DEVELOPMENT OF STRUCTURE AND PROCESS FOR EVIDENCE BASED CREDIT ASSESSMENT
5/20/2013
Fundamental Premise
Department faculty are responsible for the determination of the acceptability of transfer credit based on
college transcript coursework and the awarding of credit based on evidence of accomplishing learning
outcomes through experiences outside of traditional college courses. Changes in the landscape of higher
education and public policy require that IUPUI be prepared to accommodate larger numbers of these
non-collegiate experiences as well as review them more quickly.
Introduction
With the adoption of the Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs), IUPUI embraced the concept that
our curricula are built upon the concept of learning outcomes. The integrity of this concept was
reinforced with the Association of American Colleges and Universities specification of the Liberal
Education and America's Promise (LEAP) principles. The recent development of the learning outcomes
underlying the State of Indiana General Education Core and the premise of the transfer of the
completed General Education core among state higher education institutions independent of the
courses which compose the core also has required us to understand how learning outcomes can be
accomplished independent of specific course requirements.
IUPUI already has mechanisms in place to award credit for prior learning, but the application of those
processes is limited to some academic units, is not consistently applied, and has no structure to permit
us to learn from prior decisions. The following are a representation of what is currently in place.
 Through a process managed by Undergraduate Admissions, credit is awarded for coursework
completed at regionally accredited higher education institutions.
 Students with AP scores of 3 or higher are awarded credit in specific subject areas. (See
http://enroll.iupui.edu/admissions/resources/ap_credit.html ) Credit is also granted for
International Baccalaureate courses.
 Individuals can receive credit based on performance on CLEP and Dantes examinations.
(http://enroll.iupui.edu/admissions/resources/credit_by_examination.html )
 Military service members who submit the DD-214 form to Undergraduate Admissions receive
credit per school-level policies for basic/boot-camp training and development curricula (8.0
units for Purdue Program/12.0 units for IU Programs).
http://enroll.iupui.edu/admissions/appinfo/ . A systematic process for awarding credit for
additional military training is not in place.
 Individuals with specific professional credentials are granted credit toward degree completion
(For an example, see RN to BSN program http://iu-rnbsn.iu.edu/home.php )
 The School of Engineering and Technology (ET) provides a portfolio development course as a
platform for assisting students with tools for linking evidence of college comparable learning
outcomes to IUPUI’s PULs and student learning outcomes for specific courses delivered by
programs in that school.
 Some departments awarded credit based on departmentally developed examinations or based
on validation through completion of higher level courses.
The current processes to award credit based on evidence from learning outside of the structure of
transcripted college course are not well organized, vary across departments, and do not permit
decisions to be captured for use with future students to ensure uniformity in awarding credit. As is
1
done with the award of transfer credit, capturing the decisions which have the potential to be applied to
subsequent students will increase the instances when the decisions can be enacted by Undergraduate
Admissions on behalf of the departmental faculty. Capturing the decisions and displaying appropriate
information via a website also will permit prospective students to determine if they may be eligible for
credit via the evidence based assessment process.
Multiple trends and initiatives require IUPUI to develop the formal structure to globally support and
leverage best practices to assess prior learning, training, and education not recorded on a college
transcript and award credit with the maximum potential to apply to degree requirements across degree
programs. If IUPUI is to grow the number of students enrolled and, more importantly, increase our
degree production, we must enhance our ability to recruit and serve students who enter IUPUI in
categories other than traditional-aged beginners.
Several of the Task Forces involved in the IUPUI Strategic Planning process identified the need to better
serve individuals with some college who are returning to complete their degrees (referred to as ‘near
completers’). Critical to their re-engagement is providing opportunities to grant credit toward degree
completion in areas where they can demonstrate that they have mastered the learning outcomes within
a course.
HEA 116 Military Education and Training requires state educational institutions to meet the standards of
the American Council on Education (ACE) for awarding academic credit. IUPUI has not developed the
structure to fully accommodate implementation of this legislation. This is both an issue of legal
compliance and remaining competitive since some institutions are beginning to award credit based on
military occupation classifications.
IUPUI needs to develop the administrative structure to promote and support evidence based learning
outcomes assessment by the academic units to award credit. This approach is consistent with IUPUI’s
strategic vision of reducing time to degree.
