Triple the Success

1. Triple the Success Nontraditional Students, Universities and Employers Working Together through PLA CAEL 2012 International Conference November 8, 2012

2. Triple the Success: History and Background of Maine Employers’ Initiative • Maine Employers’ Initiative (MEI) is a project of the Maine Development Foundation (MDF) • MDF is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization with a broad mandate to build a long term vision for a sustainable economy in ME • A key to economic growth is education: • ME is near the national average in degree attainment but lags behind NE • Low per capita income, declining traditional age student populations, oldest state in the nation • The workforce we have now is the workforce we will have for the future

3. Triple the Success: History and Background of Maine Employers’ Initiative • Employers are critical to increasing degree attainment in ME • Program Mechanics: • Program began in 2007 (Lumina Foundation support) • Employers complete an on line needs assessment • Employers complete a commitment letter outlining the “one more step” they will take to support education and development in the workplace (this could take the form of workshops, meetings with employees, development of career plans, allowing time off for class, tuition support, etc)

4. Triple the Success: History and Background of Maine Employers’ Initiative • Program Additions: • Working with specific regions to focus our efforts • Tuition incentives from higher education (6 institutions) • Hosting/organizing “employers briefings” with partner organizations to bring business/higher education together • Designed a web site and marketing campaign for adult students • Scholarship program

5. Triple the Success: History and Background of Maine Employers’ Initiative • Partners: • 26 member advisory council representing employers, workforce investment, higher education, adult education, human resources • Major partners: Higher education, larger employers in ME, Society for Human Resource Mgt (state council and 7 regional chapters), Adult Education Association • Current participation: 145 Employers reaching over 60,000 employees

6. Triple the Success: Survey Tool and Process for Joining • Employer is recruited by MEI or partner to complete the survey; follow up in person meeting is set; commitment letter is completed at the meeting • Survey monkey on line tool – takes 10 min or less • Is shorter than original • -More general about educational supports (not just degree completion) • Added questions about shortages and skill needs to try to assess specific needs • One page letter of commitment which outlines change company will make, timeline, and # of employees impacted

7. Triple the Success: History and Background of Maine Employers’ Initiative After joining: • Individual press release is sent out • Recognized at an event each year • Listed on the MEI website and associate materials as members • On going assistance to implement • Broker Meetings with PLA expert • Share sample policies, materials for employees, etc.

8. Triple the Success: Employer Relationship – What Works and What Doesn’t • CEO or HR director best place to start – need to assess whether buy in from the top is needed to get assistance from HR; sometime HR has autonomy and can be the decision maker • HR is a critical player as they know policies and will be the implementers • Referrals are best to identify companies – Asking HR or others who know people in the company to set up meetings (and join MEI for the visit) is more effective than cold calling • Come prepared with laptop and survey so that first step can happen at the meeting

9. Triple the Success: Employer Relationship – What Works and What Doesn’t • Important to market to employers that they can become known as an “education committed” employer – positive marketing works, recognition events work (all as incentives for employers to join) • Trickiest part: getting past the employer and to the employees – Ideally, set this up right away when the employer commits (figure out a follow up plan and timeline) • Ongoing communication is key – continue the relationship

10. Triple the Success: Employer Relationship – What Works and What Doesn’t • What We Hear When We Visit: • Time Constraints • Concern that if employees go back to school, they will leave • Cost – to join the program or need to support tuition assistance (if they don’t already) • Feel that employees already have degrees • Need technical skills and certifications, not degrees

11. Triple the Success: Employer Relationship – Predicators of Success • Leadership – an active champion in the company • Culture – Look for companies and businesses that are growing • Demographics – Identify companies with a large employee base that isn’t likely to have degrees

12. Triple the Success: Employer Relationship – What we would do differently • Employee surveys – Need better information from the employees themselves – work with employers to conduct an employee survey, add in functionality to sign up for workshops on the spot • College/education coach – Ask each company to appoint a point person for the program • Always have a completed survey before the meeting • Better name/better marketing – MEI needed better branding at the start! • Context – should be part of a broader statewide initiative

