“All the Small Things” (Aren’t Really Small): Micro-Credential Models Offer Maximum Impact for Student Opportunity, Well-being, and Access
Presentation Type
45-Minute Panel Discussions
Presentation Abstract (250 word max.)
A great deal of attention has been paid to how the pandemic affected student mental health and well-being. Certainly, the health crisis intensified the call for higher education institutions to address and support students’ overall health, despite the shift from the old principle of “in loco parentis,” to an understanding of the university as “facilitator” (Lee 65-90).
Along with this shift in the role of the university toward the care of its students, so comes a shift in the perception of higher education in America. There has been a dramatic decline in the perception of higher education as an agent for positive change, as only 36% of Americans feel confident in the institution (Brenan). Student time-to-degree and staggering debt are increasing, while degree completion, happiness, and overall well-being are plummeting. One answer to these predicaments comes in the form of micro-credentials.
Rogers State University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville both offer micro-credentials, albeit in differing models. Both models possess opportunities for university expansion in a time of enrollment cliffs and societal disillusionment. Micro-credentials provide alternative pathways to success for students, and they are a potentially kinder, gentler, and perhaps more practical model for students than the traditional BA or BS pursuit. Furthermore, they support student growth and wellness. This presentation will examine the features and benefits of both schools’ micro-credential models, while also illustrating that micro-credentials provide new ways of experiencing higher education, ways that are eliminating barriers, expanding access, and contributing to increased student health and well-being.