Frequently Asked Questions General
Questions about Contracts
Prior Learning
General
Questions
How do I stay in contact with my Academic Advisor?
You can contact your Advisor via email, telephone, personal letter, or personal visit. When emailing, remember to use your full name and when leaving voice-mail messages, please speak clearly and leave times that you are available for return calls.
Can I do all my coursework at a distance or do I have to come to the University of Alabama campus periodically?
You are required to come to campus only once for the Foundations of Adult Learning Seminar (orientation). Although there is no requirement after the initial three-day stay, we hope that you will plan to visit the campus as often as you can, for group weekend or summer contracts, for football games, just to stay in touch, and, of course, for graduation. Students who are able visit campus periodically have a higher success rate than those who do not maintain that personal contact.
How many ways are there to earn credit toward my degree with the External Degree Program?
In addition to transferring credit from other institutions, EXD students can earn credit through EXD faculty-designed contracts, student-designed contracts, prior learning portfolio, University of Alabama on-campus courses, and University of Alabama Independent Study courses.
Questions about Contracts
What is the difference between a faculty-designed contract and a student-designed contract?
A faculty-designed contract is an academic study that has already been designed for you. The learning goals, methodology for learning, academic resources and evaluation methods are pre-set. You simply call the EXD Program office and request a copy of the contract that interests you. If you decide to enroll it, just contact your Academic Advisor and ask to be “permitted” into the class. Your advisor will alert you when you have been “permitted” via email and the correct enrollment information. A student-designed contract is an academic study that you design. You are responsible for proposing and crafting the learning goals, methodology, resources and methods of evaluation for the study. Just send in your contract proposal to the EXD office, and we will begin the process of locating an appropriate U of A faculty member to supervise your study. You will be notified when a faculty member has been identified.
Are contracts regarded as acceptable undergraduate coursework for admission to graduate school?
Yes! Several EXD Program graduates have reported that graduate schools have looked favorably upon their EXD Program contract work since successful completion of an independent project reflects maturity, perseverance, and time management skills, characteristics required for graduate level work.
Prior Learning
How do I get college credit for life experiences?
Through EXD, you can apply to receive college credit for the college-level learning obtained through employment, volunteer activities, hobbies, private study, and in-service training; the credit is not awarded for the students merely having the experiences. The process for applying for prior learning credit is outlined in the Prior Learning Student Guide.
How does learning from experience relate to traditional classroom learning?
Most classroom learning begins with theories or ideas; that is, it is deductive, moving from the general to the particular. Learning from experience generally occurs in the midst of work, family or recreational situations; that is, it is inductive, beginning with particular applications from which general principles can be derived.
What kind of life and work experiences would be worth college-level credit?
Many adults have had a variety of experiences from which they have acquired college-level knowledge and skills. Business people often know sales techniques, business law, bookkeeping, supervision, inventory control and/or marketing. Secretaries often know keyboarding, computer skills, business English and office procedures. People who have written a great deal often know English composition and technical writing. Many managers know consumer economics. Many people have public speaking abilities. Work with volunteer and human service organizations could lead to credit for management and/or counseling. If the knowledge and skills are at a college level, it is possible that college credit could be awarded through portfolio evaluation.
What is a portfolio?
Just as classroom instructors use exams, papers, class participation, etc., as indicators that learning has taken place, the evaluator of experiential learning must be provided with evidence of college-level learning. The evaluator of experiential learning uses the portfolio, a formal written communication, to assess learning. A prior learning portfolio is a document in which learning from various life experiences is organized into a manageable form for academic assessment.
Who awards prior learning credit?
A University of Alabama faculty member with expertise in the field that is the subject of the portfolio assesses the college-level learning demonstrated in the portfolio.
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