Terminology Related to Credit
Essential to this proposal is a standardization of the terminology used to describe the various types of
credit that can be awarded for learning done outside of the IU system. For ease of discussions, credit is
broken into four categories:
(1) Test Credit refers to credit awarded based on a score from a standardized examination.
(2) Transfer Credit refers to credit awarded for courses taken at another regionally accredited
institution.
(3) Credential Credit refers to credit awarded for the completion of a certification or training
program which includes a standardized curriculum and standardized documentation of
completion. This would include credit for military training.
(4) Evidence-Based Credit refers to credit awarded based on the completion of a portfolio
documenting the college course-level knowledge or competencies a student has mastered but is
not otherwise documented as test credit, transfer credit or credential credit OR to credit
awarded based on performance on a departmentally generated examination.
Currently, the campus has a robust process and mechanism for reviewing external test scores and
college courses for transfer credit, storing credit articulations to speed up the awarding of credit for
2
future students, and presenting these articulations via websites for the benefit of prospective and
current students. This process is managed via the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Description of the General Structure to Support Evidence Based Credit Assessment
With modifications and enhancements, the current IUPUI structure that supports the determination of
the equivalency of transfer credits can be adapted to provide the administrative mechanisms to
accomplish evidence based credit assessment. Three scenarios are presented to demonstrate how the
overall process will function: credit for training resulting in credentials, credit through an evidence based
assessment of prior learning demonstrated through a credential, and credit through an evidence based
assessment of prior learning which includes the awarding of credit based on performance on
departmentally generated examinations.
A single point of entry will be responsibility for the administrative processes of evidence based credit
assessment. The Office also will handle the administrative processes for transfer credit assessments.
Process for Awarding Credit for Training that Resulted in a Credential
When an individual has completed training which results in some type of credential, but not transcripted
college credit, a process is needed to facilitate the initial review of the credential by the appropriate
academic unit to determine if credit should be awarded and to permit administratively awarding of the
credit for subsequent individuals on behalf of the academic unit. Examples of this form of credit would
potentially include training received via the military, professional development certifications, or
professional certifications. The defining feature of this form of credit is that it is the result of a defined
set of training with standardized outcomes that culminates in a standardized credential as the result of a
form of assessment. In cases where the credential also incorporates credit that would be awarded on a
college transcript, credit will first be assessed based upon the college transcript before additional credit
could be awarded based upon training not included on the transcript. In no cases should credit be
awarded twice (once based on a college transcript and again for the additional training).
To facilitate the consistent and timely review of credentialed training at IUPUI, the review of such
credentials should follow a process similar to that of credit transferred from another college or
university. This standardization has several benefits:
(1) A centralized process of reviewing and award credit to ensure consistency and adherence to
university and campus policies regarding credit transfer;
(2) A central point of contact for student interactions, allowing for consistent messaging and
communication management via the enterprise CRM;
(3) The ability to track the status of articulation requests across academic departments;
(4) A unified database of credential articulations (similar to the Credit Articulation and Transfer
System currently in place for transfer credit) which could be presented to both internal and
external constituents for transparency regarding the transferability of credit from non-university
credentials.
To establish this process, the following steps are required:
(1) A single point of entry must be identified as responsible for the coordination and management
of the credential credit process;
(2) The campus must adopt a central policy regarding credential credit to guide departments in
their review of articulation requests. This policy should:
3
a. Encourage departments to award credit for training credentials which provide outcomes
similar to those of their courses;
b. Emphasize outcomes rather than course content when reviewing credentials;
c. Encourage departments to establish parameters for the awarding of credit for
credentials that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions can use to suggest articulations
for newly encountered credentials;
(3) Provide for and fund the development and implementation of a database for the awarding of
credential credit which includes a front-facing web-interface;
(4) Academic departments must identify coordinators for the review of these credentials who will
be expected to support students and comply with university practices;
(5) A .5 FTE position should be established in the single point of entry to serve as the coordinator of
the process and the manager of the database for articulating credential credit.
Process to Support Portfolio Development for Prior Learning Assessment
While IUPUI could defer the Prior Learning Assessment process to outside review processes such as
Council for Adult and Experience Learning (CAEL) sponsored Learning Counts.org
http://www.cael.org/pla.htm#Partner_with_LearningCounts), the preferred process is to develop the
structure that will permit students to generate a portfolio and have the credit determination made by
IUPUI departments.
