Concurrent Sessions | 2026 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education

Aligning Microcredential Strategy with Federal and State Policy Updates
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Policy
Federal policy changes such as Workforce Pell, student loan limits, and the new Title IV earnings-based program accountability framework are reshaping the landscape for microcredentials. This session explores how institutions can adapt strategy and governance in response to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as well as improve risk mitigation efforts by addressing a variety of pre-existing compliance challenges through more streamlined review processes. Attendees will leave with resources and practical insights for aligning microcredential offerings with evolving policy and compliance expectations.

• Ricky LaFosse, University of Michigan
• Ryan Torma, University of Minnesota
• Abram Hedtke

From Concept to Coalition: Building Scalable Credential Systems Through Statewide Collaboration
Credential Innovation Foundations | Scaling | Tag: Employer Engagement
As micro‑credentials continue to gain momentum, institutions still face shared challenges around strategy, systems, and scale. Across the state of Georgia, the absence of a shared forum for credential dialogue limited the ability to innovate, ensure credibility, and communicate value to employers and learners. Framed around the inaugural Credentialing Georgia 2026 Conference, this session explores how a summit‑style gathering and ongoing virtual collaboration can move institutions from isolated pilots toward a coordinated credential ecosystem. Participants will learn how early convening efforts laid the foundation for a shared vision and actionable strategies that support collaboration, development, and long‑term alignment.

• Ashley Doehling, Kennesaw State University
• Jake Kile, Kennesaw State University

Bridging the Divide: Closing the Credit/Noncredit Gap in Student Information and Credentialing Systems
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Technology
Most student information systems were built for credit-bearing programs—leaving noncredit and continuing education units managing credentials on disconnected platforms. The result is broken learner pathways, manual workarounds, and incomplete records for employers and transfer institutions. This panel brings together registrars, continuing education leaders, and SIS vendor partners for an honest conversation about where the gaps hurt most, what institutions have tried, and what vendors can—and cannot—yet deliver. Attendees leave with practical questions for their vendor partners and a framework for making the case for unified credit/noncredit data infrastructure.

• Mike Simmons, AACRAO

Moderator: Julie Uranis, UPCEA

Building a Stackable Credential Framework That Scales
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Scaling | Tag: Policy
Many institutions launch microcredentials as pilots but struggle to scale them into coherent pathways. This session explores how the ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering implemented a four-level, stackable credential framework to create consistency, progression, and workforce alignment across a growing portfolio. Attendees will gain insight into the institutional context, structural design decisions, governance considerations, and lessons learned from moving beyond isolated offerings toward a coordinated credential strategy that supports learner progression across domains.

• Brittany Holmes, Arizona State University
• Nicholas Maddox, Arizona State University

Connecting Value Chains for Mobility: CPL to Skills to Microcredentials
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | Building | Tag: Policy
To support learner mobility institutions must embrace the student using a whole person paradigm and recognize everything learners bring to the table. Using this philosophy additional value streams can be created to connect life to education to careers by building CPL to Skills to Microcredential workflows. This session will detail one university's process to bring these different value streams together and share its findings on how CPL to Skills to Microcredential options have enhanced the learner experience and increased the value proposition for attending a higher education institution.

• Marc Booker, University of Phoenix
• Cate Tolnai, University of Phoenix

Moderator: Marc Booker, University of Phoenix

Durable Citizenship Skills: A Framework for Mapping Civic Learning to Microcredentials
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Faculty
How can institutions make civic learning visible, credible, and assessable in a skills-based credential ecosystem? This session shares a practical campus framework aligned with NACE and other public competency frameworks, and how that model supports to durable citizenship skills. Presenters will highlight a live consensus-building microcredential and a developing First Amendment toolkit focused on written advocacy, public speaking for advocacy, and community organizing. Attendees will explore how cross-functional collaboration between credential leaders and assessment partners can validate civic learning, align it to employer-valued skills, and build scalable microcredentials that connect public purpose with career readiness.

• Joshua Blakely, Longwood University
• Anna Kuthy, Longwood University

Past the Pilot: What Michigan, Iowa State, and Johns Hopkins Are Rethinking
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Scaling | Tag: Technology
Most institutions have launched a credential program. Far fewer have built one that holds up over time. Leaders from Iowa State University, the University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins University share how they navigated the transition — from governance and framework design to technology decisions and cross-functional alignment — at three different institutional starting points. This isn't a highlight reel. It's an honest conversation about what worked, what they'd reconsider, and what they're still figuring out. Whether you're building your first framework or scaling an existing program, you'll leave with perspective you can actually use.

