New BrunswickPrior Learning Assessment and Recognition

(NB PLAR)

Action Group

2010–2011 Annual Report

DATE: March 2011

NB PLAR Action Group Annual Report 2010-2011Page 1

1.INTRODUCTION

In June 2008, the government of New Brunswick released its Action Plan to Transform Post-Secondary Education in New Brunswick,based on the belief that education is a key element of attaining self-sufficiency for New Brunswick. This action plan for change contains 33 recommendations, and as called for in the Action Plan, five priority areas for immediate action were established one of which is to make credit transfer easier between postsecondary institutions.

Although there has been progress over the years, the time has come to advance a more coordinated practice with regard to credit transfer and prior‐learning assessment and recognition in NB. As part of the key priorities to be addressed,in December of 2009a sub-committee of NBCAT (committee of registrars at the time)was mandated to recommend a provincial coordination mechanism that would help facilitate the assessment and recognition of prior learning by employers, licensing and accreditation bodies, government agencies and post secondary institutions in New Brunswick.

A proposed provincial coordination plan was developed, endorsed by the initial 2009-10 committee of registrars and presented to PETL by March 31, 2010. PETL approved the recommended plan and allocated the required resources for its implementation in 2010-11. The NB PLAR Action Group was officially established in May and the following five key priority actions were founded for 2010-11 in accordance with the provincial coordination plan:

  • Develop aGovernance Model;
  • Develop NB PLAR Guiding Principals and Standards;
  • Expand the Socrates Model to a common provincial NB PLAR Tool;
  • Curriculum development for PLARadvising and assessment custom made for NB, and;
  • Develop a Communication Plan for public awareness, including employers and regulated professions about the benefits of PLAR

1.1The NB PLAR Action Group Members

Name / Nom / Title / Titre / Organization / Organisation
Marilyn Carkner(Chair) / Coordinator Adult Learner Services, and Prior Learning Assessment / University of New Brunswick (UNB)
Nicole Drapeau(Vice-Chair) / Évaluatrice en reconnaissance des acquis. / Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB)
Chris Harris / NBCC Registrar / New BrunswickCommunity College (NBCC)
Roger Tremblay / Vice-président, Services Éducatifs / CCNB
Jean-Guy Ouellette / Vice-recteur adjoint à l'enseignement / Université de Moncton (UdeM)
MaryBeth Clements / Assistant Registrar for Professional Studies / Crandall University
Kim Hollihan / Consultant / Conseillère / PETL– Community Adult Learning
Stephen McCarthy / Manager / Gestionnaire / PETL- Apprenticeship and Certification
Heather Hartley-Brown / Consultant / Dept. SD / DS
Mary-Lou Arseneault / Program Director, NBMC / New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC)
Ed Leslie / Executive Director, NBSCETT / New Brunswick Society
of Certified Engineering
Technicians and Technologists (NBSCETT)
Roxanne Tarjan / Executive Director / Nursing Association of New Brunswick (NANB)
Frank Vandenburg (Staff) / Associate Director, NBCAT / PETL / MEPFT
Philip Bélanger(Staff) / Executive Director / Directeur général, NBCAT / PETL / MEPFT

1.2The NB PLAR Action Group Meetings

NB PLAR Action Group shall meet 4x/year, 2x in person and 2x using tele/video conference. Additional meetings on special issues that arise may be called as needed. The NB PLAR Action Group meetings this year were held as follows:

  • May, 4, 2010: Université de Moncton (UdeM), Moncton, NB
  • August 19, 2010: UdeM, Moncton, NB
  • October 26, 2011: UdeM, Moncton, NB
  • February 10, 2011: UdeM, Moncton, NB

Approved minutes are available upon request and are to be posted on the NB PLAR web site and / or the portal web site.

2.OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF 2010-2011

This annual report assesses the past year’s activities and achievements against the desired outcomes and performance measures identified in the NB PLAR Action Group provincial coordination plan for each action item.

By the end of the fiscal year 2010-11 and only 10 months since the focus on the five key priorities were set, there has been significant progress.