IUPUI can facilitate the process of awarding credit based on portfolio assessment by using the School of
Engineering and Technology (ET) portfolio development course (TCM 39900) as a platform for assisting
students with tools for linking evidence of college comparable learning outcomes to IUPUI’s PULs and
student learning outcomes. The course could remain as a credit-bearing course or could be offered as a
non-credit (MOOC-like) structure so that students prepare their portfolios in a standardized manner to
facility the assessment process.
Similar to the process described for the review of credentials, the student would submit the completed
portfolio through a central point which would route the documentation to the appropriate department
for consideration. As described in the prior scenario, each department will have an identified
coordinator which will enable Admissions to facilitate the review process completion in a timely
manner. Once the review process is completed, the credit as determined by the academic unit will be
place on the student’s transcript. Currently, credit via portfolio review is handled through the special
credit process within the Office of the Registrar. It would be assigned to the new central point in the
proposed structure.
To establish this process, the following steps are required:
(1) A central unit would be made responsible for the coordination and management of the
evidence-based credit process;
(2) The campus must adopt a central policy regarding evidence-based learning to guide
departments in their review of articulation requests. This policy should:
a. Encourage departments to award credit for evidence-based learning which provide
outcomes similar to those of their courses;
b. Emphasize outcomes rather than course content when reviewing portfolios;
4
(3) Provide for and fund the development and implementation of a database for the collection and
routing of portfolios to departments for review;
(4) Academic departments must identify coordinators for the review of these portfolios who will be
expected to support students and comply with university practices;
(5) Establish training for faculty to review and coordinate the development of these portfolios;
(6) Establish a compensation mechanism for the review of portfolios by faculty members;
(7) Develop and collect campus policies on PLA (See EAB report on PLA
http://www.eab.com/~/media/EAB/Research-and-Insights/AAF/Custom/2010/03/GrantingAcademic-Credit-for-Prior-Learning.pdf)
Process to Support Awarding Credit through Examination (External and Departmental Examinations)
IUPUI academic departments have established policies for the awarding of credit for Advanced
Placement (AP) examinations [Advanced Placement Credit], International Baccalaureate examinations
[International Baccalaureate Credit], the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) [CLEP Credit], and
the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support Program (DANTES) [DANTES Credit]
http://enroll.iupui.edu/admissions/resources/credit_by_examination.html The administrative process of
placing the credit on the transcript is handled by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and would be
assigned to the new Office for Assessment of Transfer, Credential, and Prior Learning Credit in the
proposed structure.
Students may also receive special credit through department generated examinations. For example, the
Mathematics Department offers credit by examination for several 100 and 200 level courses for
students who present a valid reason such as transferring to IUPUI with similar but not equivalent credit
for a math course, students who have already taken the course with a satisfactory grade more than two
years ago, or students who struggle with electronic test taking, but do well when evaluated based on the
work completed, rather than just the final solution. http://math.iupui.edu/undergraduate/resources/proficiencycredit. Another example is World Languages and Cultures http://www.iupui.edu/~bulletin/iupui/20122014/undergraduate/special-opp/waivers-credit.shtml, http://www.iupui.edu/~bulletin/iupui/2012-2014/schools/liberalarts/undergraduate/general.shtml .
As more opportunities develop for individuals to acquire knowledge outside of credit bearing courses,
expansion of the credit by examination for more courses is warranted. Currently, credit by examination
is handled through the special credit process within the Office of the Registrar. It would be assigned to a
central unit in the proposed structure.
Summary of Recommendations



A single point of entry would be identified which will serve students seeking credit from external
standardized examinations, college coursework, professional certifications or other credentials.
The expansion of campus policies to include expectations and limitations for awarding credit for
professional credentials and un-credentialed prior learning which ties these policies to the
strategic mission of increasing and facilitating degree completion. The policy information must
be easily located through search functions so that prospective and current students understand
the potential for receiving credit through these processes.
The campus administration should advocate for broad adoption of the alternative pathways for
students to acquire credits described in this document.
5

The creation of a database to store information on decisions for standardize examinations,
professional certifications, and other credentials as well as to route materials to departments
for consideration of credit.
