Portfolio Assessment

Developing a portfolio is a process where you will reflect upon and assess your experiences in order to determine what you have learned from them and how that knowledge and skill applies in other contexts.

The inquiry and development of a portfolio should occur in the student’s first semester of enrollment at UA-PTC. Therefore, you need to begin the process prior to the start of your first semester.

Portfolio Assessment Application

Below is an outline of the steps and timeline you can expect when seeking Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit through portfolio.

1. Meet with the PLA Coordinator

This initial step will include a brief interview to gauge your eligibility to pursue credit by portfolio. You will also fill out a brief self-evaluation to give you a better idea of what kind of narrative content and evidence you will need to supply in order to successfully earn credit.

2. PLA 1001 - Portfolio Development course. (OPTIONAL)

Students may enroll in the portfolio development course offered by the college. This is a 1-credit hour course offered online during the first 8-week fast track term of the fall and spring semesters. You will be guided through the process of taking an inventory of your experiences, identifying the course objectives from a syllabus, reflecting on the learning that took place in your experiences, relating the learning to the course objectives, and showing how your learning has been applied in other environments.

3. Initial Review by PLA Coordinator

The PLA Coordinator will review the portfolio with the student in order to verify all components are included and that the contents demonstrate prescribed methodology and college-level writing. This review is not an assessment of learning for credit. It will simply ensure the portfolio is ready to be assessed by a faculty expert.

4. Assessment by Faculty Expert

A faculty expert, who has been trained in the assessment of portfolios, will receive the portfolio and assess the narrative content and evidence for college-level learning. It is the job of the assessor to ensure that every course objective has been met with sufficient mastery through prior learning experiences.

5. Awarding of Credit

If you are awarded credit, you will be required to pay the PLA Credit Hour Fee, which is 25% of the current tuition per credit hour awarded. Once this fee has been paid to the business office, the credit will be posted to your official transcript.

Students who are denied credit may choose to appeal the decision by following the PLA appeal procedure. There are several deadlines to file an appeal that students must meet or the appeal will be denied. No new narratives or evidence will be accepted in the appeal process.

Portfolio Assessment Fees

The following is a list of non-refundable prior learning assessment fees for portfolio assessment. Students should be aware that financial aid awarded to a student’s account does not cover the cost of petitioning and obtaining credit through PLA. All fees are an out-of-pocket expense to the student.

PLA Application Fee: $25

PLA Credit Hour Fee: 25% of current tuition

Portfolio Development course (optional): 1 credit hour tuition/fees

Extension Fee (optional): $25

For questions about PLA, contact (501) 812-2220 or e-mail [email protected].