Collaborating on Microcredentials
I’m proud to announce that HERA institutions have partnered to launch a microcredential portal, bringing together all our institutions’ short-term offerings in a one-stop shop to assist both students and working professionals as they search for programs that can increase their skills and make them even more essential employees. Additional details can be found in this newsletter.
This is the essence of what we had in mind when we launched HERA. While all 18 of our institutions are doing great work on their own, we can accomplish so much more when we all do it together. And by working together, we can be even more engaged with residents of our region during each step of their learning journey.
Another example of this increased engagement is still to come: This year, as HERA institutions are focused on proactive advising as a key student success strategy across the region, we learned in more detail where students encounter challenges. Proactive Advising is an overarching concept that uses data and takes a preemptive approach that anticipates and helps eliminate concerns, roadblocks and barriers affecting student success from recruitment through graduation. For example, when we see evidence of academic struggles in a particular course early in the semester, we will reach out to determine what added support is needed to ensure the student is successful. By keeping students on track toward timely graduation, the individual, the institution and the region benefit.
And finally, you may already have seen the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report “College Material,” which puts a renewed focus on our education pipeline. As higher education leaders, we see real value in increasing our engagement with our region’s college readiness programs both inside and outside schools. These include smoother transitions between high school graduation and postsecondary options, and providing students time to identify career interests.
Once again, I thank you all as members and partners of HERA for continuing this important work.
Dr. Swallow
HERA Chair and President, Carthage College
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