Additional Issues for Consideration as Implementation Occurs
 Training for faculty members
 Payment to faculty members for PLA assessments
 Development and collection of campus policies on PLA
o See EAB report on PLA http://www.eab.com/~/media/EAB/Research-andInsights/AAF/Custom/2010/03/Granting-Academic-Credit-for-Prior-Learning.pdf
 Appropriateness of online learning modules to prepare for examination based credit
o Example--Education Portal has over 3,400 online lessons that can be used to supplement
instruction or as self-learning tools. The videos are 5-10 minutes long, are reported to be
taught by subject matter experts and available at no cost. The modules purport to prepare
students to pass CLEP, Excelsior College’s Credit by Examination, and DSST (DANTES)
examinations.
6
Evidence-Based Credit Assessment at Indiana University Campuses
Campus
Credit by Exam/Credentials
Departmental Examples
Military Credit
Prior Learning
Fee Assessment
Other
IUPUI
http://enroll.iupui.edu/admi
ssions/resources/credit_by_
examination.html
http://math.iupui.edu/undergra
duate/resources/proficiencycredit
http://enroll.iupui.edu/a
dmissions/resources/mil
itary.shtml
http://adult.iupui.edu/pla
.html
http://www.bursar.iupui.ed
u/optfees.asp
http://jacada.iupui.edu/AdvisorOri
entationGuidebook/PlacementTest
ing/WorldLanguage.aspx
http://www.registrar.iupui.edu/tra
nscript/explain/special_credit.html
http://registrar.iupui.edu/s
pecred.html
http://enroll.iupui.edu/admi
ssions/undergraduate/credit
/
http://registrar.iupui.edu/sp
ecred.html
http://www.iupui.edu/~bull
etin/iupui/20122014/undergraduate/special
-opp/waivers-credit.shtml
IUB
http://www.iu.edu/~bulletin
/iub/college/20122013/policies/academicpolicies/credit-exam.shtml
https://www.indiana.edu/~v
pfaa/academicguide/index.p
hp/Policy_H-13
http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/engl
ish/index.php/academics/wtgp/
wtgp_policies4#exam
http://nursing.iupui.edu/acade
mics/portfolio.shtml
http://www.iupui.edu/~bulletin
/iupui/20102012/schools/socialwork/undergraduate/laborstudies/competency.shtml
http://www.iu.edu/~bulletin/iu
b/college/2012-2013/degreerequirements/foreignlang.shtml
http://www.iu.edu/~bulletin/iu
b/college/20112012/departments/chemistry/c
redit-exam.shtml
http://www.math.indiana.edu/
undergraduate/calcexam.phtml
http://adult.iupui.edu/cr
edit.html
http://veterans.indiana.
edu/startinghomepage/i
ndex.shtml
If by credentials or experience: $20 per credit, $100 maximum.
If by exam:
Beginners no charge 1st 2 terms
Transfers: no charge 1st term
If later than above, current program rate
http://bursar.indiana.edu/h
ome/index.php/policies/sp
ecial-credit/
http://registrar.indiana.edu/transc
ript.html
Fees for special
credit/credit by
examination are waived for
undergraduate students
enrolled in at least 12
credit hours. Regular credit
hour rates apply for
graduate students and
undergraduate students
enrolled in fewer than 12
credit hours.
