Language Opens Doors (In More Ways Than One)
This Op-Ed by my CUNY SPS colleague explains how students who speak another language may earn college credit.
I am very excited whenever my school, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) is in the news, and even more so when the byliner is one of our own!
This week, I’m pleased to announce that Jennifer Sparrow, our associate dean of academic affairs, has published an inspiring and informative Op-Ed in the Spanish-language newspaper Noticia El Correo NY.
Her piece, “Estudiantes adultos merecen obtener créditos universitarios por lo que ya saben, incluido su idioma nativo” (“Adult learners deserve to earn college credit for what they already know, including their native language”), explores one of the amazing opportunities offered by CUNY SPS and many other schools to help students get a leg up in college: Credit for Prior Learning.
What is Credit for Prior Learning? As Jennifer explains, it’s a program that allows adult learners to earn college credit based on their existing skills and prior experiences.
There’s so many ways students can earn credit — maybe they’ve learned specific skills from their job, or from their time in military service, or in a workforce training program.
But one of the best and easiest ways to earn credit, as Jennifer points out, is if they already speak another language.
Read her Op-Ed in Noticia El Correo NY here and as a pdf here (on page 13). I’ve also included an English-language translation below.
Adult Learners Deserve to Earn College Credit for What They Already Know — Including their Native Language
By Jennifer Sparrow
How does the saying go? “Adulting is hard.” Well, yes it is, but for adult learners, it doesn’t have to be.
When a full-time employee, parent, or executive doubts the ability to further their education because of life’s interruptions, I like to remind them that it’s never too late. Whether it’s an uncompleted bachelor’s degree, the desire to move up the corporate ladder, or their first time enrolling in an academic program, adult learners must have options.
In universities across the country, prospective students can earn credits through Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) for what they already know — including their native language. They could convert real life work experience to actual course credit. And that’s because institutions are starting to understand that knowledge gained outside the classroom is extremely valuable.
A 2020 PLA Boost Report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education shows that adult students who earn CPL credit have a 22% higher credential completion rate than those without CPL credit. That’s true for the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) — an online school designed for working adults.
And though there are a number of ways to receive CPL credit, the easiest way to earn is through language proficiency.
CUNY SPS, for example, offers credit for language proficiency through over 50 college-level exams, and more than 27% of the 2021 graduates received some form of CPL. Bachelor’s degree candidates are often eligible to transfer academic credits from previous educational institutions — giving adults an opportunity to complete their degree sooner.
Through Credit for Prior Learning, students can receive credit for the knowledge they bring with them to college. This means you can save time and money toward completing your degree. In 2021, CUNY SPS students from linguistically diverse backgrounds earned an average of 4.5 credits and saved an average of $4,084 by taking exams in Spanish, French, Lithuanian, Mandarin, German, Polish, Russian, Cantonese, and Arabic.
Earning a college degree can be difficult, especially when you’re balancing work, personal life, and school. All academic institutions should prioritize a smooth path to graduation by awarding students for what they already know.