• Janet Schreck, Johns Hopkins University
• Tanya Austin, Iowa State University
• Nola Czarnik, University of Michigan
• Dan Theckston, Accredible

Moderator: Dan Theckston, Accredible

Reimagining Degree Completion Through AI-Enabled Prior Learning Assessment: A Case Study from Manhattan School of Music
Credential Innovation Foundations | New | Tag: Technology
This session presents an innovative Bachelor’s degree completion model developed by the Manhattan School of Music, enabling students to earn up to 90 credits through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and finish their degree in one year. Central to the design is an AI-enabled application and review tool that streamlines portfolio creation, enhances reviewer consistency, and reduces administrative workload. Presenters will share insights on program development, demonstrate how AI improved the student and evaluator experience, and discuss early impacts on access, equity, and scalability. The model offers a replicable framework for institutions seeking flexible, workforce-aligned pathways that formally recognize professional experience.

• Lisa Springer, EIE Partners
• Fiona Jaramillo, EIE Partners
• Joyce Griggs, Manhattan School of Music

The Best Marketing You Don’t Pay For: When Students Sell the Program for You
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement
This panel explores how credential-aligned programs drive organic growth through student outcomes, peer influence, and word-of-mouth. Panelists will share what made this possible operationally and how strong outcomes translated into increased program visibility and enrollment.

• Warren Ward, Louisiana Tech University
• Lindsey Vincent, Louisiana Tech University
• Joseph Mauriello, The University of Texas at Dallas
• Matthew Paske, The University of Texas at Dallas

No One Innovates Alone: Creating the Networks that Advance Credential Innovation
New
Credential innovation is no longer the work of a single office or champion. As institutions expand their credential portfolios and create new pathways for learners, success increasingly depends on building organizational capacity, fostering collaboration across institutional and industry boundaries and building your own network/community of peers. Hosted by leaders of UPCEA's Credential Innovation Network, this interactive session will explore how institutions are cultivating the people, partnerships, and professional communities needed to advance credential innovation efforts. Panelists will share strategies for building internal support, onboarding new professionals into the field, creating cross-functional teams, and leveraging peer networks to accelerate learning and innovation.

• John McKenzie, UNT Health Fort Worth
• Alex Lowrie, University of California, Davis
• Amy Mackenroth, Dallas College
• Erin Riesgo, University of Arizona
• Saira Cooper, Rice University
• Elizabeth Kerr, University of Cincinnati

Moderator: Melissa Peraino, UPCEA

All Privacy Counts: Expanding the Scope of FERPA to a Broader Base of Learners
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Policy
With more IHEs offering non-traditional learning opportunities and innovative credentials, the definitions and protections of students and records must be reexamined. AACRAO and UPCEA joined forces this past year and launched a work group to explore and potentially advocate for the expansion of how ‘student’ and ‘education record’ are defined when it comes to data privacy rights. Implications for learning mobility, non-credit to credit pathways and systems used for non-credit learning are being considered. The voice of AACRAO and UPCEA professionals is critical to the success of this project. In this session, work group leads will provide an overview of the project, share updates, and solicit feedback from participants.

• Kristi Wold-McCormick, University of Colorado Boulder
• Julie Uranis, UPCEA

Better Data, Better Outcomes: How Data Can Transform Non-Degree Programs
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling
As non-degree credentials grow, institutions must move beyond reporting requirements to understand real learner and workforce outcomes. This session explores how high-quality outcomes data can power continuous improvement rather than compliance. Panelists will examine common challenges in data collection and infrastructure, share strategies for strengthening data systems, and highlight how resources like CredLens and system-level efforts such as SUNY’s are enabling more meaningful analysis of learner impact. Attendees will gain practical approaches to using outcomes data as a strategic asset to refine programs and drive measurable, scalable improvement.

