Emergency Management - Fall 2008 - (Page 46)

In simplest form, this requires you to identify specific courses for which you feel you deserve credit. Based on the course learning objectives and the course description, be prepared to develop a 10- to 12-page essay demonstrating that you’ve acquired and can apply the knowledge that the course has been designed to impart to the student. This is a method to prove competency, but it’s a time-consuming and expensive undertaking for the institution. A well-run program that accepts PLA will typically charge you a reasonable fee to evaluate your submissions. on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction, a broadbased program administered by New York’s regents, www.nationalponsi.org. Quick Click Summary Regardless of the path you choose, there are resources to help you succeed. Here’s a quick glance of suggested Web sites you can visit to help with advancing your education and career: • • • Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, www.cael.org. Thomas Edison State College, www.tesc.edu Excelsior College, www.excelsior.edu. • Defense Department’s Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support, www.dantes.doded.mil. • • American Council on Education, www.acenet.edu. National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction, www.nationalponsi.org. • College-Level Examination Program, www.collegeboard.com. Testing for Credit There are a number of opportunities to take existing standardized tests to earn transfer credit against specific recognized college courses. The two major variations are the existing programs, such as the College-Level Examination Program, www.collegeboard.com and the DANTES subject standard tests, although the second is limited to those who serve or have served in the To grow and progress in a career, you must maintain subject-matter knowledge, acquire management skills and knowledge, and eventually acquire the mantle of leadership. The organization that has spearheaded PLA as a legitimate approach in the workplace is the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, www.cael.org. The two institutions with accredited programs and a long history of nontraditional education opportunities are New Jersey’s Thomas Edison State College www.tesc.edu/683 .php and New York state’s Excelsior College, www .excelsior.edu. Based on your life experience, willingness to complete the necessary paperwork and ability to apply the knowledge gained, you could earn a legitimate degree from an accredited and recognized institution. military. The other option is to inquire about the opportunities to challenge exams to get transfer credit for one or more catalog courses. There are large variations in how this concept is applied, and it’s strictly at the discretion of each institution. Some institutions may not honor challenge exams, others might allow them for basic skills or other unique subsets of material, while others may allow you to challenge any specific course. In the majority of cases, the number of credits allowed for transfer to the programs based on these nontraditional routes is limited. Many institutions will require that you take a minimum number of credits to earn degrees while a few of the more cutting-edge institutions may be willing to accept all external credit toward a degree. There’s no one better choice and no one best school; the decision ultimately rests with you as an individual. The reality is that there is a minimum of two good reasons to work toward degrees, advanced degrees or certificates. One is that emergency management is a multidisciplinary field that relies heavily on experiential knowledge. That means there’s always new information leading to new knowledge. The only way to keep up with that is committing to your personalized version of lifelong learning. The second and in some cases more pressing reason to continue your education is the growing recognition of the field and the concurrent requirement for more education and certification. For example, the International Credit for Coursework The greatest opportunities to earn credit for work already completed revolve around military service and training. Those with prior military service can start at the Defense Department’s Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES) home page: www.dantes .doded.mil. It gives active-duty military and veterans access to information on a wide variety of special programs. For law enforcement, there are opportunities under the Peace Officers Standards and Training programs administered by states. The most comprehensive reference for identifying courses that are eligible for either graduate or undergraduate credit is the American Council on Education, www.acenet.edu. Another source especially attuned to first responders is the National Program 46 Association of Emergency Managers Certified Emergency Manager program is one of the oldest and best programs for professionals, and it embraces the concept of lifelong learning. To grow and progress in a career, you must maintain subject-matter knowledge, acquire management skills and knowledge, and eventually acquire the mantle of leadership. That progression in many ways matches the steps of educational development — starting with practical training; moving through undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and terminal degrees; and finally to the expansion of your educational horizons beyond your subject-matter expertise. To accomplish this and earn respect and credit for hard work, perhaps the most important key is to choose an accredited institution and program. Regional accreditation is the defining issue for choosing an institution. In addition, emergency management programs and programs for many of its contributing disciplines are already subject to — or will soon be subject to — some form of professional program certification. k http://www.nationalponsi.org http://www.cael.org http://www.collegeboard.com http://www.tesc.edu http://www.excelsior.edu http://www.dantes.doded.mil http://www.acenet.edu http://www.nationalponsi.org http://www.cael.org http://www.collegeboard.com http://www.tesc.edu/683.php http://www.tesc.edu/683.php http://www.excelsior.edu http://www.excelsior.edu http://www.dantes.doded.mil http://www.dantes.doded.mil http://www.acenet.edu

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Emergency Management - Fall 2008

Emergency Management - Fall 2008 Contents Contributors Editor’s Letter In the Field Deep Freeze EM Bulletin Major Player In the News Uncharted Waters Bio-Sensing Bluegills Joint Accounts Education Directory Degress of Change Triage in 3-D Products Eric's Corner Last Word

Emergency Management - Fall 2008

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