Page 32 - Learning & Teaching Model

The university’s original Education Plan noted the importance of exible admissions to the university’s future success:
Workplace experience is central to our vision of education
and training. We feel that it is essential to recognize our applicants’ employment and leadership experience through prior learning assessments in addition to their academic achievements.
This recognition will increase the accessibility of our programs from industry (Royal Roads University, 1995, p.11).
Applicants who do not have the formal academic education
to qualify for admission may be assessed on the basis of both their formal education and their informal learning, in accordance with the university’s Flexible Admission Policy. This includes applicants with extensive informal learning experience or who have obtained considerable professional development related
to their area of study. As well, the policy can apply to individuals with a complex learning history and for whom documenting
their learning is either dif cult or complex. The overall goal
of the exible admissions process is to recognize evidence of prior learning accomplishments, and to assure a high probability
of successful program completion for both the students
and the university. Applicants must show evidence of having suf cient knowledge, skills and abilities to complete a demanding academic course of study.
Furthermore, the original Education Plan proposed another means of making program entry as exible as possible – the well- established block transfer system. Over the last 18 years,
the university has developed an articulation system with other post-secondary institutions that facilitates the block transfer
of credits into speci c programs. This system permits students to enter our degree programs directly from diploma backgrounds and make transfers from other institutions as seamless
as possible. Some students entering a graduate program after
a break from academic studies for a number of years face
a challenge with academic writing and thinking. A number of our schools are asking incoming students to complete an academic writing and critical thinking course prior to starting in their program, as a means of setting up students for success.
Finally, in addition to the innovative strategies described above, RRU has implemented a range of institutional partnerships aimed at increasing the attractiveness, relevance, and utility
of a RRU degree. For instance, some programs have developed formalized agreements with professional associations that offer other credentials and certi cation processes in conjunction with obtaining a RRU degree.
30 Learning and Teaching Model Royal Roads University