Confirmed with TESC Registrar: Kaplan PLA is Gen Ed and IPSL

[sanantone]

Well, I hope it works for someone else bevause they certainly weren't going to let me do it.

I thought the problem was that they didn't have a reviewer who was an expert in women's studies.

Help! Trying to do a portfolio assessment and need to register ... but TESC is saying I cannot register for portfolio assessment at TESC until I've done the TESC PLA-200 course, which takes 8 weeks. I've already completed the Kaplan course for ACE credit.

I read on the forums somewhere that Marc Singer says you don't have to do TESC's PLA-200 course if you already did the Kaplan course... can anyone direct me to a link or other hard information that proves that?

Marc Singer did say on the forum that taking a PLA course somewhere else will waive the requirement to take PLA-100 and PLA-200. Unless things have changed, then Todd Siben is wrong. He's known for being hostile to students going the less-traditional route and getting himself confused. You can try sending Marc Singer an email because his position is higher than Todd Siben's. If he says the requirement is waived with the Kaplan course, then forward that response to Todd Siben.

[SweetSecret]

I thought the problem was that they didn't have a reviewer who was an expert in women's studies.



Marc Singer did say on the forum that taking a PLA course somewhere else will waive the requirement to take PLA-100 and PLA-200. Unless things have changed, then Todd Siben is wrong. He's known for being hostile to students going the less-traditional route and getting himself confused. You can try sending Marc Singer an email because his position is higher than Todd Siben's. If he says the requirement is waived with the Kaplan course, then forward that response to Todd Siben.

I'm sure they could find someone to review it. I think it was more that they just didn't want to deal with me right then on the whole issue. I mean they have a "Women in Social Action" course, an "Intro to criminal justice" course, and they list Sex / Gender for topics people can do portfolios on. Yet they refused me. I really think it is/was a bunch of bureaucracy. I hope you don't think I'm being snippy to you, because that's not my intention. I really want to see this work, I'm just irritated with how they treated my situation.

[sanantone]

I'm sure they could find someone to review it. I think it was more that they just didn't want to deal with me right then on the whole issue. I mean they have a "Women in Social Action" course, an "Intro to criminal justice" course, and they list Sex / Gender for topics people can do portfolios on. Yet they refused me. I really think it is/was a bunch of bureaucracy. I hope you don't think I'm being snippy to you, because that's not my intention. I really want to see this work, I'm just irritated with how they treated my situation.

I agree with you. They should have someone who could review the portfolio. You don't need an exact match. For example, someone who teaches chemistry could easily assess intro to biology. However, I think the problem is Todd Siben. He wants everyone to do things his way.

[SweetSecret]

I think the problem is Todd Siben. He wants everyone to do things his way.

This!

Yes, sometimes it just has to do with who you deal with. So I could go back now and throw a big fuss to see if they'd let me do it, but he's still there, so chances are it would be a "no" for me. It irks me because this threw off my whole graduation plan. So I am signed up to take the public relations TECEP this term along with capstone. Anyone want to take a guess what my capstone topic is on?
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If you answered something that they told me they didn't have a professor to review a PLA portfolio for, having to do with gender, you'd probably be right. So far the capstone instructor hasn't tried to sway me on my topic... so obviously he feels confident to be able to grade it. If TESC had let me do a portfolio for any number of the course titles I was planning to, I could have easily already been done with all my credits. As it is, after this term I'll still have to earn 9 more residency credits (degree credits will already be fulfilled) on 3 different TECEPS. Seriously, the PLA/Portfolio thing would have been an easy no-brainer for me. I have documentation up the ying-yang showing that I've worked in the entertainment industry, that I've volunteered for a number of related non-profits, for women/anti-trafficking, and I could probably teach a course on all of this that would blow students out of the water compared to what is currently taught. That's not to say that no one coming out of my industry has ever gone onto teach a college course, but most of them had very limited experience in the field (53% drop out within 4 years according to payscale.com) before moving on and only worked locally, whereas I had 15 years of it traveling all the country.