Understanding Military Transcripts and Ensuring Academic Integrity

Transcription

1 An Evaluator s Primer Understanding Military Transcripts and Ensuring Academic Integrity Michele S. Spires Director, Military Programs mspires@acenet.edu CSU East Bay (May 30, 2012) CSU Dominguez Hills (May 31, 2012)

2 Workshop Goals To provide background and information on the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Center for Lifelong Learning (CLLL). To provide a clear understanding of the review process. To increase the awareness, use, and benefit of the transcript services (AARTS, SMART, and ACE transcript).

3 American Council on Education Leadership and Advocacy

4 Some Departments at ACE ACE CREDIT ACE Fellows Program Adult Learner Programs Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity Center for Effective Leadership Center for International Initiatives **Center for Lifelong Learning Center for Policy Analysis College Is Possible (CIP) Department Leadership Programs Executive Search Roundtable GED Testing Service Improving Lives Leadership Programs Library and Information Service Membership in ACE Military Programs Office of Women in Higher Education Online Information Center Publications & Products Publishing Department Sloan Awards for Faculty Career Flexibility Transcript Services

5 Center for Lifelong Learning: Guiding Philosophy WHAT an individual learns is more important than when, where, and how the individual learned it.

6 Commission on Lifelong Learning Membership includes: campus CEOs higher education institutions educational associations businesses labor unions Term of membership: 3 years Meetings: Spring and Fall

7 ACE Center for Lifelong Learning Program Evaluations Military Programs Corporate Programs College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT)

8 Vision Statement 2012 Adult Learner of the Year, Eileen Beatty (Boise State, ID) Connecting adult learners to degree programs through qualitybased evaluations.

9 Special Projects and Initiatives Adult Learner Research Technical Workshops

10 Serving Those Who Serve Promotes access to and success in higher education Supports service members and their families Aligns opportunities for colleges and universities Home Page Informational Brochure Issue Brief

11 From Soldier to Student A national snapshot of the programs, services, and policies that campuses have in place. Released July 2009 Identifies gaps Provides overview of programs and services Serves as a catalyst for discussion

12 Military Service Members and Veterans in Higher Education Published with support from Lumina Foundation for Education (July 2009) Outlines the details of the new GI Bill Provides data on current military undergraduate students

13 Today s GI Bill Launched November 2009 Benefits eligibility College prep and selection Credit transfers Admissions Success stories

14 Veteran Success Jam (May 2010) Overview of the conversation (3,000 participants) Key insights and ideas for action: Promising practices on college campuses Financing an education and education benefits Earning college credits for military service Supporting the families of veterans Navigating a path to college Transitioning to employment and training Physical and psychological health challenges

15 Accommodating Student Veterans NEW ~ July 2011 Provides tips for accommodating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Offers information about prevalent battlefield injuries Illuminates examples of promising practices including rights under federal disability law Establishes examples of relationships with staff in the disability services office on campus Describes methods of instruction to ensure accessibility

16 Toolkit for Veteran Friendly Institutions

17 Program Evaluation Activities Evaluate formal courses and occupational specialties Publish course and occupation descriptions and academic credit recommendations Transcript and registry services

18 Value of an ACE Review Academic institutions Learners Organizations Military

19 About Military Evaluations The Military Evaluations Program provides institutions with a basis for recognizing military educational experiences in terms of civilian academic credit. Since the early 40s, MEP has reviewed and made credit recommendations for thousands of college-level courses offered by the military services. Since 1974, MEP began evaluation of military occupational specialties as well.

