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PLA Manual for Advisors

Community colleges offer quality-learning environments and a wide array of courses and services for diverse communities. This versatility and comprehensiveness attracts individuals who differ in life experiences, ages, formal and informal educational backgrounds, work experiences, and educational goals.

Students who have mastered academic or technical competencies in non-traditional educational environments, including training in a corporation, licensure/certification programs, career experience, self-directed learning environments, continuing education courses, and coursework and training through military experience can earn credit for prior learning experiences. In order to maximize the community college experience, it is important to use time efficiently through correct placement in a chosen degree program. Although the awarding of credit for competencies gained outside of the traditional classroom setting is an exception to Lone Star College System's  traditional assessment and placement of students, opportunities to earn credit for prior learning experience are available.

This manual is a guide for counselors, advisors, and faculty. A separate manual is available for students. The manual describes eligibility requirements for different types of prior learning credit available at Lone Star College System and describes the process to apply for credit or advanced standing. Prior learning assessment (PLA) options included in this manual are: challenge exams (both external and internal), portfolios, military transcripts, external licensure/certifications, high school course articulation, advanced standing, and continuing education to credit articulation. Students must complete 50% of a certificate program and 18 hours of an associate's degree in residency at Lone Star College System. Students can earn PLA credit to meet their remaining degree requirements. For definitions of terms used in this manual see Definition of PLA Terms.

Advisor's Role in the PLA Process
The advisor plays a key role in working with the student to determine the PLA opportunities for which each student is eligible and the costs and benefits of each PLA option. The advisor's signature on each PLA form ensures that the student meets the criteria required for each PLA option.


Resources to Contact
The Curriculum & Instruction department oversees the PLA process and is available to assist advisors with any questions. The Student Information Services area is responsible for transcripting credit and communication of credit awarded to students. A PLA Committee addresses specific issues that arise over PLA. They provide recommendations to the Vice Presidents of Instruction for resolution.

Instruction and LSC-Online Division:

• Marie Thibodeaux 832-813-6671 (advanced standing, internal & external challenge exams, portfolio credit, and military transcript evaluation)
• Christina Todd 832-813-6628 (high school articulation, including Advanced Technical Credit/statewide; and continuing education articulation)
• Lakisha McDowell-Bates 832-813-6779 (Tech Prep, high school articulation, including Advanced Technical Credit/statewide)

Student Information Services Division:

• Priscilla Strawbridge 832-813-6748 (status of posting student PLA requests)
• Contessa Scroggins 832-813-6651 (questions on military opportunities & impact on veterans)

PLA Committee Members: Cher Brock, Christina Todd, Marie Thibodeaux, and Linda Luehrs Wolfe.