Welcome to the Inaugural Credit for Prior Learning Awareness Week!
Credit for Prior Learning Awareness Week is a statewide celebration of the knowledge, skills, and experiences that students bring with them when they walk through our doors.
Our goals are to recognize and support the work being done to connect students to credit they've already earned, equip faculty and staff with the tools to recognize it, and strengthen the partnerships that make it possible. Whether you're an enrollment or student services professional, a department chair or faculty member, a partner in this ecosystem, or a campus leader, there's a place for you this week.
Join institutions across all three NC higher education sectors as we celebrate and bring awareness to this amazing opportunity. Event descriptions and registrations, and a toolkit designed to offer CPL programming at individual institutions, are available below.
Join Any Of Our Events and Trainings!
All events are free, hosted via TEAMS, and require a registration. If noted, the event will be recorded and made available to anyone who completes the registration.
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 from 10-11 a.m.
Learning Without Borders: Federal Policy and the Future of Learning Mobility
As learners increasingly move across institutions, educational pathways, and the workforce, policymakers are paying greater attention to how learning is recognized, transferred, and applied. This session will explore the evolving federal policy landscape affecting learner mobility, including developments in Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), transfer and credit mobility, implementation of Workforce Pell, and emerging federal higher education priorities. The discussion will examine how these policy developments are reshaping opportunities for learners and institutions, the challenges that remain, and the emerging issues likely to influence the future of learner mobility.
Presenter:
- Scott Filter, Director of Government Relations, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AARCRAO)
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 from 12-1 p.m.
CPL 101: Introduction to Credit for Prior Learning
Not sure where to start with Credit for Prior Learning? This session breaks down the essentials — what CPL is, why it matters for student success, the most common types your institution may already offer, and the resources available to help you put it into practice. Open to faculty, staff, and administrators at all institutions. No prior experience required.
Presenter:
- Dr. Seth Marc Kamen, State Director of Transfer, Learning Recognition, and Credential Alignment, North Carolina Community College System
Wednesday September 23, 2026 from 10-11 a.m.
Credit for Prior Learning in the Disciplines
Credit for Prior Learning looks different depending on the discipline — and some of North Carolina's community colleges are doing remarkable work to make it count where it matters most. Hear directly from colleagues at the front lines: how one college is partnering with the Coast Guard to recognize aviation training, how another is integrating CPL into biotech workforce pathways, and how a third is opening doors for students in the health sciences. Whether you work at a community college, university, or independent institution, the discipline-specific strategies showcased in this session offer lessons and inspiration you can bring back to your own campus.
Presenters:
- Alisa Montgomery, MSN, RN, Dean, Health and Public Services, Piedmont Community College
- Lisa Smelser, Executive Director of Workforce Strategic Initiatives, Central Carolina Community College
- Michelle Waters, Dean Business, Industry, and Applied Technologies, College of the Albemarle
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 from 1-2 p.m.
From Recognition to Progress: Lessons on Credit for Prior Learning for Military Learners
This session is managed by the American Council on Education (ACE).
Service members and veterans often enter higher education with extensive technical training, occupational experience, leadership development, and other forms of learning acquired during military service. As institutions face growing pressure to improve student outcomes and demonstrate educational value, recognizing and building upon this prior learning has become an increasingly important strategy. Across higher education, institutions have made substantial progress in recognizing military learning through credit for prior learning.
Join ACE to learn more about their new policy brief and hear directly from leading experts from the State University of New York, Old Dominion University, National University, and Western Technical College about their work, key takeaways, and what comes next.
Wednesday, September 23, 2-3 p.m.
From Policy to Practice: A Campus Perspective of CPL Implementation
Join presenters from UNC Charlotte to hear the journey of updating CPL policies, processes, and resources. See an example of how one program crosswalked professional development offered through North Carolina Community College programs and Direct Delivery through the Office of the State Fire Marshal to UNC Charlotte academic coursework. Session takeaways will include the list of criteria used for crosswalking and the CPL Package used to communicate the credit outcome. Bring questions!
Presenters:
- Shanna Coles, Director, Strategy Development, Digital & Professional Learning
- David Newell, Professor of Practice, Fire & Safety Engineering Technology, William States Lee College of Engineering
Thursday, September 24, from 11-12 p.m.
Inside the UNC System's Military Equivalency System
Take a behind-the-scenes look at MES, the UNC System's Military Equivalency System, a CPL dashboard for military training and experience. During the session, we will explore how the UNCSO built the MES and how the system works today. This session will also include a demonstration of both the student-facing dashboard and administrative dashboard and will explore opportunities for future collaboration with the North Carolina Community College System to better support the recognition of military learning and experience.
Presenter:
- Bradley Wren, Program Manager for Military and Veteran Student Success at the University of North Carolina System Office
Thursday, September 24, 2026 from 2-3 p.m.
Advancing Adult Learner Success: Insights and Action Steps from NC Reconnect and Reengage Nebraska
NC Reconnect and Reengage Nebraska offer powerful insights into how colleges can identify, support, and reengage stopped‑out adult learners, with credit for prior learning emerging as a critical lever for accelerating their momentum in and through the college. This session will highlight key findings from both re-engagement efforts, including practical strategies institutions used to remove barriers and improve pathways to graduation and credential attainment. Participants will also learn how to use the Belk Center's Adult Learner Guidebook and other resources to enact meaningful, scalable change that strengthens adult‑focused policies, practices, and outcomes.
Presenters:
- Dr. Audrey J. Jaeger, W. Dallas Herring Professor & Founding Executive Director
- Dr. Sarah Deal, Director of Research
- Dr. Emily VanZoest, Visiting Research Scholar
Friday, September 25, 2026 from 11-12 p.m.
Launching the Community College Military Evaluation Project
Join the North Carolina Community College System for the launch of a systemwide initiative to expand Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) for military training and occupations. Part of a multi-state technical assistance grant with CAEL and RAND, this project aims to evaluate military training against community college course outcomes and build sustainable, systemwide CPL practices. This session will introduce the project's goals, timeline, and ways faculty and staff across the system can get involved. It is primarily for NCCCS only, but others interested in the project are welcome to join.
Presenters to be determined.
Toolkit for Institutions
This toolkit is your starting point for Credit for Prior Learning Awareness Week. Whether you're coordinating a full week of campus events or simply sharing a social post, everything you need is here. Below, you'll find messaging guides, event ideas, marketing templates, and more, all built around one shared goal: making sure more North Carolina students get credit for what they already know.
For additional information, please email kamens@nccommunitycolleges.edu
All content and events subject to change.