20 Overview: Process for Military Programs DoD contract Course and occupation materials submitted ACE s Content Review Committee (CRC) Review Team Selection Committee Pre-site visit telephone conferences Team site visit and recommendations

21 About Military Evaluations 2011 Fiscal Year 36 installation visits 467 courses / occupations 109 teaching faculty members 94 academic institutions represented

22 Military Programs Does Not Evaluate Air Force courses transcribed by the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Military schools with degree-granting status Courses outsourced to colleges and universities Coast Guard additional skill identifier / qualification codes

23 Overview: Process for Corporate Programs Organizations contact ACE to determine eligibility to participate ACE s Content Review Committee (CRC) Review Team Selection Committee Pre-site evaluation visit Team site visit and recommendations

24 Corporations Government

25 About Corporate Programs 2011 Fiscal Year 109 reviews 202 teaching faculty members 737 courses / exams evaluated Major database conversion!!

26 Reflections or Questions? On to the Evaluation Process

27 The General Review Process day project cycle Conduct pre-meetings with points of contacts Travel to training locations Review materials (conduct interviews for occupations) Document evaluation and write descriptions Final reports

28 Overview: The Evaluation of Courses Formal military instruction and military occupations specialties; courses approved by a central authority Correspondence courses with proctored end-of course exams Distance learning/online courses with documented rigid control test conditions and firm identification of the student.

29 The Program of Instruction (POI) POI parallels a syllabus Official course documentation Must be maintained at ACE All services use POIs Branch specific supporting documents

30 Review Committees Content Review Committee (CRC) Role Determines the appropriate content and academic disciplines for courses and occupations Reviews discipline alignment by the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Determines the scope of the team Review Team Selection Committee Role Reviews evaluators nominated for the team Approves nominations

31 Evaluator Representation Community College 19% Practitioner or Other 3% Accrediting agencies Types of institutions 4-Year College 27% University 51% Approximately 7,000 faculty on military teams (since 1954)

32 Institutions representing CA Faculty Evaluators (47 of 981) Alliant International University Brandman University California Maritime Academy California State University - Sacramento California State University, Fullerton California State University, Los Angeles California State University--Chico California State University-Dominguez Hills California State University-East Bay California State University-Long Beach Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Fresno City College Golden Gate University Henley-Putnam University LA College International Loma Linda University Maritime Institute Inc. Pacific College of Oriental Medicine Palomar College Riverside City College Saint Mary's College of California San Jose State University Santa Rosa Junior College The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Trident University International TUI University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of La Verne University of San Francisco University of Southern California West Los Angeles College

33 Evaluative Criteria for Courses Course content Learning outcomes Depth and breadth of material Level of difficulty Applicability to postsecondary programs Evaluative instruments Outside assignments Instructor qualifications** Content scope and rigor must be at the post-secondary level!

34 Digging In!

35 Types of Credit Vocational / Certificate Lower Division Upper Division Graduate

36 No Credit Recommended Material presented in the course is not comparable to content and rigor at the post secondary level Material offered is inadequate for a judgment to be made Inadequate outcome assessments

37 Sample Course Team Consensus Sheet (TCS) - Military

38 Military Evaluations: Related Competencies Aligned with each of the credit recommendation subject areas Displayed in Military Guide Online Implemented in October 2006

39 Reflections or Questions? On to Occupation Evaluations

40 The Military Occupation Evaluation Occupation is a job designation by the military service Review and assessment are more experiential in nature Teams validate demonstrated and expected job knowledge, skills, abilities by pay grade

41 Occupation Evaluation (MOS) Army Enlisted and Warrant Officer (MOS) Navy General ratings, limited duty and warrant officer specialties, and selected Naval Enlisted Codes (NECs) Coast Guard General rates and ratings, warrant officer specialties, and selected aviation billets (pilots) Marine Corps Enlisted ground and aviation MOS

42 Military Occupation Evaluations: The General Process Review Committees Content Review Committee (CRC) Review Team Selection Committee Teams Travel to the military installation Review official occupation documentation Interview service members Develop final recommendations

43 Military Occupation Evaluations: Official Documentation Occupation manuals Technical guides and training manuals Promotion examinations Study guides Other official branch specific documentation

44 Military Occupation Evaluations: Service Member Interview Focus on the representation of the job expectations at the pay grade Clarification and validation of the official military documentation