Actions / Timelines / Outcomes / Comments
Develop a NB PLAR Governance Model / 2010-11 / An official governance model was developed and validated by the NB PLAR Action Group members. / Like all officially validated documents, this document is available upon request and will be posted on the NB PLAR web site and / or the portal web site repository.
Develop NB PLAR Guiding Principles and Standards / 2010-11 / An official framework on Principles and Standards was developed and validated by NB PLAR Action Group members. / II
Expand the Socrates Model to a common provincial NB PLAR Tool / On-going / The Socrates Model has been expandedto be in demand not just in NB but across Canadaand certain countries abroad. A Socrates workflow pilot project with the Ambulance NB, Paramedic Association of NB and the AtlanticParamedicAcademywas initiated which will serve as model for other sector councils throughout the country. / With an anticipated growth for demand a launch of the Socrates PLAR self-assessment tool is projected for 2011-12. But first and foremost it is to register its licensing rights, which is in the works with the CCNB-CEI-Bathurst, the founding owners of the product.
Develop a Communication Plan for public awareness, including employers and regulated professions about the benefits of PLAR / 2010-11 / The focus was put on developing a common PLAR awareness Power Point Presentation includinginformation related to the PLAR history in NB and video clips with testimonials from both practitioners and clients, which was successfully completed.
An NB PLAR logo was also developed and validated by the action group, NBCAT and CNB.
An NB PLAR web site has been developed as part ofa thorough communication plan to be completed and launched in 2011-12 / It was deemed appropriate that once the guiding principles, Socrates and other activities were completed and endorsed that a thorough communication plan for public awareness would be developed. In the meantime the focus was put on developing a common PLAR awareness PP presentation
Curriculum development for PLAR advising and assessment custom made for NB / 2010-11 / A proposed made for NB curriculum model was developed and validated by the members. A professional service has been retained to elaborate the curriculum in accordance with the model to make training available to practitioners and advisers in NB as of 2011-12
Instead of reinventing the wheel and including it in our curriculum development we have negotiated an agreement with Red River College (RRC) to offer thePortfolio “Train the Trainer” course component of the training on-line to a selected group of NB PLAR practitioners. This will serve as a pilot project for our NB PLAR training program development. / It is the intent that a training plan will be developed and launched by the NB PLAR Action Group in 2011-12. This will bein accordance with the guiding principles and standards and will bevery beneficial to improving PLAR services in NB.
Liaise with other PLAR jurisdictions / On-going / There have been strong liaisons with other provinces, Canadian Association for Prior Learning (CAPLA), and the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) which have benefited the development of the NB PLAR Action Groups activities. The Socrates tool in particular has developed to be known not just in NB but across Canada and certain countries abroad.
An agreement was made with CAPLA. CAPLA will research and catalogue available RPL resources for the province of New Brunswick and make them available to the Government of NB for posting on their website, as well as on the website. / Since the creation of the NB PLAR Action group, New Brunswick is being looked upon as progressing in a leading matter.
3.NB PLAR Action Group Financial Statement 2010-2011
PETL Fundingallocated for activities / $100,000.00
Expenses
Overhead Costs (office supplies, hardware and software purchase & maintenance, Cell / Blackberry usage, printing, copying and postage) / 1,579.85
Translation / 695.77
Staff Travel(including in and out of province / country travel, registrations, subscriptions and conference fees) / 5,941.50
Business meeting expenses(including room rental, equipment and catering services). / 1,196.30
Research / Professional Services (development of an NB PLAR web site, NBPLAR curriculum development and Video testimonials for the NB PLAR common PP presentation) / 25,000.00
Expansion of the Socrates tool(paramedic pilot project and report development) / 33,500.00
Other NB PLAR activities in accordance with the validated plan (NB PLAR logo, development of a Pan-Can common web site for sharing PLAR assessment tools in partnership with CAPLA and Saskatchewan, contribution to the CAPLA annual conference, andNB PLAR on-line training sponsorship. / 20,000.00
Membership dues and fees (to join CAPLA as an official member) / 501.09
Total Expenses / 88,414.51
Deficit / Surplus / 11,585.49
4.Recommended Action for 2011-12

NB PLAR Action Group Annual Report 2010-2011Page 1