• Adrienne Kupper, CredLens
• Chris White, SUNY System Administration

Moderator: Adrienne Kupper, CredLens

Building Career Readiness Capacities at HBCUs
Credential Innovation Foundations | Scaling | Tag: Faculty
See how through a strategic Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Career Readiness Program, campuses find value in connecting work-aligned micro-credentials to coursework. Two HBCUs, Virginia State University and Jackson State University, are taking different approaches to faculty involvement, resulting in varying outcomes for students, workloads, and sustainability. This session showcases diverse applications in Computer Science, Business, and seminars. We explore VSU’s multi-course integration alongside JSU’s five-level governance framework and Faculty Role Intensity Continuum. Participants will gain scalable strategies to enrich programs and be invited to map these research-backed models onto their own institution’s needs.

• Elizabeth Robertson Hornsby, Coursera for Campus
• Forrest Black, Virginia State University
• Kristy Williams, Jackson State University

Building Microcredentials Employers Hire From: Lessons from Texas State University & WGU
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Building | Tag: Technology
Texas State University and Western Governors University have each partnered with CodeSignal to build credentials grounded in simulation-based content and industry assessments. Texas State launched a microcredential in AI literacy serving high school and professional learners across two delivery modes. WGU embedded CodeSignal into its front-end and back-end development certificates, with each one culminating in an assessment that qualifies learners for roles employers are hiring for. This panel features both institutional teams alongside CodeSignal discussing how they designed their programs, what tradeoffs they navigated, and what it actually takes to build credentials employers recognize and hire from.

• Eryn Berger, Texas State University
• Bonnie Budd, Western Governors University

Moderator: Amy Shackelford, CodeSignal

Building New Pathways-How Alternative Credentials Are Reshaping Higher Education
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Scaling | Tag: Faculty
Our session will provide an understanding of how traditional education structures are changing through the emergence of credentialing programs, based upon evolving expectations of a global career-ready workforce. The session will explore practical models through which institutions are embedding credentials into formal academic structures, including credit articulation, stackable pathways, and industry-integrated curricula. It will also examine the role of external quality assurance bodies in establishing trust, transparency, and consistency in a rapidly evolving credential landscape. Lastly, participants will be provided with hands-on exercises for developing credential programs in the higher education ecosystem.

• Melanie Diaz, ABET, Inc.
• Thomas Singer, Sinclair College

From Learning to Labor Market: Building Infrastructure for Workforce Pell
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Scaling
As Workforce Pell and other federal priorities push institutions to better connect learning to labor market outcomes, credential infrastructure is becoming more important than ever. This session explores how colleges are using Learning and Employment Records (LERs), digital badging, and interoperable credential systems to make skills, achievements, and workforce readiness more visible and portable. Attendees will learn how institutions can move from disconnected credentials toward a more career-connected ecosystem that supports learner mobility, employer alignment, and measurable outcomes.

• Keith Look, Territorium
• Kimberly Lea, Palm Beach State College

From Planning to Pathways: Implementing Learning and Employment Records at Scale
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL |  | Tag: Policy

• Julie Johnson, StrategyForward Advisors
• Kylah Torre, StrategyForward Advisors
• Mike Simmons, AACRAO
• Trevor Cox, University of Central Oklahoma

Moderator: Michelle Mott, AACRAO

Nondegree Paths: Hype or Hope?
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | New | Tag: Employer Engagement
This panel highlights real-world proof points that short-term credentials (STCs) and nondegree pathways (NDPs) lead to meaningful, well-paying careers.

• Julie Kreiss, Britebound
• Ebony Thomas, Grads of Life
• Aisha Francis, Franklin Cummings Tech

Moderator: Ebony Thomas, Grads of Life

Using AI to Support Credit for Prior Learning: What We Built, What We Learned, and What Comes Next
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | Building | Tag: Technology
This session shares lessons from a statewide initiative using artificial intelligence to support Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) by identifying potential alignment between industry certifications and community college course outcomes. The project explores how AI-generated recommendations, paired with structured evidence and faculty review, can support transparent and consistent evaluation of prior learning. Attendees will learn how the initiative approaches alignment confidence, discipline-based validation, and governance considerations, and will see examples of evidence packets and review workflows. The session offers practical insights for institutions exploring AI-assisted CPL to support learner mobility while maintaining faculty leadership and academic integrity.