45 Military Occupation Review: Team Process Synthesis of information Alignment to current curricula Determination of post secondary content and rigor Team consensus must be 100%

46 Reflections or Questions? On to Transcript Overview

47 Transcript Services Validation of credit recommendations

48 Value of Transcripts Degree completion Training and certification verification Employment Job advancement Skills documentation Advanced college placement Courses in certification programs State credentials verification Resume development

49 Transcript Data Fiscal Year # of Transcripts Processed (AARTS) # of Transcripts Processed (SMART) # of Transcripts Processed (CREDIT) , ,462 7, , ,200 7, , ,966 7,350

50 2011: Top 10 Transcript List AARTS SMART ACE Corporate Central Texas College 24,501 University of Phoenix 23,446 American Military University 19,655 Grantham University 8,578 Ashford University 8,354 University of Maryland University 7,510 North Central Institute 5,186 Excelsior College 4,698 Troy University 3,845 Liberty University 3,797 University of Phoenix 10,729 American Military University ~ Manassas 9,231 Ashford University 6,285 Colorado Technical University ~ Online 5,459 University of Maryland, University College 5,269 Excelsior College 3,023 American Intercontinental University 2,628 National University 2,323 Coastline Community College 2,123 Thomas Edison State College 2,085 Thomas Edison State College 629 Excelsior College 436 Eastwick College 194 University of Maryland University College 135 University of Phoenix 127 National Labor College 72 Ashford University 62 Kaplan University Online 61 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 59 Grand Canyon University 50

51 Military Guide Online Daily updates 1954 to1989 The last printed Guide

52 Military Guide Online Over. 15,000 course exhibits 3,100 occupation exhibits

53 Military Transcripts: AARTS Since 1987 Current or highest rank achieved while in the military Military status (active or inactive) Additional skill identifiers (ASI) and skill qualification identifiers (SQI) Formal military courses completed and evaluated Military occupational specialties (MOSs) held and evaluated Standardized test scores Descriptions and credit recommendations

54 General Contact Info (AARTS) The Army American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (AARTS) AARTS Operations Center 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Dept. 410 Fort Knox, KY Phone: (800) Web Site: aarts.army.mil NEW Monday to Friday: 0730 to 1600 ET

55 Military Transcripts: SMART NEW!! Revised April 12, 2011 Similar to AARTS Includes two addenda Summary Page Academic Institutions Courses Addenda are provided for advisory purposes and not endorsed by ACE

56 General Contact Info (SMART) Sailor/Marine/ACE Registry Transcript (SMART) SMART Operations Center NETPDTC, N Saufley Field Road Pensacola, FL Phone: (877) (toll-free) Web Site:

57 Features of Web Delivery

58 Web Delivery Contact Information AARTS Operations 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue Dept. 410 Fort Knox, KY Carol Brown aartstranscript.army.mil SMART Operations NETPDTC, N Saufley Field Road Pensacola, FL Laurine Anderson x1097, 1236, or 1149 smart.navy.mil

59 Military Transcripts: Coast Guard Institute ACE Military Guide Online Coast Guard Institute Transcripts _transcript.asp

60 Military Transcripts: CCAF CCAF Catalogs cat/index.htm CCAF Course Descriptions cat/cd_ind.htm

61 Sample Exhibits

62 Resources: A Transfer Guide Written specifically for the service member March 2009 / updated August 2011 Provides simple, straightforward guidance on understanding military credit recommendations and transcripts Includes definitions of common terms, answers to frequently asked questions, and a transfer credit checklist Website

63 The National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training

64 ACE Transcript Recognized by colleges/universities, state credentialing authorities, and employment agencies Learners can maintain their own accounts online

65 Serve as an Evaluator You must be actively teaching college-level courses. When your discipline expertise is needed, you are contacted directly to serve on the ACE team. ACE pays all evaluators an honorarium and travel.

