Member Matters September 2025

A Monthly Lookback at Some of the Good Work in the CAEL Membership Community

Hands-on Learning

Everett Community College is increasing CPL crosswalks, partnering with several organizations to grow its Academic Credit for Prior Learning program, which makes the prior learning process more seamless and simpler for students looking to transform learning completed outside of the classroom into college credit (Community College Daily).

Since its launch in 2018, the M3 Work-Based Learning Program, which includes the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and Milwaukee Public Schools, has created career exploration opportunities for more than 5,000 students, including internships and apprenticeships (UWM Report).

River Parishes Community College, South Louisiana Community College, and Tillamook Bay Community College are among the inaugural cohort of the Scaling Apprenticeship at Community Colleges Project. The Association of Community College Trustees initiative, funded by Ascendium Education Group in partnership with New America and Job Forward, will help the participants expand from providing technical instruction to being full-fledged apprenticeship program sponsors (RPCC).

A "liquefied natural gas hands-on training unit" at Nunez Community College combines a safe and controlled environment with the opportunity for students to practice work-critical skills on authentic equipment (Nunez Community College).

A partnership between University of Maryland Global Campus and the Montgomery County Department of Police will bring discounted tuition, waived application fees, and CPL opportunities to recruits; those who complete the MCPD Academy and certification as Maryland police officers can receive as many as 60 college credits, with opportunities to add up to 30 additional credits through relevant experience (UMGC).

Accelerating Adult Learning

William Paterson University is highlighting its support of adult learners as it reports milestone enrollment numbers; last year, it launched the College of Adult and Professional Studies, and it reports that enrollment has been buttressed by increasing participation in WP Online, a 100% online degree platform launched in 2020 (BINJE).

Luzerne County Community College is taking several steps to improve access to work-relevant education for adult learners, including a focus on strategic partnerships and labor market outcomes (The Times-Tribune).

The University of Wisconsin Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, a statewide program that encompasses seven correctional institutions and was launched in 2023, has seen 19 students earn an associate degree from UW-Green Bay and more than 150 additional students complete a microcredential. Almost 170 incarcerated students are enrolled in a credit-bearing fall program (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

It doesn't get more essential than language skills: Via Lorain County Community College's ASPIRE program, Lorain City Schools is offering complimentary English classes for adult learners. And a microcredential program in foundational English and American culture at Indiana University Kokomo is tailored for adult learners from Korea who are working in a new StarPlus Energy battery plant (cleveland.com and Pharos-Tribune via Yahoo).

Utah Valley University is enhancing its Adult Learner Initiative with new resources to focus on the critical Comebacker population (myFootpath).

Evidence-based coaching practices are spreading throughout National University's cadre of success coaches thanks to train-the-trainer initiatives that are scaling InsideTrack's student coaching principles and practices (InsideTrack).

In Their Own Words

In a recent edition of an Inside Higher Ed podcast, Utah Valley University's director of CPL and student assessment shared how the university is working with faculty and department heads to promulgate CPL pathways (Inside Higher Ed).

A biology instructor and biotechnology co-chair at Southeast Community College, who led SCC measures to meet the sector's workforce needs, wrote about strategies such as dual enrollment and the use of stackable credentials in helping rural students acquire work-relevant skills (Nebraska Examiner via Yahoo).

Awards and Other Achievements 

CollegeAPP, which Dutchess Community College credits for its ability to increase adult learner representation to nearly 25% of enrollment, has again been recognized as one of the country's fastest-growing private companies (CollegeAPP).

A University System of Georgia report has found that Kennesaw State University generated more than $2.3 billion in economic impact for metropolitan Atlanta in fiscal year 2024, up 7.1% from the previous year (Kennesaw State University).