• Cassie Donnelly, Foundation for California Community Colleges
• Carrie Roberson, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges

Moderator: Cassie Donnelly, Foundation for California Community Colleges

Roundtable Presentations

Building a Dual Enrollment Lab School from Scratch Across Modalities
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building | Tag: Policy
Roanoke College launched Explore@RC, a startup dual enrollment lab school built to expand college access for high school students through face-to-face, hybrid, online, experiential, and community-engaged learning. This session will share what we built, how we built it, and what we learned while standing up a new cross-sector model inside a small liberal arts college.
Presenters will walk through the implementation of decisions required to align college coursework with high school graduation requirements, student support needs, faculty readiness, scheduling realities, and state compliance expectations. We will be transparent about the challenges, trade-offs, and difficult decisions involved in building a program across multiple learning modalities while working between K-12 and higher education systems. This session is designed for institutions in the early stages of launching dual enrollment, lab school, or other credential innovation efforts and will offer practical lessons for those building systems while also serving students.

• Lisa Stoneman, Roanoke College
• Natasha Watts, Roanoke College
• Rebecca Goldstein, Roanoke College

 
Building Stackable Micro-Credential Pathways Through Systems Design
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building
Designed for continuing education leaders, program designers, systems teams, and registrars, this session explores a framework for building stackable micro-credential pathways that support learner mobility and workforce alignment. Learn how to leverage integrated systems environments to support pathway discovery, bundled enrollment, credential sequencing, and skills signaling. The session highlights how modular, cross-disciplinary micro-credentials can strengthen enrollment strategy, clarify learner progression, and create scalable pathways that connect workforce demand with broader institutional priorities and future academic recognition.

• Stephanie Molina, Nevada State University

 
Cyber Security, Teaching Modalities and Fulbright Specialist Support
Workforce & Community Partnerships | New | Tag: Policy
Cybersecurity requires democratization. We'll discuss options for teaching and training to accomplish this domestically and elsewhere in the world. Such options include US DoD, NSA, and DHS-funded training programs in multiple disciplines. It also includes international support for such training programs, particularly those funded through the Fulbright Specialist Program.

• Michael Losavio, University of Louisville
• Jeffrey Sun, University of Louisville
• Andrew Wright, University of Louisville

 
Everyone Supports It—But Who Owns It? Credential Innovation from Pilot to Institutionalization
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building | Tag: Policy
A continuing education unit embedded three industry credentials into existing academic courses without curriculum modification or external funding, producing strong certification outcomes for more than 250 students in the first semester. This roundtable examines what happens after early success — when institutional support is broad but ownership, governance, and systems integration remain undefined. Through case-grounded discussion and peer exchange, participants will assess structural barriers common across higher education and identify practical steps toward moving credential initiatives from pilot to sustainable institutional model. Attendees will leave with a framework for diagnosing where their own efforts sit between innovation and institutionalization.

• Samantha Gurski, Columbus State University

 
From Campus to Career: Aligning Credentials with Workforce Needs
Workforce & Community Partnerships | New | Tag: Employer Engagement
In today's job market, institutions must move from requesting employer input to presenting high-value talent solutions. This session explores a successful pivot from transactional outreach to a consultative "Shark Tank" approach. Participants will learn how to bypass HR gatekeepers by speaking framework to professionally display experiences, skills, goals and interests by connecting it to their investment. Together it will demonstrate how to map academic competencies directly to industry pain points and share the specific "term sheets" used to secure employer buy-in. Attendees will leave with a practical playbook and the pitch tools necessary to turn local industry partners into active talent investors.

• Daniel Waffenfeld, Ramapo College of New Jersey

 
From Survival to Success: Rethinking Career Training for Single Mothers
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Scaling | Tag: Employer Engagement
This session explores a trauma-informed approach to career training for single mothers. It introduces a high-support, high-accountability model that blends structure with flexibility while maintaining clear expectations. Attendees will learn practical strategies to build learner confidence, increase engagement, and design more responsive learning environments. The session challenges common assumptions about adult learners and offers a replicable framework that can be applied across workforce training and continuing education contexts.