66 Faculty Evaluator Database Online application Academic institution affiliation Degrees / credentials Current teaching position Short biography Resume or CV required CIP codes identified Routinely audited

67 Evaluator Handbook Clarifies the review process Demystifies expectations Tools, resources, veteran evaluator tips

68 Resource Tools for Colleges and Universities Portal for colleges and universities Sample transcripts Rank charts Quick links

69 DoD Worldwide Education Symposium July 23-27, 2012 MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV "Educating the Force--Joint Effort, Joint Success" Outcomes, Quality & Return on Investment Innovations in Educating the Force Best Practices in Education (Support) New Counselor Development Issues in a Joint Environment

70 Lifelong Learning Resource Center American Council on Education One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 250 Washington, DC Toll Free: Military Programs or Corporate Programs or

71 Delving in to the Details Military Transcripts and the Military Guide Online CSU East Bay (May 30, 2012) CSU Dominguez Hills (May 31, 2012) Part II

72 Center for Lifelong Learning: Guiding Philosophy WHAT an individual learns is more important than when, where, and how the individual learned it.

73 Enlisted Paths of Progression

74 How to Search The Military Guide Online

75 Military Guide Online: A Valuable Resource

76 Military Guide Online: Course Search Keep the search simple. Enter data relating to military training courses Multiple keywords, use AND to string them together Enter similar keywords separately, use OR Not case sensitive Do not put the ACE ID (ex: AR ) in the COURSE NUMBER box, and vice versa

77 Military Guide Online: Course Exhibit Team Review Date Review Date

78 Military Guide Online: Course Exhibit (2) Not included on the transcript Specific to course New process; not all courses have this section

79 Military Guide Online: Occupation Search Keep the search simple. Enter data relating to occupational specialties Multiple keywords, use AND to string them together Enter similar keywords separately, use OR Not case sensitive

80 Military Guide Online: Occupation Exhibit Overview Specific not on transcript (Team Review Date) (Review Date) Aligns with description and competencies

81 Questions or Reflections?? Let s go Transcripts!!

82 AARTS and SMART Transcript Elements 1. Personal service member data 2. Military course completions 3. Military experience 4. College-level test scores 5. Other learning experiences 6. Summary page (SMART only) 7. Academic institution courses page (SMART only)

83 Coast Guard Institute Transcripts Elements Student data information Military experiential learning Formal military training College credit (traditional and nontraditional) Codes and Considerations LL UL SH Correspondence Completion and exhibit dates

84 General Contact Info (SMART) Sailor/Marine/ACE Registry Transcript (SMART) SMART Operations Center NETPDTC, N Saufley Field Road Pensacola, FL Phone: (877) (toll-free) Web Site:

85 SMART: Personal service member data Note: Official seals Official copy Service member data Mailing location

86 SMART: Military Course Completions

87 SMART: Course Sample (Basic Recruiter) When did he complete the course?

88 SMART: Reference The Guide ~ 1 Under what version does the credit align? What else might you reference?

89 SMART: Reference The Guide ~ 2

90 SMART: Reference The Guide ~ 3

91 SMART: Military Experience

92 SMART: Military Experience (Sample 2)

93 SMART: College-level test scores

94 SMART: Other Learning Experiences

95 SMART: Summary Page No ACE seal

96 SMART: Academic institutions course page

97 Military Transcripts (AARTS and SMART) Other Learning Experience Section The course has not been evaluated by ACE.* The class attendance dates were not recorded in the service member s record. The course was not completed during the ACE evaluation period* The course was not evaluated by ACE at that specific location. (Navy) The course number does not match.* (Army)

98 General Contact Info (AARTS) The Army American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (AARTS) AARTS Operations Center 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Dept. 410 Fort Knox, KY Phone: (800) Web Site: aarts.army.mil Monday to Friday: 0730 to 1600 ET

