Academic Advising Center: Life Experience Credit Award Program (LECAP)
What is The Life Experience Credit Award Program? (LECAP)
LECAP is the Life Experience Credit Award Program. The Program
recognizes that some students may have acquired knowledge and skills
through life experiences, which equate to Fitchburg State College
course offerings. It allows students the opportunity to ask that
their life experience be evaluated as educational experiences and
credited toward an undergraduate college degree. The method used
for this is portfolio assessment.
How does the Program work?
A student may challenge an existing college course by using a portfolio
method. Occasionally a student may challenge a course not offered
at Fitchburg State College, but regularly taught in other colleges.
Are there any exceptions in the Life Experience Credit Award Program?
Yes, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education prohibits LECAP
credit for the Criminal Justice Program.
You must be matriculated at Fitchburg State College to participate
in LECAP.
What is a Portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of materials which represent a students
life experience in a certain subject area.
Who do I see if interested?
Please see Donna Foley dfoley@fsc.edu
(978-665-3319) or Heather Beam hbeam@fsc.edu
(978-665-3321) in the Academic Advising Center, Hammond Bldg., 1st
floor Rm C-109, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm.
What is the procedure?
Make an appointment with the Academic Advising Center to discuss
the LECAP opportunity and complete the LECAP application. (see the
portfolio procedure).
How Many Credits May I Challenge?
Up to 30 credits per undergraduate degree may be challenged under
LECAP.
What is the cost of LECAP Credits?
The cost will be the per credit tuition, excluding fees; ($330.00)
for a three credit undergraduate course. The fee will be due at
the Registrar's office in the semester in which the
portfolio will be evaluated. The portfolio must be submitted to
the evaluator no later than two weeks prior to the last day of classes
for the semester.
How will I be graded?
Credits are awarded and the grade will be a Pass or Fail.
What can I do in the meantime?
You may update your resume and identify the best fit between the
courses that Fitchburg State College offers and your experience.
PORTFOLIO AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE
- Students should make an appointment with the
Academic Advising Center, Hammond Bldg., 1st floor Rm C-109 and speak with
a LECAP advisor. (978-665-3319/3321)
- The LECAP advisor will conduct a preliminary evaluation of the
applicant’s experience and establish communication with
an appropriate faculty evaluator. The student
then makes an appointment with the faculty member and together
they determine whether or not the experience will be sufficient
to demonstrate competence in the course being challenged.
- After having established the approval of the faculty evaluator,
the student completes an application and submits
it to the Academic Advising Center.
- The student and faculty evaluator develop a Proposed
Portfolio Plan and complete the proposed portfolio plan
form establishing timelines for submission of the completed portfolio.
The student and evaluator sign the proposed portfolio plan form
and the evaluator forwards it to the department chairperson for
signature. The chairperson forwards the form to the Undergraduate
Dean for approval who in turn forwards it to the registrar. The
registrar contacts the Academic Advising Center for distribution
of the form.
- Using the student copy of the Proposed Portfolio Plan form,
the student registers in the Registrar's office and makes payment for the course being
challenged.
- Based on the timeline established in procedure #4, the student
completes the requirements outlined on the plan form and submits
the portfolio for evaluation. The faculty evaluates, completes
the Portfolio Evaluation Form, and submits the form for signatures
in the same manner as #4.
- Work must be completed two weeks before the
final day of the semester in which the portfolio is to be evaluated.
- The portfolio must be retained in the Registrar’s
Office for a period of three years.
PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES
The purpose of the portfolio is to determine the connection between
the course or area of study being challenged and the applicant’s
various life experiences. The content of the portfolio will depend
on what the academic department and/or the evaluator of the life
experience portfolio deem relevant to the particular course being
challenged.
The portfolio must include items 1 & 2 and any other combination
of items 3-7 appropriate for the course/area of study being challenged.
- Cover Letter*: A cover letter briefly summarizes
and clarifies the selected life experience for which credit is
requested. One or any combination of the following may be included:
- community service
- correspondence courses
- employment
- learning through technology
- non-credit experience
- travel
- Resume*: A brief record of the student’s
personal history and experience.
- Job description(s): If applicable, job description(s)
showing duties and responsibilities pertinent to the content of
the course for which credit is requested.
- Documents: Documents indicating levels of
proficiency in relevant areas of performance, such as supervisory
ratings, commendations, and/or any other verification by a third
party, etc.
- Reflections: Written documentation of lesson
plans, journals, papers, which include the rationale for action
and/or decisions made in the process of the demonstration of concepts
and knowledge of the course being challenged and/or specific artifacts.
- Artifacts: Samples of work demonstrating applications
of the concepts and principles in the course being considered,
such as engineering drawings, technical manuals, publications,
video and/or audio tapes, and any other creations deemed appropriate,
etc.
- Miscellaneous: Any other agreed-upon materials.
* Required
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