(a) The Board in addition to exercising general management and control of the affairs of the University, shall also have the following specific functions:
(1) The determination of courses of study to be pursued.
(2) The granting of academic degrees and honors.
(3) The granting of sabbatical and other kinds of leave.
(4) The establishment of standards for scholarships for needy or worthy students.
(b) The Board shall elect its own Chairman, and shall adopt bylaws for the conduct of its own meetings. The Board shall meet at least twice annually.
(c) The Board may delegate to the President its representation as well as the exercise of the powers and responsibilities conferred upon it by this title.
(d) The Board shall adopt for implementation beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year a program for granting academic credit to students for prior learning which recognizes knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through formal and informal education outside the traditional academic environment when the acquired knowledge, skills and competencies demonstrate college-level learning and align with the University’s course competencies. The prior learning that the program may recognize may include the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through employer training programs, military training and experience, independent study; and through formal and informal education and training from on-island and off-island institutions, including foreign institutions. The program at a minimum must include:
(1) Criteria for student eligibility and provision of published application procedures readily available to students.
(2) A determination of the appropriate maximum number of credits which may be granted and the degrees and courses to which the credits may be applied.
(3) Standards and policies for awarding academic credits which include:
(A) The awarding of credits consistent with the requirements of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and other applicable accrediting organizations recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education;
(B) The awarding of credit for learning from experience;
(C) Assessment of prior learning based on standards and criteria for the level of acceptable learning which are both agreed upon and made public;
(D) Assessment of prior learning treated as an integral part of learning, not separate from it, and based on an understanding of learning processes;
(E) The determination of credit awards and competence levels made by appropriate subject matter and academic, or credentialing experts;
(F) Credit or other credentialing appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted;
(G) Transcript entries clearly describing the prior learning being recognized and regular monitoring to avoid giving credit more than once for the same learning;
(H) Clear, transparent policies, procedures, and criteria applied to assessment, including provision for appeal, and their full disclosure to all persons involved in the assessment process, and made readily available to students through school catalogues, other publications, and on the University’s website;
(I) Adequate training of all faculty members involved in the assessment of prior learning and their receipt of continuing, professional development for the duties they perform in connection with the assessment;
(J) Regular monitoring, review, evaluation, and revision of the assessment program as needed to reflect changes in the purposes and needs being served and the advancements in assessment methodologies;
(K) Assessment fees that are based on the services performed in the process, and not determined by the amount of credit awarded; and
(L) Such other standards as the Board considers appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
(4) A validated assessment process to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and competencies students gain from prior learning experiences which may include any of the following methods of evaluation:
(A) Portfolio development and evaluation;
(B) Course challenge and oral examinations; and
(C) Standardized tests, including tests under the:
(i) College-Level Examination Program;
(ii) American College Testing Proficiency Program;
(iii) Defense Activity for Nontraditional Educational Support;
(iv) Advanced Placement;
(v) International Baccalaureate; and
(vi) any other appropriate college-level standardized tests selected by the Board;
(D) Credits earned through the American Council of Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services; and
(E) The systematic observation of skill demonstrations, including role plays and simulations, and the evaluation of case studies or other assignments.
(5) Consultation or affiliation by the Board and participating faculty members with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), or with any other nationally recognized prior-learning assessment organization selected by the Board.