Relevant to: faculty, staff, and students
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Documenting your SUNY Empire PLEs
Once you have located your learning within the list of SUNY Empire Professional Learning Evaluations, the next step is to request third-party documentation. Typically, you cannot use your copy of a certificate or a printout of your training record. Instead, the organization that provided the training or certification must send the information directly to the learning to the SUNY Empire admissions office.
The “Verification Procedures” section in your PLE Search page explains how to request the documentation. The three main ways to request documentation are the following:
- organization-provided letters, transcripts, and certifications;
- online verification;
- and unopened documents.
Organization-Provided Letters, Transcripts, and Certifications
In the most common form of third-party documentation, the training or certifying organization sends some form of documentation directly to the SUNY Empire admissions office at the student’s request. This documentation might be a letter certifying completion, a training transcript, or a copy of a certification. The “Verification Procedures” of the PLE entry in the PLE Search website will explain what you need to request and how you need to request it. For example, here are the verification procedures for the National Retail Foundation Customer Service and Sales PLE:
Regardless of the particular form the documentation takes, be sure to ask the organization to email them directly to the Empire State University Admissions Office at admissions@sunyempire.edu or mail them to:
Admissions
Empire State University
111 West Ave.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
If you have any trouble requesting documentation, please reach out to the Office of Prior Learning at OPL@sunyempire.edu.
Online Verification
Several certifications and licenses allow for online verification. In these cases, the “Verification Procedures” section will list the verification website. Students can go to the website, create a screenshot of their verification and email it to admissions@sunyempire.edu. Be sure to include your name and student ID number in the email. The Office of Prior Learning will then be able to verify the license or certification online. For example, verification procedures for the CASAC allow the student to submit a screenshot from https://credentialing.oasas.ny.gov/applicant/applicant-search:
Unopened Documents
In a few cases, the Verification Procedures will indicate that an organization will not send transcripts or certificates to third parties. The student will need to request a new copy of their certification and then send it in the original unopened envelope to:
Admissions
Empire State University
111 West Ave.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Using the Professional Learning Evaluation Credits
Once the admissions office has received your transcript, the Office of Prior Learning will verify the credits for each of your SUNY Empire evaluations, and the Registrar's Office will then enter the credit onto your record (it appears as transfer credit). You, along with your mentor or advisor, can then use the credits as you plan your degree or complete your structured program.
If you have any trouble obtaining documentation, please contact the Office of Prior Learning at OPL@sunyempire.edu.