• Chaley Dimoff, University of Wyoming

 
Full Circle Microcredentialing: How to Design a Microcredential That Stands up to the CPL Challenge
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement
This session explores the intersection of two high-impact practices: AI-powered microcredential design and credit for prior learning. Discover how to utilize workforce intelligence tools powered by Lightcast data to identify essential skills for competency-based microcredentials. We then examine a review process informed by American Council on Education (ACE) criteria to determine academic credit eligibility. This methodology applies to both employer-led training and faculty-developed programs, ensuring offerings are rigorously validated and transcriptable. Join this roundtable to learn a repeatable framework for building data-driven, credit-bearing pathways that bridge the gap between professional development and academic achievement.

• Shanna Coles, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

 
Lost in Translation: How to Talk About LERs and Edtech Innovation Without Losing Your Audience
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Technology
This roundtable will serve as a dynamic focus group to explore how we can "rebrand" and translate this critical work into accessible, everyday language. Participants will engage in a peer exchange to share challenges they’ve faced when communicating credential innovation initiatives in their organizations/networks and brainstorm practical communication strategies.

• Amanda Winters, United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation
• Abigail Rhim, United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation

 
Scaling Credit Mobility Statewide: Lessons Learned when Implementing a Credit for Prior Learning Platform
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | Scaling | Tag: Technology
Beginning in spring 2026, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) identified three colleges to participate in an 18-month pilot of Education Assessment System (EAS). The purpose of the pilot is threefold: 1.) to open learner mobility along non-credit to credit pathways; 2.) to enable colleges to digest and process relevant "informal" learning; 3.) to encourage the scaling and broad adoption of course equivalencies and articulation agreements across Georgia. Particularly as institutions redesign pathways according to Workforce Pell requirements, this session provides an overview of the key points learned during platform implementation while offering a glimpse at preliminary pilot data.

• Jaime Wadowiec, Technical College System of Georgia
• Jessica Turner, Technical College System of Georgia

 
Two Paths to Digital Credentials: What 43 Canadian Registrars and IT Directors Reveal About Acceptance, Implementation, and the Trust Gap
Credential Innovation Foundations | Scaling | Tag: Employer Engagement
What determines whether digital credential implementation succeeds? This session draws on 43 interviews with Canadian university registrars and IT directors to reveal two distinct adoption pathways (innovation-driven and problem-driven) each with different technology strategies, risks, and outcomes. The research identifies an ecosystem trust gap: institutional implementation alone cannot guarantee credential value when employers, international bodies, and credential evaluators have not yet engaged. Attendees will gain a practical framework for assessing institutional readiness and learn from the first comprehensive empirical study of digital credentialing in Canadian higher education.

• T Nevine Chawra, University of Toronto

 
Using the Equity Leadership Innovation Cycle to Build Institutional Readiness for Credential Innovation
Workforce & Community Partnerships | New | Tag: Employer Engagement
Credential innovation requires more than a good framework — it requires leaders who are equity-ready, change-capable, and equipped to build governance structures that outlast any single initiative. This session introduces the Equity Leadership Innovation Cycle (ELIC), a practitioner-developed model that operationalizes leadership readiness as the foundational precondition for successful credential innovation. Through four interdependent phases — Examine, Learn, Implement, and Cycle — ELIC guides institutional leaders from isolated credential launches to systemic, equity-centered change infrastructure. Presenters share their direct experience applying ELIC in institutional contexts, including honest reflection on where implementation succeeded, where it struggled, and what they would do differently. Attendees will use a guided self-assessment to locate their institution within the cycle and leave with two immediately applicable tools: the ELIC Institutional Readiness Profile and the Equity-Centered Credential Launch Checklist. Content is scaffolded for early-stage, mid-maturity, and advanced practitioners.

• Quentin Mason, Purdue Global

 
What Could Go Wrong? Surfacing and Mitigating the Risks of Digital Verifiable Learning and Work Records and Credentials
Credential Innovation Foundations | New | Tag: Technology
Digital verifiable credentials arrive with compelling promises, portability, transparency, learner empowerment, but optimism is not a design strategy. In this roundtable, the author of When Credentials Cause Harm joins the leader of one of the country's most ambitious verifiable credential projects at Western Governors University to ask the questions the field too often defers: What could go wrong? For whom? And what are we obligated to do? We'll examine how well-intentioned systems fail differently-abled learners, military-connected students, immigrants, Black communities, and people experiencing adversity and make the case that if we don't make risks visible, we cannot mitigate them.

