This manual consists of a compilation of executive orders, policies, procedures, guidelines, and recommendations pertaining to external degree programs. The manual has been assembled in loose-leaf form to facilitate revision as policies change or additional guidelines are developed. Emphasis is placed on (1) criteria to be utilized by the…

Guidelines are presented for an approach to specification of competencies appropriate to Extended Degree Programs, i.e., the course or program translation approach. Program designers begin by identifying a number of courses or curriculum areas, then deductively reducing them to competency statements of greater specificity until instructional…

Policy regarding the quality of external degree programs (i.e., off-campus study, often of a nontraditional nature) leading to graduate degrees is presented. Topics covered include: establishment in each state of more effective procedures for review of off-campus graduate programs; review and evaluation procedures of regional accrediting…

Eight guidelines for contract learning-type programs are presented under the headings (1) supplying rationales, (2) focusing on the faculty, (3) assessing faculty performance, (4) assessing student readiness, (5) assessing the costs, (6) students as researchers, (7) how much academic credit, and (8) agents of change. Focus is on the faculty as…

The development of a student-centered approach to learning to study is described, and its strengths and weaknesses are noted. Two study skills workshops run by the Open University are also outlined, along with practical tips on how to make them work. (LBH)

At the Open University of Great Britain, certain problems are created by the school's heavy reliance on radio and television broadcasts as a mode of instruction. Students have difficulty: 1) integrating the broadcast with the rest of the course; 2) recognizing the purpose of the broadcast; 3) knowing what to do with the results of the broadcast;…

State higher education coordination bodies, it is suggested, should recognize experiential learning either through their policies or their programs. The way in which New York has encouraged experiential learning through three programs and through their activities as a nationally recognized accrediting body is discussed. (Author/MLW)

Stephens College Without Walls will grant college credits for prior experiential learning, if properly documented. Proficiency examinations, non-college transcript credit, work experiences, volunteer activities, homemaking, workshops or seminars, recreational activities or hobbies, independent reading, or licenses are categories of experiences for…

This manual provides materials to help managers, counselors, and teachers of the Adult Education Act, the Welfare Education Program, and State-Funded High School Equivalency or External High School Diploma programs in New York operate effectively. It would also be helpful to managers of any program for adults leading to a secondary credential. The…