MHEC awards $250,000 Grant to Help Iowa Develop Coordinated Approach to Prior Learning Assessment
The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) has awarded the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Board of Regents a $250,000 Strategic Impact and Innovation Grant to develop a statewide, coordinated approach to Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), the process by which colleges grant credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom through work, military service, or professional certifications. The goal is to provide a unified, transparent, and portable system that recognizes adult learners and their diverse life experiences.
“In purposeful partnership with our community colleges and the Board of Regents, Iowa’s postsecondary education system is working to better recognize the expertise of adult learners and improve credit transfer,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “Awarding credit for what adult learners already know and can do will save Iowans time and money as they pursue postsecondary education and workforce training that leads to high-demand, high-skill and high-wage jobs here in Iowa.”
Funding will allow Iowa higher education leaders to:
- Develop statewide policies, practices, and infrastructure to help the state and its institutions efficiently and consistently scale PLA programs.
- Offer incentive grants for state public institutions to participate in development and implementation of statewide PLA policy and professional development for staff and faculty.
- Train faculty and academic advisors so that advisors can confidently identify PLA opportunities and guide nontraditional students through the process.
- Launch a statewide “Credit for Prior Learning” campaign to communicate clearly to adult learners and near-completers how their work experience can translate into college credit.
- Outline policy and practice on how credits earned through PLA will transfer among Iowa’s postsecondary public institutions.
- Establish a cross-sector Statewide PLA Task Force to reduce administrative burdens and ensure consistency.
“A statewide PLA strategy has the potential to drastically improve adult student graduation rates and to provide learners with significant time and financial savings,” said Amy Gieseke, Division Administrator for the Higher Education and Postsecondary Readiness Division. “It will also improve consistency and credit portability and enhance alignment between workforce needs and postsecondary education.”
“A coordinated PLA approach will allow Iowa’s public universities to better serve adult learners where they are and provide more paths toward a degree. The Regent universities are dedicated to quality, affordable education for Iowans, and this award only serves that dedication,” said Dr. Rachel Boon, Board of Regents Chief Academic Officer.
MHEC’s Strategic Impact and Innovation Grants support high-impact, collaborative initiatives that address state needs and align with the MHEC’s vision to strengthen postsecondary education and advance regional economic vitality. Each of MHEC’s member states can apply for a grant for up to $250,000.
“We appreciated the clarity and focus of this proposal,” said Susan G. Heegaard, MHEC President. “Iowa leaders know that serving more adult learners is a significant opportunity for the state and that this PLA strategy can play a major role in helping adult learners leverage their experience toward certifications or degrees.”
About MHEC
MHEC brings together leaders from midwestern states to develop cost-sharing opportunities, generate collaborative solutions to challenges and opportunities in higher education, and align postsecondary education to improve individual career readiness and regional economic vitality. Member states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. More information is available at www.mhec.org.
Information
For more information about the grant, contact Carrie Wandler, senior director of policy initiatives at MHEC.