The success and failure of experiential learning assessment programs rests not only on their academic quality, but also on their financial management. Types of cost and the meaning of cost-effectiveness are discussed. Break-even analysis, cost-reduction activities, and revenue-enhancement techniques are described. (Author/MLW)

Portfolio assessment, designed after the model disseminated originally by the Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning (CAEL) project, has become the assessment technique of choice in prior learning programs as well as the foundation for adult degree programs. Innovations and changes in the assessment process are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Precise transcript development is vital to the articulation and transfer of credit. The transcript, the institution's award of credit, must present the institution's relation to experiential learning; transcription practices must allow institutions to communicate with third parties. Sample transcripts are provided. (MLW)

The widening "experience gap" between faculty members and students calls for a radical reinterpretation of the faculty role and for new, experiential approaches to faculty development. Suggestions to help faculty deal more effectively with nontraditional students are presented. (MLW)

A broad-based task force at the University of Delaware has systematically developed both a theoretical and a programmatic model of career development. From its findings a coordinated, universitywide career development program with an experiential component has been implemented. (MSE)

A description of a new program for legal education is described which combines classroom simulations of lawyering tasks and skills with a series of externships with practitioners. Traditional classes for learning the substantive knowledge of the law are conducted in conjunction with the experiential aspects. (Author/MLW)

The self-study has been increasingly used as an aid to accrediting reviews but has rarely been used as a tool for ongoing systematic internal quality assurance. Attention to the purposes and functions, the processes, and the dynamics of self-studies so used can yield great benefit for modest cost. (Author/MLW)

The implementation of a management and decision information system at Marylhurst College for Lifelong Learning and its potential for similar programs is discussed. The system has three areas of decision making: learners, divisions, and program management. The functions of marketing, student information, and cost analysis are being developed.…

A model of graduate experiential learning assessment is proposed, based on the work of the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning. Present program practices in 12 programs are related directly to the model so that sound practices can be identified and replicated in other programs. (MLW)

The issue of the costs and financial aspects of the assessment of prior learning is discussed from the point of view of program managers and others responsible for ensuring high quality, cost-efficient academic programs. Rationales and models currently in use are examined. (MLW)

A discussion is given of competency-based programs of innovative colleges, including the role of assessment of prior learning in such programs, drawing on the experience of Justin Morrill College of Michigan State University. (Author)

Working from a model of the experiential learning process, some pragmatic concerns for program design are presented. An extensive model for conducting internships is described, emphasizing ways in which learning from the internship experience can be facilitated. (Author/MLW)

The consortial approach to assessment of prior learning can reduce costs and increase the availability of service. CLEO (Compact for Lifelong Educational Opportunities), a consortium of 38 colleges and universities in the Delaware Valley region, is described. (Author/MLW)

A key element for economic revitalization, the local labor market development, can be supported by colleges and universities in coordination with business and government. The Human Resources Management Center, a strategic model for managing economic dislocations, is described. (MLW)

A model of three types of experiential learning is presented, showing significant differences in learning objectives, designs, and means for evaluation among them. Emphasis is noted on the importance in program design of clarity regarding matching experiential learning type with specifically identified objectives. (Author/MLW)