ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

Existing certifications and credentials should be evaluated for applicability, potential omissions, gaps, and clear pathways. Strand discussions centered on the need to determine relevancy to employers of existing certifications offered by ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ and noted the importance of curriculum review with curriculum committees, employers, and advisory boards for this determination.

A subscription service model, with a phased implementation, should be created as the financial ALIGN model. The ALIGN model should offer courses that have a component of measure comparable to credit hours, to which a faculty member can receive an appropriate representation in consideration of their course load and salary implications, overloads, etc.

Integrated teams, called Career Clusters, should be formed that include General Education, Technical Education, and Workforce Solutions. Integrated Career Clusters will serve to breakdown silos, support a single point of entry with simple admissions process and a pathway for students regardless of starting point. 

Shared competency sets should be identified and defined for all credentials. The ALIGN model is grounded in the implementation of a competency-based education approach where students progress through demonstration of competencies.

A set of formative and summative assessment tools should be developed that can be utilized by faculty for inclusion in courses if desired. The development of formative and summative assessment tools should be a collaborative effort among faculty teaching a CBE designated course and include the Curriculum Committee as determined when the recommendation is adopted for implementation.  

A Resource Center, with both physical and virtual locations, should be enhanced or created and implemented consistently across all ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ institutions. The majority of the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ colleges have some sort of location where students begin their college venture. This recommendation enhances these locations to a full-fledged resource center for new students and current students.

Wraparound student support and services should be provided to all students to assist in the development of career pathways and appropriate learning journeys. Services include utilization of a case manager approach with a pre-assessment to assist in the development of a career pathway with a case manager serving as a resource to address obstacles interfering with student success while maintaining interaction with the student to encourage progression through the curriculum.

A case management model should also be implemented for student support from application to graduation. This approach will not only improve the student's onboarding experience, but it will help retention efforts. 

Communication between General Education, Technical Education, and Workforce Solutions faculty should be fostered to determine the most appropriate general education courses and assist in mapping broad general education competencies to learning outcomes, creating contextualized learning experiences and the development of authentic assessments in programs adopting the ALIGN model. The proposed model suggests creating a single path for all students to enrollment – regardless of if the student is entering for an AA/AS transfer degree, AAS degree, or workforce/industry.

External engagement should be enhanced to determine business and industry needs, evaluate relevancy of curriculum and competencies, and incorporate work-based learning opportunities across programs.

The Workforce Solutions leader should report directly to the college President. The organizational reporting structure should be designed so the Workforce Solutions Leader has a clear and consistent open path of communication to the President of the College. 

A phased approach should be used to implement the ALIGN model across the System. Colleges should have the ability to choose which phase they want to participate in and what credential/s they want to implement via CBE. It will be up to each college to determine if the CBE modality will be the only delivery of the credential/s or if it is in addition to the traditional delivery. It is further recommended that Certificates be rolled-out first, then potentially full Diplomas followed by the Associate of Applied Science degree programs. In this way, certificates can serve as a building block or micro-credential that serves as a catalyst into a degree program or pathway.

Extensive professional development opportunities should be provided for faculty to lead the development of CBE competency creation, prior learning assessment, robust assessments, and course design. More specifically, the ALIGN model will require extensive professional development for faculty in backward design, flipped-classroom pedagogy, contextualized/integrated course pedagogy, authentic assessment of learning outcomes, rubric development, and managing CBE courses.

Access to instructional design experts should be available to assist in CBE course development. The shift to a new model requires radical changes in course structure and course delivery, including review and revision of competencies and learning outcomes in courses and programs. 

Cultural diversity and inclusion should be promoted in the classroom and through external advisory boards. The strands focused on the need to promote diversity and inclusion at all levels utilizing Council on Postsecondary Education and demographic data at each institution, and including the Director of Diversity at each college as a key stakeholder.

Faculty time should be reassigned, overload compensation should be provided and an adjustment in percentages on the Professional Performance Evaluation (PPE) for internal service and professional development for development of courses/course materials for the ALIGN model should be calculated. The new model will require significant faculty time for professional development, curriculum design, course restructuring, and development of learning assessment.  Faculty time and expertize should be recognized through the use of release time and overload compensation during the development process. 

Faculty load and/or pay incentive must be guaranteed during the first year of implementation regardless of enrollment in courses. During the first year of implementation of the ALIGN model at each college, courses and assessment development associated with credentials adopting the new model, including technical education and applicable general education courses, should be guaranteed to be retained on the schedule, regardless of enrollment and count toward faculty load if taught and/or assessments are developed by by full-time faculty.

Adopt a comprehensive technology solution for supporting students throughout their time with ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ. The solution should be one that allows the student to have a single point of contact for all aspects of their interactions with ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ, including all aspects of student services, advising, communications, credentialing, and support services. The solution should be seamless to the student and be able to support CBE delivery and payment through a subscription model.