• Kelly Page, LWYL Studio
• Darin Hobbs, Western Governors University

 
What Do Credentials Actually Reward? How Badge Design Shapes Participation
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Faculty
What do your credentials actually reward? This roundtable invites participants to examine how design choices within digital badge and microcredential systems shape learner behavior. Drawing on emerging research and participant experience, the session introduces a set of design lenses and facilitates a structured peer discussion. Attendees will reflect on misalignments between intended outcomes and actual participation, and explore practical adjustments to better support meaningful engagement.

• Abby Harris, Nightingale College
• Richard West, Brigham Young University

Designing Employer-Aligned Pathways: Advancing Workforce Alignment, Credential Innovation, and Market Relevance
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement
Strong employer collaboration is foundational to labor market alignment and sustainable credential innovation. This session shares research insights and a proprietary Workforce Partnership Maturity Model to help institutions assess and strengthen employer engagement structures that support financial resilience and workforce alignment. Featuring perspectives from academic leadership and enrollment strategy, participants will explore governance models and practical tools to advance employer-informed pathway design, while leveraging employer collaboration to strengthen institutional visibility and regional market relevance.

• Christopher D'Imperio, Elizabethtown College
• Keri Straub, Elizabethtown College
• Marcy McCarty, Elizabethtown College

Building Workforce Partnerships Through the Workforce Futures Accelerator
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement
Learn how institutions are using the Workforce Futures Accelerator to build employer partnerships, design workforce-aligned programs, and implement work-based learning at scale. This panel shares real examples, tools, and lessons from ACCT, Riipen, and institutional partners.

• Steve Jurch, Association of Community College Trustees
• Mara Woody, Riipen

Moderator: Steve Jurch, Association of Community College Trustees

Counting All Credentials: Program Discoverability in an AI-Driven Marketplace
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Technology
The U.S. credential marketplace includes over 1.85 million credentials, including degrees, certifications, certificates, apprenticeships, licenses, and badges, making it challenging to navigate. Even as AI-powered career tools help students find pathways and help employers evaluate talent, the majority of credentials remain opaque because data about them is not machine-readable. This session unpacks findings from the 2025 Counting Credentials report, demonstrates how to make information about your credentials available as linked, open data, and provides clear implementation steps for credentials transparency. Learn how to make your credentials AI-discoverable and competitive in the future of work.

• Deb Everhart, Credential Engine
• Andrew Fisher, Bristol Community College
• Sasha Goldman, Northeastern University
• Jenny Harms, Accelerate Montana

Extension as the Engine: A Scalable Model for Co-Developing Workforce-Aligned Microcredentials
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Scaling | Tag: Faculty
This panel showcases how the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in partnership with UMaine and the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR), developed a scalable model for workforce-aligned microcredentials. Using the Recirculating Aquaculture Systems microcredential as a case study, panelists from UMaine Extension and CCAR highlight the integration of subject matter expertise, instructional design, and the UMaine System microcredential framework to create high-quality, assessable credentials. Attendees will gain actionable strategies for competency-based learning, multimodal course design, and navigating institutional approvals. Challenges, trade-offs, and lessons learned are shared, offering a replicable approach for institutions launching or scaling credential programs with measurable learner outcomes and workforce relevance.

• Laura Wilson, University of Maine
• M. Scarlett Tudor, University of Maine
• Melissa Malmstedt, University of Maine
• Mari Glatter, University of Maine

Moderator: Laura Wilson, University of Maine

From Content-First to Learner-First: An Agile Approach to Microcredentials
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building
How do you design microcredentials that fit the learner and the institution? JHU Engineering and Scrum Alliance share a practical case on building healthcare-focused agile microcredential products using role-based audience profiles and a maturity-matched credential launch rubric. We’ll show the artifacts used to translate audience needs into decisions about level, prerequisites, assessment, modality, and messaging—plus how we right-sized governance and learner record workflows based on institutional readiness. Attendees leave with templates and a repeatable approach to support early-stage credential teams and improve learner fit.