13. Triple the Success: MEI – Next Steps • Next Step Maine Website • Venue for communicating with non-traditional students • Serve as a focal point for statewide marketing campaign to raise the profile of adult learning • Reduce the information barrier for adult students • Scholarship Fund • Employers give $1000 to a scholarship fund for “employees of promise” (to be nominated by employers) • Engages employers in the process of encouraging employees to take the next step • Will be awarding ten $1000 scholarships this year and profiling them on the Next Step Maine website

14. Triple the Success: MEI – Next Steps • Cap the Employers in the Network and Focus on Getting to the Employees • Big challenge: providing enough attention to employers with one staff person • Plan is to cap the program to provide more value to existing employers • Add the metric of documenting the actual students going back to school or reaching their educational goals (rather than the number of employers in the network)

15. Triple the Success: Prior Learning Credit at the University of Southern Maine (USM) PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AT USM • Earn Credit for What You Know

16. Triple the Success: Prior Learning Credit at the University of Southern Maine (USM) About the University of Southern Maine: • Is a northern New England comprehensive public university • Has three campuses – Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston-Auburn • Offers baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs • Serves just under 10,000 students • Has an average student age of 26

17. Triple the Success: University of Southern Maine • Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a process created for you to demonstrate your college-level expertise and knowledge in a particular field, so you can be placed into college courses or earn college credit

18. Triple the Success: University of Southern Maine • Theory and Practice can be gained through: • Independent Study • Personal Interest or Reading • Volunteer Work • Non-College Work Experience Courses • On-the-job Training or Apprenticeships • Workshops or Professional Development

19. Triple the Success: University of Southern Maine – Types of PLA • Credit by Examination • CLEP (College Level Examination Program) • DSST (Dantes – Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education) • Challenge Exams (for USM students) • AP (Advanced Placement Exams) • IB (International Baccalaureate) • NYU (Language Exams) • Credential Review • Military Service • Portfolio

20. Triple the Success: University of Southern Maine – Credits Needed for a Degree • Three types of credits from which to choose when completing an undergraduate degree at USM: • General Educational Requirements (CORE) • Major Requirements (Course specific) • General Electives (GEL) • At least 120 credits required to graduate • PLA process offers all 3 credit possibilities

21. Triple the Success: Maine Employers’ Initiative and the University of Southern Maine (USM) • Education and Work Place Partnership • Supporting “One More Step”

22. Triple the Success: Maine Employers’ Initiative and USM Integrating USM’s PLA and Work Place Learning with Joint Appearances with Maine Employers’ Initiative

23. Triple the Success: Maine Employers’ Initiative and USM Workshops: • Westbrook Community Center Multiple-Campus Information Brunch • WEX (Wright Express) • General Dynamics • Career Centers • Goodwill Industries • PowerPay

24. Triple the Success: Maine Employers’ Initiative and USM Workplace Training Programs: • Insurance • Banking • Maine Roads to Quality • Mental and Behavioral Health

25. Triple the Success: Maine Employers’ Initiative and USM

26. Triple the Success: Maine Employers’ Initiative and USM

27. Triple the Success: University of Maine System • Prior Learning Assessment exists, in some form, on all campus • University of Southern Maine (USM) and University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) have all elements of PLA including portfolio assessment • UMS has convened a Task Force to present recommendations related to a consistent approach to PLA systemwide

28. Triple the Success: University of Maine System • Agree to adopt PLA best practices as stated by CAEL • Transportability of credit • Agree to accept all PLA options (standardized testing, credential reviews, military credits, academic portfolios) for course equivalent credits that are listed in the Transfer Equivalency matrix of the UMS as direct course equivalent transfer credits

29. For more information: • Rosa Redonnett, Chief Student Affairs Officer, University of Maine System; Co-Chair, Maine Employers’ Initiative Advisory Committee, rosar@maine.edu • http://www.mdf.org/mei_overview.php • Joyce Lapping, Director of Prior Learning Assessment, University of Southern Maine, jlapping@maine.edu • http://www.usm.maine.edu/pla