PRP 3344 - Evaluation of Military Experience for Academic Credit

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  2. University Senate and Governance
  3. Policies, Procedures, Standards and Guidelines
  4. PRP 3344 - Evaluation of Military Experience for Academic Credit

ISSUED BY: Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
NOTES: Approved by BUCC 11/13/2019; Interim Policy by Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs on 12/17/2019; Presented at University Forum 2/19/2020 as Informational Item
Effective Date: December 17, 2019

1.  RATIONALE FOR POLICY

This policy was established to explain procedures for the formal review of U.S. military training and experience for academic credit at Bloomsburg University.

2.  KEYWORDS/DEFINITIONS

Military students.  Veterans.  Academic credit review. MAC-RB

BU Office of Military and Veterans Resources

3.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

The Military Academic Credit Review Board (MAC-RB) process has been under development since 2015.  MAC-RB reports to the Provost (or designee) and reviews/translates military training and experience into appropriate equivalent Bloomsburg University courses.  PRP 3344 formalizes the process as university policy.

4.  POLICY

Introduction
Bloomsburg University values the learning, experience and contributions of veterans of the United States armed forces, and of students with military training and/or active-duty status.  The university community demonstrates that value, and its commitment to the “military friendly” distinction, by granting academic credit for the experiential learning of military students and veterans through an individualized, discipline specific analysis of their military career.  The university community values the academic quality and integrity of its programs.  Protecting the academic integrity of Bloomsburg University degree programs and serving all students appropriately, including military students, are inseparable values. 

Procedures
Military students and student veterans generally receive some credit hours and general education recognition as described in PRP 3612.  Additional course equivalencies and credit hours may be granted through the Military Academic Credit Review Board (MAC-RB).  The procedures established provide a system whereby the unique and widely variable training, work, and experiences of military students and veterans can be professionally and systematically analyzed to provide—for every individual who desires it—a college/discipline specific, individualized analysis of their military record.  This analysis will be conducted by academic faculty experts and others with deep knowledge of the Bloomsburg University curriculum.  The group conducting the analysis is known as the MAC-RB.

Military Academic Credit Review Board (MAC-RB) Process
Upon initial expression of interest in enrollment (or actual enrollment, whichever comes first) at Bloomsburg University, all military students and student veterans will be encouraged to meet with the Director of the BU Office of Military and Veterans Resources (BU-OMVR) and/or the faculty liaison with the BU-OMVR for three purposes: to identify their armed forces service occupation, to be briefed on the process of determining their likely experiential learning credits (including MAC-RB), and to initiate (if desired) the process of military document retrieval for review.

Military students may voluntarily choose to have their military training, work, and experiences more closely reviewed by the MAC-RB, as explained in the MAC-RB bylaws. 

Equivalencies approved via the MAC-RB process shall be posted to the academic record of the individual military student by the Registrar.