WER at Penn Foster?

[soupbone]

Thanks For The Info--i Have Been Waiting For A Reply From Excelsior And When I Didn't Receive An E-mail Reply After Including All The Info You And Zefrench Provided, I Called, An Spoke To An Advisor (i Am In The Nursing Program). She E-mailed The Following Reply-

"i Was Able To Verify With My Director, That I Cannot Give You Approval To Take The Courses That You Inquired About - Eng*100 And The Information Literacy Course Offered Through Penn Foster Cannot Be Approved.

You Are Correct That Other Students May Have Gotten Credit For These Courses In Other Degree Programs Here At Excelsior College But There Is A Process In Which Courses Need To Be Evaluated When Taken At A School Accredited Through Detc And Ace Approved.

In Other Words, As A Nursing Student, Had You Taken These Courses Previously, We Would Have Reviewed Them From Your Transcript Upon Enrollment For Possible Credit If They Met The Criteria, But We Cannot Approve These Courses After Your Enrollment Since They Are Not From A Regionally Accredited Institution.

The Students In Which You Are Referring To May Have Gotten Approval From Other Departments Here At Excelsior, However, It Is Protocol In The School Of Nursing To Only Approve Courses From Regionally Accredited Institutions."

So--it Appears I Am Toast! I'm Not Sure I Understand Their Reasoning--it Sort Of Appears That There Is Inconcistancy In Their Approvals Even Though I Was Told On The Phone That All Departments At Excelsior Should Only Be Approving Credits From Regionally Accredited Institutions. I Only Pushed For The Approval Because The Tuition Is Very Affordable--any Other Suggestions?

That's simply idiotic. So they accept CLEP for English but not an ACE evaluated course? I could see if it was a Nursing specific course but this is a basic general education course. This makes no sense.

[gus]

I'm very surprised and sorry to learn about your experience with the nursing school. It's actually very odd and unlike nothing I've experienced myself or heard of about Excelsior!

I was going to recommend that you check out Louisiana State University's English Composition course:
LSU Independent and Distance Learning

But I can see that the course is on hold, apparently due to the unavailability of the required books. The web page says that LSU will allow enrollment if one manages to acquire the textbooks. It also says the course is being revised, possibly to use other books.

The cost of the course is $241 excluding books. It involves relatively more work than Penn Foster's (15 assignments and 2 proctored exams) but is still a bargain.

If you're interested, you'll probably have some luck locating the books second hand on the boards here, I'm sure quite a few have taken the course. If you run a quick search on the boards you should find some feedback.

Another affordable alternative would be taking the course at Clovis Community College:
Spring Schedule

Apprently it is $113 (without books, I presume) but I have seen no feedback about this course. It's seems to be regionally accredited (I'd verify that).

I'm still baffled as to why the nursing school had refused approval, maybe it has something to do with the way their program is accredited?

Wishing you luck...

[gus]

That's simply idiotic. So they accept CLEP for English but not an ACE evaluated course? I could see if it was a Nursing specific course but this is a basic general education course. This makes no sense.

Excelsior will give credit for the CLEP English Composition exams in humanities or electives but will not accept it towards fulfilling the Written English requirement.

[lorimoyle]

The best when emailing or talking to advisor to to quote all the information. In this case not just Penn Fosters, but insead quote that it is a ACE Reviewed course. Then be prepared to quote the ACE Course number.

HI TO ZEFRENCH-

THANKS FOR YOUR INFO--I DID TRY--TRIED EVERYTHING AS YOU SUGGESTED, ALSO MENTIONED THAT OTHER STUDENTS HAD RECEIVED PERMISION FROM EXCELSIOR TO TAKE PENN FOSTER CLASSES, AND I GOT NOWHERE--PLEASE SEE MY POST TO GUS--IT IS QUITE LENGTHY SO I WON'T REPEAT IT HERE--IT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME BUT I GUESS I HAVE TO ACCEPT WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD--I AM LOOKING FOR THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO TAKE ENGLISH AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO FIND A COURSE WHERE THERE IS NOT A PROCTURED FINAL EXAM. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP.

[zefrench]

I would appeal it. Send an email saying you are appealing, mentione you want falculty to review this situation. I hear some falculties will be onsite this week thus this is a great time for this. They get 1 to 2 appeals a year so be prepared.

The entire college allows for Credit when they are ACE approved even if NOT RA (Regionally Acreditated). Specifically point to the Business Department at Excelsior in your approval process. Further support this by pointing out Excelsior accept DSST and CLEP based on ACE Credit recommendations.

I receive approval on Penn Foster English AFTER I was enrolled, not before. I am following a BS IT at Excelsior.

The reason why I would appeal is so you have the option of various other credit sources that are ACE approved.

Your choice.

[zefrench]

Update, I do not think you need to appeal, just point them to the Excelsior 2008 Nursing Catalog, page 17, Point 4 under Written English Requirement, it cannot be any clearer then this. I would do this over the phone even.:

Written English Requirement

The Excelsior College degree programs in nursing, at
both the associate and baccalaureate levels, include a
requirement in written English. Students must demonstrate
competency in expository writing in English in one of the
following ways:

1.
2.
3.
4.Completion of a noncollegiate sponsored instruction
course or program on writing that has been
evaluated by either the New York State Board of
Regents National Program on Noncollegiate
Sponsored Instruction (National PONSI) or the
American Council on Education (ACE) College
Credit Recommendation Service of the Center for
Adult Learning and Educational Credentials; is
recommended for at least 3 semester hours of
credits; and contains an actual assessment of competence
in expository writing in English

[lorimoyle]

Z French

Thank You So Much For Being So Supportive--because Of You And A Few Other Members Of The Forum Who E-mailed Me--as Of 7/1/08 I Was Finally Able To Receive Approval For Wer And Information Literacy At Penn Foster--you Will Recall That I Had Been Told That It Was Not Approved For Nursing Students--you Suggested I Call And Quote A Paragraph Indicating That They Accepted Ace Approved Courses--always Before, Even After Quoting The Paragraph, I Was Refused Approval--always By The Same Advisor Who Indicated She Had Checked With The Head Of The Department. Finally On 6/29, (my Advisor Was Out) They Connected Me With A Senior Advisor--i Explained My Situation--referred Her To The Correspondence I Had Been Sent--she Listened--said She Felt It Sould Have Been Approved--investigated And Hooray--it Was Approved. Thanks Again--i Would Not Have Been So Persistant Had It Not Been For The Ic Forum And Your Comments.

[lorimoyle]

Gus And Soupbone-

Please See My Post To Zefrench Dated 7/3/08--i Am Not Sure How To Post Individual Messages After I Reply Once-so Here Goes--hope You Guys Get This Thank You. I Also Did Get Apprval For Clovis Community College In New Mexico--it Seems So Affordable, And Had It Not Been For Your Posts, I Would Not Have Known About The College. My Thanks.

[bat21]

I found that intresting also about EC not wanting to approve Penn Foster Eng 100, . When I spoke to an advisor she said it was acceptable in the program I want to take B/S in CJ.

I am still waiting on my offical eval to be complete.

[zefrench]

Gus And Soupbone-

Please See My Post To Zefrench Dated 7/3/08--i Am Not Sure How To Post Individual Messages After I Reply Once-so Here Goes--hope You Guys Get This Thank You. I Also Did Get Apprval For Clovis Community College In New Mexico--it Seems So Affordable, And Had It Not Been For Your Posts, I Would Not Have Known About The College. My Thanks.

I am glad you finaly had approval. They key is persistance. The group of folks at this forum is just simply amaizing. Pass it on.