In collaboration with Complete College America, we’re excited to announce the selection of 11 distinguished higher education organizations for the Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort. This initiative aims to enhance credential completion rates by promoting flexible and equitable credit mobility pathways for postsecondary students across the country. The cohort members’ efforts will build upon the best practices of early leaders in the field, as outlined in Credit Mobility Strategies in Action, a case study research report we published today.

Both the acceleration cohort and the case study report advance the Holistic Credit Mobility Framework, developed by Ithaka S+R in 2022. This framework aims to advance student-centered learning through various sources and mechanisms, validating learning from non-traditional sources, such as military and work experience, and making the credit transfer process more manageable. The continuation of this initial work is possible through generous grant funding from Ascendium Education Group.

The new cohort members represent a wide range of higher education environments and regions, each committed to rethinking and improving their approach to learning validation and credit transfer and articulation. Through this community, cohort members will collaborate closely, share best practices, and implement innovative strategies to support student success and progress toward degree attainment. They include:

  • Eastern Washington University on behalf of a regional group of education and training organizations
  • EDWorks of Northeast Tennessee
  • Idaho State Board of Education
  • Louisiana Board of Regents
  • Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
  • Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
  • Nevada System of Higher Education
  • Ohio Department of Higher Education
  • Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
  • Shasta College/North State Together Partnership
  • South Carolina Commission on Higher Education

Credit Mobility Strategies in Action features both systems and institutions of higher education that have already been advancing their work to support mobile students. The case studies include the Idaho State Board of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, who are also participating in the cohort, as well as Illinois Community College Board, the University of North Carolina System, Charter Oak State College in Connecticut, and Florida International University. Key takeaways from the case studies follow below.

Transfer-Tech Optimism

States and systems use a wide array of tools and programs–developed both in-house and provided by educational technology firms or non-profit service providers–to support students, faculty, and administrators. Software tools address credit mobility knowledge gaps at scale, informing students, practitioners, and policymakers simultaneously. Credit mobility technologies offer promise for reaching underserved student populations, especially those with military service. Software tools increase transparency and access, but do not operate as standalone solutions and are intended to be used in conjunction with other student supports.

Coordination and Collaboration

Successful credit mobility initiatives, be they internal to an institution or applied at the state level, demand continued collaboration between key stakeholders in order to understand and address the barriers learners face. State boards and coordinating bodies play a key role in convening key stakeholders, forging connections across institutions, and supporting policy development and implementation that lifts all boats.

Economic and Workforce Alignment

Successful credit mobility strategies often account for shifting state and local economic needs. Holistic credit mobility within states and systems is driven in part by cross-institutional and economic and workforce alignment, bringing together individual and state needs to drive attainment and economic growth. Identifying and tapping demand for particular programs, certifications, or labor can garner buy-in from key stakeholders, recruit in-demand populations of learners, and yield beneficial outcomes that reverberate through a region or sector. Targeted programs also serve as proof of concepts that can be expanded upon or adapted to different program areas and credentials.

The Evolving Credit Mobility Landscape

Changes in system and state approaches to credit mobility do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, the efforts we uncovered in this report involve responsive and iterative approaches to improving student outcomes over time. As credit mobility options proliferate, so too does the work necessary to meet shifting conceptions of who constitutes a learner and in what capacity, forging new modalities of verified learning and assimilating them into existing structures. The leaders we spoke with appear poised and committed to this task.

Next Steps

Armed with practical knowledge from the case study of the wide array of policy structures, technological tools, and responsive student supports that states, systems, and institutions employ to ease student transitions and award credit where credit is due, Ithaka S+R aims to guide the cohort participants as they set goals and strategies that will support continued change. This engagement arc will culminate in a playbook that describes best practices and further encourages the development and adoption of holistic credit mobility initiatives.