LEWISTON, Idaho – As part of its Adult Learner Initiative to help meet the needs of working adults, Lewis-Clark State College is offering a new portfolio development course to give individuals the opportunity and instruction to successfully document and demonstrate college-level competencies they have acquired through work or outside the traditional higher education process and earn college credits for it.
LC State has offered a type of portfolio class off and on for nearly three decades, but for specific subject credits only. The new portfolio class is for all majors and minors, including those in Career & Technical Education, offered at LC State. A student can earn up to 25 percent of an associate or bachelor’s degree, depending upon the major, and put them well on their way toward degree completion.
The portfolio development course will run Jan. 18-March 11, 2022, and has a fee of $50. One college credit is also available for the eight-week online course, which won’t have a scheduled meeting time, but rather will let students work at their own pace and meet with the instructor and faculty to aid them. By the end of the eight weeks, the goal is for the student to put together a portfolio that provides evidence they have met the established learning outcomes that are equivalent to college-level courses. Students can gain knowledge and skills through experiential opportunities, such as jobs, training or life experiences.
A student can earn college credits by documenting and demonstrating comprehension of learning outcomes and objectives consistent to the course outcomes. A student must be able to demonstrate at least 70 percent knowledge of learning outcomes of a related college course, which may include theoretical or conceptual knowledge as well as application of subject-specific principles.
Upon completion of the course, the portfolio is submitted to the appropriate division for review by faculty with expertise in the subject matter. Once reviewed, the student will be notified of the results. If the portfolio demonstrates college-level learning sufficiently equivalent to specific course outcomes, the notification will include how many credits/classes can be awarded. Consistent with LC State’s Idaho sister institutions, an administrative fee of $75 per class will be charged if students wish to list them on an official LC State transcript.
Fred Chilson, interim vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of Graduate Studies at LC State, said the college started its most recent Adult Learner Initiative around the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Since then, college officials have had time to work on the portfolio course to meet the needs of working adults, military members, and others. Luther Maddy, interim dean, School of Professional Studies, and Martin Gibbs, dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences, developed the course with help from Chilson and Andy Hanson, senior vice president/vice president for Student Affairs.
“We have been offering a portfolio program, but we needed to create a model and establish consistency with this new course,” Chilson said. “This course is consistent across all majors and is designed to meet the needs of the student. It is perfect for the working adult who wants to increase their opportunity for advancement and salary.”
The course will include videos and information to help the students build their portfolios. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with the instructor, both live and remotely, who will aid them with their portfolio. The finished portfolio must be submitted by the March 11 deadline to be eligible to receive credit.
For more information or to register for the LC portfolio development course, visit the course webpage. There is also a webpage set up specifically for the adult learner. For questions call 208-792-2400.
