Program Assessments. If the institution has some kind of required writing course or an emphasis on writing across the curriculum, what evidence is there that students are better writers after having been exposed to the course or curriculum? How are these judgments rendered? If student writing improves, do students appear to retain this newly acquired proficiency? If so, why, and if not, why not? What changes are planned as a result of the assessment exercise?
		A required course, program, or sequence in mathematics can be assessed in a similar fashion. What evidence is there that the skills improved or declined as a result of the program? How are these judgments rendered? Does the improvement appear permanent or transitory? How has the program been changed as a result of the assessment program?
		A required course, program, or sequence in any subject matter can be addressed in a similar fashion, as can nearly any part of the program in general education or the program as a whole.
	c.	End of Program Assessment. What percentage of those students who enter an institution graduate? Is the percentage increasing or decreasing? Why? What is the mean number of years in which students graduate? Is that mean increasing or decreasing? Why? What are the criteria for these judgments? What is the severalyear retention pattern from one class to the next, such as freshman to sophomore? If patterns reflect significant losses between one level and another, what are the reasons? Similar questions may be asked by gender and/or ethnic background. If the institution or program requires a capstone experience at the end of the curriculum, are present students performing better or worse than their predecessors? What are the reasons? What are the bases for the judgments? (e.g. “The cumulative judgment of the faculty is that the quality of the senior theses in art has improved during the past five years. This judgment is based upon the following evidence . . .” or “The Psychology Department requires the advanced test on the Graduate Record Examination of all graduates. These scores have declined by an average of 2% each year for the past five years. The faculty is of the opinion that the reasons for this decline are . . ..”)
	d.	Program Review and Specialized Accreditation. Some institutions require periodic program review of each academic program, either through an institutionally approved internal process and/or through seeking and achieving specialized accreditation, or by utilizing external experts. Either or both of these activities can provide a wealth of outcomes assessment data, particularly if the methodology remains somewhat standardized over time.
	e.	Alumni Satisfaction and Loyalty. A number of institutions engage in a variety of alumni surveys which elicit, over time, the judgments of alumni of the efficacy of their educational experience in a program or at an institution. Use of such a mechanism can assist an institution in understanding whether alumni satisfaction with various aspects of the educational program, particularly those facets which the institution stresses, appears to be growing or diminishing over time. If satisfaction is increasing, why? If decreasing, why? What are the bases for the judgments? What curricular implications do these findings have?
	f.	Dropouts/Non-completers. What methods has the institution utilized to determine the reasons why students drop out or otherwise do not complete a program once they have enrolled in it? What is the attrition rate over the past five years? Is it increasing or decreasing? What are the reasons? What programs or efforts does the institution engage to enhance student retention? Which tactics have proved to be effective?
	g.	Employment and/or Employer Satisfaction Measures. One relatively straightforward outcomes measure used by some institutions concerns that number and/or percentage of former students who have sought and found employment. Are they happy with what they have found? Do they think the program prepared them well for their chosen occupations? If trained in a particular area, teacher education, for example, have they found a teaching position?

Other institutions have found qualitative comments of frequent employers to be particularly helpful in assessing educational outcomes. Do the employers regularly recruit program graduates? Why or why not? How well do program graduates perform in comparison with graduates from other similar programs? Are there areas of the curriculum in which program graduates are particularly well prepared? Which areas? Why is preparation judged to be particularly good? Where are the weaknesses? Why? What is being done to provide remedial activity?

Adopted 1992

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Policy 2.3 Credit for Prior Experiential Learning
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities recognizes the validity of granting credit for prior experiential learning, provided the practice is carefully monitored and documented. Credit for prior experiential learning may be offered under the conditions enumerated below. This policy is not designed to apply to such practices as CLEP, Advanced Placement, or ACE-evaluated military credit. Credit for courses taken from non-accredited institutions must be addressed pursuant to Policy 2.5 Transfer and Award of Academic Credit.

	a.	Policies and procedures for awarding experiential learning credit must be adopted, described in appropriate institutional publications, and reviewed at regular intervals.
	b.	Credit for prior experiential learning may be granted only at the undergraduate level.
	c.	Credit may be granted only upon the recommendation of teaching faculty who are appropriately qualified and who are on a regular appointment with the college on a continuing basis.
	d.	Credit may be granted only for documented learning which ties the prior experience to the theories and data of the relevant academic fields.
	e.	Credit may be granted only for documented learning which falls within the regular curricular offerings of the institution.
	f.	An institution that uses documentation and interviews in lieu of examinations must demonstrate in its self-study that the documentation provides the academic assurances of equivalence to credit earned by traditional means.
	g.	Credit for prior experiential learning should not constitute more than 25% of the credits needed for a degree or certificate.
	h.	No assurances are made as to the number of credits to be awarded prior to the completion of the institution’s review process.
	i.	Credit may be granted only to enrolled students and is to be identified on the student’s transcript as credit for prior experiential learning.
	j.	Policies and procedures must ensure that credit for prior experiential learning does not duplicate other credit awarded.
	k.	Adequate precautions must be provided to ensure that payment of fees does not influence the award of credit.
		Adopted 1988

Policy 2.4 Study Abroad Programs
Study abroad can be an important phase of undergraduate and graduate programs in American colleges and universities. Carefully planned and administered, foreign study may add significant dimensions to a student’s educational experience. As guidelines for institutions which conduct programs of foreign study or whose students participate in such programs, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities urges that a study abroad program should:

	a.	be clearly related to the mission and goals of the sponsoring or participating institution;
	b.	have a well-defined rationale stating the specific nature and purposes of the program, and be accurately represented in the institution’s catalog and all promotional literature;
	c.	provide educational experiences related to the institution’s curriculum;
	d.	be available to students carefully selected according to ability and interest;
	e.	have a carefully articulated policy regarding the availability of financial assistance to students for programs required by the institution;
	f.	have clearly specified language proficiency requirements when appropriate to the programand place of study, and clearly defined methods of testing proficiency prior to acceptance into the program;
	g.	provide extensive information to intended participants, honestly and specifically describing the program’s opportunities and limitations, indicating how and where instruction will be given and the relationship to the foreign institution, describing grading practices, identifying especially significant differences between a home campus experience and what can be expected abroad, including information about local living conditions and the extent of responsibility assumed by the program for housing participants;
	h.	provide extensive orientation for participants prior to departure for, and on arrival in, the foreign country with respect to the matters in item g above, augmented with more detailed information and instruction related to the specific program;
	i.	have a resident director carefully selected on the basis of professional competence and interest, appointed for a minimum of two years with provision for overlapping replacement appointments to allow for transition, and assured of the same professional rights, privileges, and consideration as colleagues on the home campus, with due respect for the responsibilities of the overseas assignment;
	j.	provide counseling and supervisory services at the foreign center, with special attention to problems peculiar to the location and nature of the program;
	k.	guarantee adequate basic reference materials to offset any limitations of local libraries or inaccessibility to them;
	l.	include clearly defined criteria and policies for judging performance and assigning credit in accordance with prevailing standards and practices at the home institution; where several institutions are involved with a single overseas institution or in a consortium, a common basis or determining grade equivalents is essential;
	m.	stipulate that students will ordinarily not receive credit for foreign study undertaken without prior planning or approval on the students’ home campuses;