• Paul Huckett, Johns Hopkins University
• Rebecca Federspiel, Scrum Alliance

Institutional Perspectives on Implementing STEM Microcredentials
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building
This session examines how STEM microcredentials are being designed and implemented to connect higher education with evolving workforce demands. Drawing on chapters from the two-volume series Mapping the STEM Microcredential Landscape, presenters highlight institutional and system-level approaches to developing microcredential ecosystems. Ashley Archer Doehling and Anissa Lokey-Vega (Kennesaw State University) discuss the development of a microcredential taxonomy and explore future collaboration models between higher education and external partners. Beth Brunk (University of Texas at El Paso) presents insights from the Texas Credentials for the Future initiative, a statewide effort to align credentials with employer needs. Moderated by co-editor Rob Moore (University of Florida), the session synthesizes emerging strategies and challenges shaping STEM microcredential implementation.

• Rob Moore, University of Florida
• Beth Brunk, University of Texas at El Paso
• Ashley Doehling, Kennesaw State University
• Anissa Lokey-Vega, Kennesaw State University

Moderator: Rob Moore, University of Utah

Learn and Work Ecosystem Library 2.0: A Federated Model of Support
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | New | Tag: Technology
The Learn & Work Ecosystem Library is evolving into a federated model of support for the credential and workforce ecosystem. This session explores how the Library functions as shared infrastructure—providing a common definition layer, connecting initiatives, and supporting national and regional collaboratives. Panelists will discuss how a federated approach enables coordination and information-sharing in an AI world, where Chatbots pull on curated resources like the Library’s. Attendees will learn how this model supports clearer pathways between education and employment, reduces fragmentation, and improves decision-making by institutional and system leaders, employers, and policymakers in a complex, rapidly changing ecosystem.

• Holly Zanville, Learn & Work Ecosystem Library
• Julie Uranis, UPCEA
• Curtiss Barnes, 1EdTech Consortium
• Melanie Gottlieb, AACRAO

Map It, Search It, Act on It: Triangulating Student Interest, Job Mapping and Provider Almanacs to Drive Your Institution's Credential Strategy
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Technology
The labor market operates as an ecosystem—workers seeking opportunity, training providers building skills, and employers defining demand. When these three forces misalign, communities struggle. When they connect, pathways to good jobs emerge. This session brings together researchers from three universities who've built practical datasets and tools you can use to help you see this ecosystem clearly and act strategically in your region.

• Amanda Welsh, Northeastern University
• Kerry McKittrick, Harvard University
• Richard DeMartino, Rochester Institute of Technology

Moderator: Amanda Welsh, Northeastern University

Operationalizing Professional Education: Templates, Workflows, and Decision Frameworks for Small Teams
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building | Tag: Technology
Professional education programs are often built quickly without established processes, clear ownership, or scalable infrastructure. This session shares how one institution developed practical workflows, templates, and decision frameworks while launching new offerings and navigating a departmental merger. Attendees will gain a transparent look at real implementation, including challenges, trade-offs, and course corrections. Participants will be introduced to ready-to-adapt tools and strategies that support sustainable, accessible, and efficient program development, especially for small or emerging teams.

• Addrienne VanOver, Miami University
• Erica Crawford-Noll, Miami University

AI Driven Learning and Global Collaboration in Sustainability Microcredentialing
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Technology
This session explores how AI-driven tools and a global learning forum can be integrated into an online credentialing course to advance sustainability competencies across STEM learners—from high school to industry professionals. Developed with OES Education and SDG experts, the ABET Sustainability Microcredential is a 25-hour, self-paced course featuring Amara, an AI learning assistant acting as a virtual sustainability consultant. Participants will examine how competencies align with workforce needs, review learner feedback, and engage in an interactive walkthrough of Amara. The session highlights how AI-supported learning and global collaboration can foster critical thinking, real-world problem solving, and learner autonomy.

• Robyn Hall, ABET, Inc.
• Jodie Klein, OES (Online Education Services)
• Richard Olawoyin, Oakland University

Badgelicious Futurism: Predicting What’s Next in #Credovation
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Policy
Join a lively, future-focused exploration of credential innovation that blends bold predictions with practical strategy. After surfacing key signals shaping the field, from skills-based hiring to AI-enabled assessment, participants will use a simple Futurecasting Framework to generate their own predictions, explore implications, and stress-test current initiatives. Leave with fresh perspective, practical tools, and discussion prompts to spark strategic conversations back on campus.

