- A public listing of CPL institutions
- Get feedback on ATE proposal ideas
- Cutting material costs for math courses
A public listing of CPL institutions
The national nonprofit Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) announced Wednesday that it is launching a free online listing of public and private U.S. education and training providers that offer credit for prior learning (CPL).
“The CPL Provider Network offers a seamless, user-friendly resource that adult learners and workers can use as they make critical decisions about beginning a degree program or returning to one,” said Angela DeVere, director of membership marketing and events at CAEL. “At the same time, the CPL Provider Network helps participating institutions increase awareness about a critical catalyst of recruiting, retention, and completion.”
CAEL institutional members can join the network free of charge; non-members can be listed for $1,000 annually.
CPL increases completion rates among adult learners by 17% and saves students significant time and money, according to CAEL. It can also improve recruitment, as CAEL research shows that 84% of likely enrollees said that potentially receiving CPL would significantly influence their choice of institution.
Get feedback on ATE proposal ideas
College faculty can get feedback on their ideas for Advanced Technological Education (ATE) initiatives by emailing brief summaries to program directors at the National Science Foundation assigned to the program. The summaries must be no more than two pages — not drafts of full 15-page proposals.
“We are all open to a one-to-two page project synopsis at any time,” V. Celeste Carter, the lead ATE program director at NSF, said at the recent 2024 ATE conference in Washington, D.C.
Program directors’ emails are on the ATE program webpage. The solicitation is at NSF 24-584. The next proposal deadline is October 2, 2025.
Cutting material costs for math courses
California’s Golden West College plans to nix all course materials fees – including textbooks, calculators, and access codes for homework and study programs – for math classes for the upcoming spring semester.
Currently, about half of Golden West courses have “zero textbook costs,” typically using open educational resources, the college said in a release.
“The cost of course materials can place a significant financial strain on students, and this is especially true for math courses where students typically need to purchase a textbook, an access code and a calculator,” says GWC Vice President of Student Services Claudia Lee. “The average cost of these materials can range anywhere from $300 to $500.”
Golden West will tap state Student Equity and Achievement Program funds for the initiative, which will allow students to borrow calculators and in some cases textbooks for the semester of the math course.