99 AARTS: Personal service member data Official seals

100 AARTS: Military course completions

101 AARTS: Military course completions (2)

102 AARTS: College-level tests This section includes CLEP, DSSTs, NCPACE, ACT/PEP, and Excelsior Test score data.

103 AARTS: Military experience

104 AARTS: Military experience (continued) Note: Do not add together the 30 and 40 level.

105 AARTS: Primary vs. secondary MOS Primary MOS Soldier s main work focus Principal duty Specific job Focus on training and education throughout career Career trajectory Secondary MOS Potentially similar career field to primary Time specializing and training may be more limited Supplemental training to support job performance

106 AARTS: Other learning experiences

107 Questions?? On to. ACE Credit Recommendations and Curriculum Alignment Transfer Policies Institutional Processes

108 Comparing ACE Credit Recommendations ACE Credit Recommendation 3 SH in Computer Applications (lower division) Topics include basic computer skills; business-oriented problem solving; data entry; inventory software; presentation development; and software applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Sample Course Comparison Business Computer Applications Computer terminology, hardware, software, operating systems, and information systems relating to the business environment. The main focus of this course is on business applications of software, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation graphics, and business-oriented utilization of the Internet. Computer Concepts and Applications Computer Concepts and Applications provides an overview of computers, focusing on historical development; hardware; application software; communications; Internet use; how to purchase, install, and maintain a computer; information systems; system analysis and design; programming; careers in the computer field; security, ethics, and privacy issues; and multimedia. The "laboratory" portion of the course features the use of Microsoft Office and Windows. 3 SH in Principles of Management (upper division) Topics include academic advisement, career counseling, controlling, coordinating, handling extraordinary issues, leading, mentoring, organizing, staffing in a complex, multifaceted environment, volunteer and community relations, and work teams. (This example demonstrates how titles of the subject areas are exactly the same, but content of the descriptions really do not match.) Principles of Management Survey of the principles of management. Familiarity with the history and evolution of the field and with modern principles and their application. Principles of Management This course is a study of fundamental management theories, examining the manager s role in today s global business world. Among the topics explored are the role of managers in the environment, strategies for planning and decision making, organization and controls, leadership, motivation and staffing, and managing change.

109 Transfer Policy Curriculum Alignment ACE Joint Statement General education Institutional policy Departmental policy Undergraduate vs. graduate Institutional vision, mission, philosophy Degree requirements for the selected major Electives in the major Free electives

110 Transfer Policies Sample 1 The university accepts many forms of Professional Military Education (nonacademic experience and training) that have been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) as academic credit. Credit can only be transferred if it is applicable to the student's chosen degree program requirements. Where ACE guidelines allow: College-level credit can be applied to corresponding areas of the student s program requirements at our university. College credit can be accepted for study completed in service schools and in Military Occupations (see Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services). Military credit will only be evaluated after the academic documents have been reviewed. ACE recommendations for vocational or technical credit are not accepted as transfer credit.

111 Transfer Policies Sample 2 The College honors some military transfer credits. This includes military classes, including basic training, as well as other formal training. If the soldier s or sailor s MOS directly matches one of the College degrees, additional credits can be accepted and life experience credits may be granted as well. These will be reviewed on an individual basis and must receive approval from the department chairperson. The College accepts Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) test scores based on ACE (American Council on Education) recommendations. Credits earned through military experience and registered through the American Council on Education will be evaluated for possible transfer credit.

112 Transfer Policies Sample 3 The University is very conservative in awarding credit for learning experiences from military schools and training. In order for credit to be granted, the material covered in the military school must be like the material we teach in a course on our main campus. The amount and level of credit given is determined by the faculty in the appropriate University department. Credit is rarely granted, and no credit is awarded for vocational-technical recommendations, Basic Training, or Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).

113 Final questions, thoughts, concerns or comments?

114 Lifelong Learning Resource Center American Council on Education One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 250 Washington, DC Toll Free: Military Programs or Corporate Programs or