Alton James

Chief Academic Officer @Plc Detroit

Detroit, MI, US

Led the design and rollout of a unified Competency-Based Education framework requiring an 80% minimum mastery threshold, with tiered competency bands mapped to the traditional 4.0 scale (Competent, Proficient, Skilled, Mastery).Converted hands-on, studio-intensive 10‑week terms into an equivalent credit hour policy that translates experiential learning to widely recognized academic measures for transfer and accreditation readiness.Oversaw curriculum alignment and documentation for PLC’s three flagship programs—Footwear Design, Apparel Design, and Color Strategy Design—ensuring consistent learning outcomes, assessment rubrics, and progression standards.Integrated general education pathways to provide students with a transferable academic core while PLC focuses on high‑touch creative and technical programming.Authored PLC Detroit’s draft Credit Hour Policy, Faculty Governance Structure, and Institutional Steering Committee Charter to streamline decision‑making in a lean startup institution.Established the Institutional Steering Committee as PLC’s unified governance body—replacing traditional multi‑committee structures and accelerating policy adoption across academics, student life, and operations.Authored PLC’s AI Usage Policy for Creative Work: requires human-origin artifacts, iterative design evidence, prompt transparency, and accuracy improvement workflows from AI renders to final submissions.Produced PLC’s Faculty Handbook draft, integrating Michigan compliance considerations, academic policy, and expectations for CBE assessment and student mentorship.

University of Michigan

Master’s Degree

University of Michigan

Bachelor’s Degree

Wayne State University

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Wayne State University

Education Specialist's Certificate

Western Governors University

Master of Business Administration - MBA

University of Detroit Jesuit High School

High School