Search Our Site

Become a Program Member!

The Review Process 

Credit recommendations are established through a thorough and objective evaluation process. The following description is provided to enable users of the Directory and Supplement to understand this process. Additional information on the evaluative policies and procedures followed by National PONSI can be found under Policies and Procedures.

Noncollegiate organizations participate in National PONSI on a voluntary basis. Each sponsoring organization selects courses and programs for review with the assistance of Program staff. Only educational programs and courses conducted on a formal basis and with official approval of the sponsoring organization are considered for review. Informal training or job experience is not reviewed.

Courses and programs must present what is thought to be college-level material, must have a prescribed program of instruction and be taught or facilitated by qualified individuals, and must include an appropriate method of evaluating student performance. In the case of correspondence, independent study courses, computer-based instruction, and proficiency examination programs, there must be proctored final examinations or other culminating evaluation of student performance administered under secure conditions. In distance learning testing situations, there must be adequate verification of students' work.

Organizations supply information for each course or program submitted for review, including:
1. A detailed syllabus/course outline describing the learning objectives, content, and schedule of instruction.
2. Instructional materials used (textbooks, audio‑visual materials, case studies, workbooks, etc.). In the case of computer-assisted instruction, interactive video, or for courses and programs delivered by television, the courseware and supplemental instructional materials are provided.
3. Graded examples of every assignment, written exercise, skill performance, quiz, or exam that contributes to a student's final grade.
4. Instructor's qualifications, including education and work experience.
5. Class roster/grade list documenting dates of student attendance and performance.
6. Student (and, if available, managerial) evaluations of instructor's classroom performance and the learning experience.

Each organization also supplies information on the administration of its educational activities, including an explanation of procedures for curriculum and examination development and revision, procedures for record keeping and reporting, and controls to ensure uniformity of quality and content when a course or program is taught at more than one location or by more than one instructor.

Review teams are generally composed of three persons, at least two of whom are selected from college and university faculties and one of whom may be from a noncollegiate organization. They are selected on the basis of their knowledge and experience in the subject area of the courses or programs to be reviewed. Evaluators are suggested by postsecondary institutions, professional and educational associations, and noncollegiate organizations. (For a list of all evaluators who have worked with National PONSI since the publication of the 2002 edition of College Credit Recommendations click here.)

Site visits are usually conducted at the location of the organization sponsoring the learning experiences and are always supervised by a member of the Program staff. Organizational staff members familiar with the curriculum must be available to answer questions that may arise during the review of the instructional materials. After a thorough assessment of all the information and materials supplied by the organization, the team members first decide if the learning experience is at the college level. If it is, they then determine whether the method to assess student performance is adequate to judge that students have achieved the stated learning objectives and mastered the subject matter. When the team determines that a credit recommendation is warranted, they determine the level of credit, the number of credit hours, and the appropriate subject area or areas where credit may be assigned. The team members also write each exhibit (the description of the learning experience that will appear in the Directory or Supplement) to ensure that it adequately describes the learning experience.

In some cases, the team may evaluate together a group of two or more related courses or programs which individually are too short to be eligible for review. If appropriate, a single credit recommendation is established for the group, and it applies only when a student has completed the entire course grouping.

In other cases, the team may not recommend that academic credit be granted. Reasons for declining to extend a credit recommendation include: (1) the limited scope or organization-specific nature of a learning experience compared to college courses; (2) the lack of comparability of instructional materials to those found in college-level courses; (3) the absence of adequate measurement of student mastery; and (4) failure to present sufficient materials on which to make a judgment. Courses or programs that have been evaluated but for which credit recommendations were not extended are not listed in the Directory.

Updated November 6, 2005