Credits awarded through NPC departmental examination or CLEP may be used to count towards the student's degree program including general education, major and elective requirements. The student does not have to take additional courses to replace the credits for which qualification was by departmental examination or CLEP in order to accumulate 64 hours for graduation.
CLEP credits are not used in computing the student's subsequent grade point average, and credits are not posted on the student's transcript until the student graduates. Documentation of the credit is kept in the student's file at the registrar's office for verification of CLEP credits awarded or for transfer of CLEP scores to other institutions when college transcripts are requested should the student transfer without graduation.
Departmental examination credits will be assigned a letter grade that will be transcripted the semester of the test for a letter grade of C or better work. The credits will not be used in calculation of grade point average and a departmental examination notation will be made by the grade on the transcript.
GUIDELINES
- Courses for which credit by examination or CLEP may be awarded
CLEP credit may be awarded for any course for which a CLEP exam is available. The Alternative Credit Evaluator will keep a list of all CLEP-available courses. This list will be available to all campus and center advisers.
Credit by exam may be awarded for any course approved by the departments concerned and the Instructional Council. Each department will have on file an examination for each course. Credit by exam will only be made available for courses for which no CLEP examination is available. - Determination of courses for which credit by examination may be awarded.
- Instructional departments will determine which particular course or courses offered in their respective department may have credit earned in a manner other than that customary for the course.
- Departments will submit their proposals (through the 3035 form) for awarding credit by examination to the Instructional Council for its approval.
- Proposals submitted by departments shall include:
- Designation of the specific course(s) for which granting of credit by examination is proposed.
- Information concerning the particular examination to be used for each course, including a certified NPC instructor is found willing to prepare the exam.
- Eligibility standards for taking an examination for credit.
- Scoring of the examination.
- Estimation of the number of students who may successfully pass the examination.
- Documentation that a CLEP test is not already available.
- Academic Status of Credits Earned by Departmental Examination or CLEP
- All credits earned by departmental examination or CLEP will have academic value and count toward the total required for graduation and, if applicable, fulfill prerequisite requirements for advanced courses.
- Credit earned by departmental examination or CLEP will not be counted as part of the student's grade point average.
- Credits earned by departmental examination or CLEP will not be counted as part of the student's course load.
- Departmental examination credit will be entered and a letter grade will be recorded on the student's permanent academic record for work given a letter grade of C or better.
- CLEP credit documentation will be stored in the Records and Registration Office. CLEP credit will be posted to the student's transcript at time of graduation.
- Restrictions
- The maximum credit which a student may earn by any form of examination is 30 credits.
- No student will be permitted to attempt to receive credit by examination for a particular course more than once.
- No student who has received a final grade in a course or an "Incomplete" may earn credit by examination for the course on said course.
- No student who is auditing a course at Northland Pioneer College or has audited a course at Northland Pioneer College may receive credit by examination for the same course.
- No student who has withdrawn from a course at Northland Pioneer College may earn credit for the course by examination in the same semester.
- Departmental examination credits will not be applied toward graduation requirements previously earned by the student at NPC or accepted by NPC for work done elsewhere.
- Administration and Fees for Departmental Examinations
- Departmental Administration
Any enrolled student should contact the appropriate department instructor for permission to take a departmental examination for credit. An Application for Credit by Examination can be obtained through the campus or center adviser.
Students will need to obtain signature approval in the following order:- Instructor approval
- Dean approval
Department instructors will score the examination, assign a letter grade, and submit the names of those who pass the examinations to the Dean's Office. The names of students not passing the examinations will be kept on file in the department for future reference, but should not be submitted to the Records & Registration Office. Reimbursement will not exceed three hours time at the hourly rate in effect that semester for associate faculty. Reimbursement is not to be requested if time actually spent did not reflect an additional expenditure over previously contracted time for full-time NPC employees. The Dean's office will submit a purchase order to the business office for payment of the contracted services. Student departmental examinations receiving a grade of C or better should be forwarded to the Records & Registration office for grades to be entered. The Dean's Office will be responsible for informing students of the credit by examination results. - Fees
A non-refundable fee of 1/2 current tuition per credit hour will be charged each person for each departmental examination. The tuition "plateau" does not apply to students who are taking more than one exam. This fee is payable at the campus/center Cashiers Office. A separate fund account is to be set up for collection of this fee and disbursement of the departmental examination expenses through the business office. Examination for credit will not be administered by departments to students who do not have a stamped Application for Credit by Examination showing fee receipt paid.
- Departmental Administration
- Administration and Fees for CLEP Examination
- Administration
The student must contact the institution at which they plan to CLEP test to individuals should contact those institutions for test dates and submit their CLEP registration with payment to them, not NPC.
The individual takes the CLEP test for which s/he registered. Scores are reported back by CLEP to the individual tested and to the institution(s) designated on the registration form.
If scores were requested to be sent to NPC, the Alternative Credit Evaluator receives them and forwards them, along with the appropriate credit recommendations, to the student. The Evaluator should consult with the relevant Dean to determine appropriate awarding of credit. The student makes a decision whether or not to purchase CLEP credit and pays the appropriate fees. The Alternative Credit Evaluator sends a copy of the score report and awarded credit to the Registrar and the student. The Registrar processes CLEP scores and awarded credit into the individual's master student file and/or transcripts according to procedure. - Fees
A non-refundable fee of 1/2 current tuition per credit hour will be charged each person for each CLEP award. The tuition "plateau" does not apply to students who are taking more than one exam. This fee is payable at the campus/center Cashiers Office. A separate fund account is to be set up for collection of this fee and disbursement of the departmental examination expenses through the business office.
- Administration