Resolution in Support of Independent Learners

Whereas Credit By Examination can help accommodate non-traditional students, facilitate distance learning, and substitute for the transfer of credits from non-accredited and foreign institutions,

Whereas, although independent learning is a relatively rare phenomenon, the island fragmentation of the State of Hawaii and Hawaii's physical isolation from the world market make it imperative that UH embrace independent learners,

Whereas each examination normally takes one full day by a faculty member as well as time on the part of departmental staffs and administrators,

Whereas the current fee for Credit by Examination is $15 per examination for one course,

Whereas CLEP examinations, whose current fees are $61, are appropriate for giving credit to students for work done in high school, are limited to introductory courses and sometimes restricted to students who have accumulated fewer than 24 credit hours,

Whereas the fee charged for Credit by Examination hardly begins to compensate the faculty and department which agree to write and administer the examination for their time,

Whereas some UHM departments now have active policies against Credit By Examination,

Be it resolved that, to provide good incentives to accommodate independent learners,

1. The decision to make Credit By Examination available in any particular instance shall remain a departmental decision and by strictly voluntary on the part of faculty
2. The fee for Credit By Examination shall be a percentage of the in-state tuition rate on a credit-hour basis; this percentage shall be initially set at 50% and adjusted experimentally for maximum accommodation of independent learners
3. The fee for Credit By Examination shall be allowed to vary among departments to accommodate different cost structures and markets
4. The revenue from each instance of Credit By Examination should continue to go to the Department and Faculty administering the particular examination.
5. Statistics of departmental efficiencies and workload shall include credit hours granted by the Credit By Examination process.
6. The Testing Center, which administers CLEP examinations, receive a commendation for providing excellent service and meeting a significant need. The Testing Center is especially to be commended for scheduling CLEP examinations on a monthly basis and for having, due to local administration of the examinations, the flexibility to often accommodate students who apply late for a particular examination.