One of the hot topics at this year’s annual meeting is experiential learning – specifically, how to convert traditional or non-traditional academic achievements into transitive competencies, and how to get it all into the Student Information System (SIS). On Monday morning, members packed into a panel session led by Rodney Parks (Elon University), Brad Barron (Furman University), Darin Hobbs (Western Governors University), and Joellen Shendy (University of Maryland University College). While each panelist emphasized the importance of taking the opportunity to tie grades to competencies (except in the case of WGU, which was established as a competency-based institution), they all agreed that it was more important to make the transcript usable for all constituents: registrars, faculty, students, and employers. The intent of the student record is to tell the story of the student, they said.
Each school has a unique approach to this issue. Examples include:
- Separate programs used to generate a co-curricular or extended transcript that was still based off of a traditional one.
- Implementing varying degrees of competency directly into SIS, so that the transcript could be produced and delivered in short order using student portals and secure digital delivery services.
One panelist mentioned that the data was nigh impossible to implement into their SIS, and so he uses a standardized CSV (comma separated values) file with the necessary information which then gets uploaded into an outside program and converted into a user-friendly transcript. These are just a few of the problems and work-arounds the panel described. By their own admission, this is somewhat uncharted territory and they are blazing trails.
Despite the challenges each panelist faced in implementing and delivering competency-based transcripts, they all mentioned that the rewards were well worth the effort. Once the experiential transcript began to get issued at Elon University, for example, transcript requests jumped from 97 over a three-year period to over 800 in within a one-year period. Additionally, it has served as a great way to put the registrar’s office in a more prominent position in the minds of students and faculty, according to each member of the panel.
For those interested in learning more about this topic, AACRAO plans on releasing a white paper on the expansion of the transcript within the year. Please look out on the website for more updates on this topic.