7
IUE
http://www.iue.edu/catalog
/policies/Academic_Credit.p
hp
http://www.iue.edu/ad
missions/transfers/trans
ferringCredits.php
http://www.iue.edu/educ
ation/programs/transitio
n/assessment.php
credit by exam: $19.50
http://www.iue.edu/bursar
/tuition/fees.php
IUK
http://www.iuk.edu/~bulleti
n/iuk/2012-2013/specialcredit/credit-byexamination.shtml
http://www.iuk.edu/ad
missions/transferstudents/index.shtml
http://www.iuk.edu/adminservices/academic_affairs/r
esident_faculty/policies_pro
cedures/calendar_principles
.shtml
http://www.iuk.edu/admin
services/academic_affairs/
policies_procedures/advan
ce_placement.shtml
http://www.iuk.edu/admin
services/bursar/tuition_an
d_fees.shtml
If by credentials or experience: $21 per credit, ceiling of 5 credits
per class
If by exam:
Beginners no charge 1st 2 terms
Transfers: no charge 1st term
If later than above, current rate
IUN
IUS
http://www.iun.edu/acade
mic-affairs/curriculumprocesses/credit-hour.htm
http://www.ius.edu/registra
r/register-forclasses/grades/helpfulinformation.html
http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/engl
ish/index.php/academics/wtgp/
wtgp_policies4#exam
http://www.iun.edu/ad
missions/veterans.htm
https://www.ius.edu/ad
missions/apply-foradmission/transferstudents/resources.html
http://www.iun.edu/bulleti
n/admissions/costs.shtml
http://www.iun.edu/bursar/doc/fa
ll-2012-and-spring-2013-feeschedule.pdf
If by exam:
Beginners no charge 1st 2
terms
Transfers: no charge 1st
term
If later than above, current
program rate
http://www.ius.edu/bursar
/view-costs-deadlines/allfees.html
credit by exam: $19.50
8
IUSB
https://www.iusb.edu/regist
rar/timeguidelines.php
https://www.iusb.edu/a
dmissions/transfercredit
s.php
https://www.iusb.edu/burs
ar/tuition_and_fee_rates/n
ew2013fees.php
credit by exam: $21.50 per
credit
IPFW
http://new.ipfw.edu/commi
ttees/senate/regulations/cr
edit.html
USSS
Processing of Special Credit
http://new.ipfw.edu/co
mmittees/senate/regula
tions/credit.html
https://usss.iu.edu/sites/sistrainingsupport/SIS%20Online%20Help/SIS%209.0%20Job%20Aids/Student%20Records/Special_Credit/Processing_Special_Credit
_job_aid.pdf
Policy summaries
IUPUI
IUB
IUE
IUN
IUSB
IUS
Academic departments at IUPUI on a case-by-case basis, may grant students course credit based on demonstration of proficiency in a particular discipline. A
personal skill, talent, job experience or other experiential based proficiency may be considered in the evaluation process. Each department establishes the
appropriate academic standards and methods of evaluation. In general, students may be required to sit for an exam, complete an assignment, audition or
provide a portfolio to establish their level of skill. Some departments also may require that a student take additional, typically more advanced, courses in the
discipline before awarding the introductory or lower level credit.
Special credit may be awarded to degree seeking IU Bloomington students who possess, by previous education or experience, a background in a discipline
represented by an IU Bloomington program. Credit may be awarded based on the student’s credentials, experience, or completion of an examination that
documents proficiency in the subject area. Each academic unit has policies that define how special credit hours are awarded.
Special credit may be awarded to degree-seeking IU East students who possess, by previous education or experience, a background in a discipline represented
by an IU East program. The categories under which students are awarded credit are (1) credit by credentials, (2) credit by experience, and (3) credit by
examination.
Special credit may be awarded to degree-seeking IU Northwest students who possess, by previous education or experience, a background in a discipline
represented by an IU Northwest program. The categories under which students are awarded credit are (1) credit by credentials, (2) credit by experience, and
(3) credit by examination. Each school and many disciplines have different policies that define how these mechanisms apply to students seeking credit.
Special credit may be awarded to degree seeking IU South Bend students who possess by previous education or experience a background in a discipline
represented by an IU South Bend program. Credit may be awarded based on the student’s credentials, experience, or completion of an examination that
documents proficiency in the subject area. Each academic unit has policies that define how special credit hours are awarded.
Academic departments at IUS on a case-by-case basis, may grant students course credit based on demonstration of proficiency in a particular discipline. A
personal skill, talent, job experience or other experiential based proficiency may be considered in the evaluation process. Each department establishes the
appropriate academic standards and methods of evaluation. In general, students may be required to sit for an exam, complete an assignment, audition or
provide a portfolio to establish their level of skill. Some departments also may require that a student take additional, typically more advanced, courses in the
9
discipline before awarding the introductory or lower level credit.
IUK
Special credit may be awarded to degree-seeking IU Kokomo students who possess, by previous education or experience, a background in a discipline
represented by an IU Kokomo program. The categories under which students are awarded credit are (1) credit by credentials, (2) credit by experience, and (3)
credit by examination. Each school and many disciplines may have different policies that define how these mechanisms apply to students seeking credit
Sources for summaries are in the Credit by Exam column above
Enrollment Services
10-May-13
IUPUI Enrollment Services
Minor edits made 2/22/14
10