/
Alternative Credentials Pathway

Alternative Credentials Pathway

Feb 08, 2022

Alternative Credentials Focused Working Group Team

Team Leads and Steering Committee Liaisons 

  • Janet Brennan Croft

  • Danielle McGeough

Team Members

  • Trisha Becker

  • Benjamin Forsyth

  • Katie Hillyer

  • Rachelle Kidwell

  • C. Kyle Rudick

  • Gabi Olivares

  • John Ophus

  • Jeremy Schraffenburger

  • Marcy Seavey

  • Beth VanMeteeren

Alternative Credentials Pathway Summary Concept

UNI will develop a portfolio of alternative and micro-credentialing offerings. We will develop institutional goals and guidelines around the offerings to provide parameters and expectations for programs to develop non-degree or embedded-degree opportunities. Jointly between the administration, Faculty Senate, and Graduate Council, establish a working group to explore the options that will work best for our university. They will examine the range of options including structures ranging from unbundled to non-credit bearing nano-credentials, to stackable credit-bearing micro-credential programs. Options of traditional synchronous and asynchronous formats, inquiry-based learning, and open course models should all be explored.

Goals

  1. Recommend models and establish institutional goals, policies, and definitions around alternative credentials for UNI.

  2. Explore structures, funding models, and program types that would be most viable at UNI, that will work within our academic structure and provide new pathways for innovative instruction

  3. And ultimately offer recommendations for implementation, including processes and timelines.

Prioritized Objectives

  1. Establish institutional goals and policies around alternative and micro-credentials, including definitions of credentials; recommend focus for a pilot program

  2. Explore structures, funding models, and program types that would be most viable at UNI; consider administrative structures needed to support micro-credentialing in both pilot and full implementation phases

  3. Create recommendations for proposal processes for micro-credentials, implementation of credential options, and documentation options

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Objectives

  • Investigate options that open pathways for students with a diverse set of backgrounds, needs, and career goals

  • Recommend innovative strategies, through alternative credentials, to enhance access to education for a diverse student body

  • Ensure alternative credentials are meaningful and relevant to advance an individual's career path

Why this pathway

Micro-credentials have grown in popularity for the past decade (edX alone reports over 100M enrollments), especially in business and technology-based markets which make up about 75% of micro-credentials1. Globally, the online degree and micro-credential market is projected to reach $117B by 20252. A primary driver is a self-directed learner with specific advancement goals in mind3. Findings from the Strada Center for Education Consumer Insights found that growth is steady with over 51% of associate degree holders, and 47% of bachelor’s holders also having pursued non-degree credentials4. Recipients in both categories rated micro-credentials as valuable additives to just a standard degree, and Black Americans reported the highest value in micro-credentials. Opening flexible pathways for historically underrepresented and non-traditional students and students pursuing non-traditional progression will help UNI meet our access mission.

How this pathway will impact UNI

Departments will be encouraged to develop alternative credentials for non-degree seeking and embedded-degree opportunities. While data analysis and science, as a pathway from Phase 1, will be the pilot, some departments will be better positioned to develop programs. Funding and employment status will have to be explored for program development and teaching. This could be especially important for noncredit bearing classes, and shorter modular lengths. Expansion into alternative credentials will increase loads in Continuing Education and Special Programs. 

 

 

1https://www.classcentral.com/report/list-of-mooc-based-microcredentials/  (online aggregator of micro-credential programs/providers)

2 Brown et al., 2021. The Global Micro-credential Landscape: Charting a New Credential Ecology for Lifelong Learning. Journal of Learning for Development, 8(2): 228-254.  https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/525/617

3Gish-Lieverman et al., 2021. Micro-Credentials and Badges in Education: a Historical Overview. TechTrends (Association for Educational Communications & Technology) 65:5-7.

4Hanson, A., 2021. Examining the Value of Nondegree Credentials. Strada Center for Education Consumer Insights, https://cci.stradaeducation.org/pv-release-july-28-2021/

Alternative Credentials FWG Updates