UPCEA Updates

By Amy Claire Heitzman, Ph.D., Deputy CEO and Chief Learning Officer, UPCEA

The running joke was that this fall’s Convergence, UPCEA’s second collaboration with thoughtful partner AACRAO, was referred to as Convergence Two: Electric Boogaloo, for the verve and excitement around bringing together another sold-out/SRO gathering of credential innovators–in the buzzy city of New Orleans, no less. And though I am fairly certain that pop-y, choreographed dancing didn’t break out across the conference (I would love to be proven wrong…), there was an undeniable sense of electricity–palpable excitement as what has often been grassroots campus movements to disaggregate the degree and offer milestone credentials versus all-or-nothing approaches is beginning to be embraced in a more holistic, strategic way. In thinking about the incredible humans making such inroads possible, two thematic reflections from our time together earlier this fall are coalescing, at least in my mind: ways in which we conceptualize “truth” with regard to alternative or non-degree credentials, and our often complicated relationships with employers. 

As noted by members of the UPCEA Council for Credential Innovation (CCI), micro-credentials are an excellent opportunity for program developers, faculty, or corporate outreach staff to collaborate with the office of the registrar to ensure accurate recording of learning and outcomes, i.e. “truth.” Noah Geisel, CU Boulder’s representative to the council, shared an example around badges, specifically advocating for their inclusion in an institution’s course catalog as a way to document a history of learning opportunities offered, what they are called, officially, and when they are offered, to provide for learners and employers transparency around non-degree skills development. Further, if credentials undergo name changes, Geisel noted, this historical record can help safeguard learners against conflicting signals which may surface.  

In a discussion facilitated by CCI co-chair Ryan Torma of the University of Minnesota, incoming co-chair Sheila LeBlanc of the University of Calgary, and representative to the council Saira Cooper, Rice University, attendees examined their institutional strategy around alternative credentialing programs. Using the Credential Purpose Profile template, created by the CCI, attendees uncovered the purpose behind existing projects, considered different approaches, and discussed the nuance of the language used in an alternative credentialing program, such as the distinction between program offering and the credential artifact.

In a workshop hosted by CCI leadership team member Allison Ruda of Northeastern University and incoming CCI co-chair, Michael Macklin of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), noted the need to be truthful in terms of the promises we make to learners, inviting more attention to the outcomes proffered by alternative credentials. One way to increase such validity is to create credentials that stack toward traditional degrees, noting CCCS’ micro-pathways that scaffold into an associate of applied science degree, the curriculum for which is verified by, and in some cases, co-designed with regional employers. Another way to build validity or truth in credential innovation, shared Ruda, is to help enable learners to articulate their experiences into skills, citing examples of course syllabi in which the skills and abilities inherent in each course is sussed out and used as touchstones for each course element. 

Similarly, Tonya Amankwatia of North Carolina A&T University and member of the UPCEA’s Credential Innovation Consortium encouraged leaders to develop an authentic story for stakeholders and commit to its validity–internally and externally, as a way to deepen trust with both learners and employers. 

On the main stage, a panel of [stellar] institutional leaders which I moderated, included superb voices such as Carissa Little’s of Stanford University, who challenged attendees to establish a unified alternative credentialing framework and governance process for micro-credentials. Such a framework, she argues, will balance interoperability and diverse campus needs, citing the Stanford Credential Framework, a continuum she authored that guides institutional credential elements, as an enduring touchpoint for trust. Further, a panel of stakeholders in the AACRAO LER Accelerator Initiative, which includes UPCEA, urged attendees to consider LERs (Learning and Employment Records) and skills-first credentials as potentially “truer” gauges of readiness and mobility than traditional transcripts or degrees based on seat-time over competencies. 

Keynote speaker Chelsea Miller of Aspen Institute (formerly of Walmart), UPCEA board member Cheryl Murphy of University of Arkansas, and Gautam Tambay of Springboard, one of UPCEA’s corporate partners, advocated for deeper, more authentic conversations with employers. One way, they suggested, to bring transparency to credential innovation is moving toward co-creation of curriculum with employers, not a build it and they will come approach. Another way to bring transparency to the ecosystem, they shared, is to lean into the promise of the IRS Section 127 Educational Assistance Program, and build credentials whose cost fits under the existing cap of tuition or fee coverage. 

Lastly (but not “leastly”), the event’s sixteen Promotional Partners continue to heighten the conversation, in particular, around transparency. Of special note, entities like Credential Engine, George Washington University’s Non-degree Credit Research Network and the Learn & Work Ecosystem Library strive for veracity in data, encouraging established descriptive language and an open data registry approach so that credentials can easily be ported to learner wallets, which permits the holder’s skills and competencies to be quickly and clearly presented to employers. 

Though the sun has set on Convergence Two (insert your own catchy rhyme here), the work toward truth continues, and to this end, a few resources of note. 

• First, Convergence Three will be hosted in Washington, DC, September 29-October 2. Registration is open now (spoiler: One and Two sold out…) and the Request for Proposals will launch in late February. 
• In this interim, consider using the Credential Purpose Profile template noted above, as well as the Credential Maturity Index, a tool I authored to help assess institutional strengths and gaps with regard to credential innovation; the results may help you speak “truth to power,” poignant in light of this reflection. 
• Next, catch up with co-chairs of UPCEA’s CCI in a podcast they recorded last month on “How our Micro-credential Moment will Impact the Future of Higher Education.”
• Relatedly, please be on the lookout for new work from UPCEA on employer engagement, specifically this summer, as we launch a prototype training module based on the Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation focused specifically around increasing institutional capacity for engaging authentically with employers. 
• Lastly, stay tuned for an upcoming blog by my excellent colleague, Julie Uranis, who will share more about our experiences with the LER Accelerator Initiative, as one more avenue toward building “truth” in credential innovation.