Advisors help students assess how prior learning may be integrated with their educational plan. Because the portfolio requires a great deal of independent writing, students must first complete the Inquiry Seminar. Enroll in IDS301 Career and Life Planning, a one semester credit course in which students clarify educational and career plans and write a learning autobiography and educational plan. The learning autobiography and educational plan become the first sections of the portfolio. Students are given specific instruction on how to describe, analyze, and document prior learning experiences.
Credit is earned by demonstrating that prior learning is equivalent to specific college courses.
For example, a small business owner may have acquired both the practical and theoretical knowledge equivalent to ECB423 Entrepreneurship and ECB321 Marketing. Portfolio Evaluation Three copies of the completed portfolio are submitted to Linfield for evaluation by a team of faculty members with expertise appropriate in the areas of credit requested. Students pay the submittal fee at this time. Within six weeks students receive a letter from the evaluation team which outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the portfolio and lists the awarded credits which are added to the student's official transcript upon payment of the transcription fee. Payable when credits are awarded, based on the number of awarded credits by the evaluator.