• Cate Tolnai, University of Phoenix
• Noah Geisel, University of Colorado Boulder
• Meena Naik, Jobs for the Future (JFF)

Building Trust in Microcredentials through Governance and Quality Assurance
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Policy
Many institutions can generate badge ideas, but fewer have a clear process for deciding which credentials are credible, reviewable, and ready to launch. Drawing on a two-year pilot at a public four-year institution, this session shares practical tools for badge governance and quality assurance, including review criteria, evidence standards, and approval workflows. Attendees will work with adaptable templates and leave with draft components they can use to strengthen trust, consistency, and academic integrity in their own digital badge initiatives.

• Anna Kuthy, Longwood University
• Jeannine Perry, Longwood University
• Samantha Ellington, Longwood University
• Sarah Tanner-Anderson, Longwood University

Building Institution-Wide Skills Infrastructure: A Framework for Curricular Coherence
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Technology
Institutions recognize the need for durable skills-based curricular scaffolding, but often struggle with tracking and implementation. This session presents a practical framework for building an institution-wide skills tracking infrastructure that supports long-term learner growth and retention. Learn how to define transferable, durable skills, create coherent scaffolded curricula, implement teaching structures that support rather than constrain faculty, and integrate AI-enabled tracking systems that provide actionable, visible data.

• Art Markman, Minerva Project
• Christine Looser, Minerva Project
• Dollie Davis, Minerva University

Moderator: Art Markman, Minerva Project

From Stackable to Structured: Building a ‘Bricked’ Certificate Model for a 90-Credit Degree
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | Building | Tag: Policy
This session explores a “bricked” stacked certificate model designed to balance flexibility with academic coherence in a 90-credit bachelor’s degree. Rather than loosely connected credentials, the model uses structured, five-course certificates that function as both standalone credentials and integrated components of a degree pathway. Attendees will learn how the model was implemented, including curriculum design, registrar alignment, and policy considerations, as well as key challenges and trade-offs. The session offers a practical, scalable approach for institutions seeking to advance learner mobility while maintaining clarity, quality, and operational feasibility.

• Jennifer Teague, UMass Global
• Kristin Regis, UMass Global

Moderator: Amy Heitzman, UPCEA

Responding to Critical Workforce Needs and Funding Opportunities Through Partnerships
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Advanced | Tag: Employer Engagement
Presenters from each organization will provide insights and showcase use cases, data and outcome measures identified, and demonstrate the expanded capacity of individual organizational response as well as the shared capacity to meet the regions' critical healthcare and workforce needs. Presenters will showcase tailored assessment strategies for different stakeholder requirements, and aligned outcomes. These efforts are inaugural and provide attendees with practical examples of how universities, post-secondary institutions and government or workforce agencies can work collaboratively to create workforce and education ecosystems for all learners.

• Tifarah Pardue, Florida Gulf Coast University
• Kelly Thawley, Florida Gulf Coast University

Scaling Workforce Learning with a Two-Person Team: Lessons From Awarding 174,000 Credentials Over 5 Years
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Scaling | Tag: Technology
What does it take to scale workforce learning with just two staff? Jones College’s Online Workforce College (OWC) has supported over 12,000 learners and awarded more than 174,000 credentials in five years, unlocking new career pathways for learners across underserved and rural communities. Built on 1EdTech standards, this session shares how a flexible, learner-centered model was implemented in practice, including key decisions, challenges, and lessons learned. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to build scalable, interoperable systems that expand access and deliver real impact.

• Michael Trest, Jones College
• Mieke Ridderhof, Drieam LLC

Moderator: Bryce Henckel, Drieam

Stack, Scale, Serve: Building a Cross-Collaborative Digital Transformation Center
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Technology
Learn how the University of Louisville built a Digital Transformation Center spanning 13 colleges to embed stackable microcredentials across curricula and how the SKILLS Collaborative extends that mission through apprenticeship programming, military professional education, and AI literacy for CTE instructors. Through AI faculty certification, vendor-aligned credentials, workforce partnerships, cross-collaborative grants exceeding $18 million, Department of Labor-funded apprenticeships, and an innovative AI Fellows Program for CTE teachers, UofL has built a scalable ecosystem of credential innovation reaching students, military personnel, and community workforce partners. Attendees will leave with practical governance models, implementation strategies, and measurable outcomes for building cross-college collaboration and workforce-aligned credential ecosystems.

• Jeffrey Sun, University of Louisville
• Andrew Wright, University of Louisville

Moderator: Michael Losavio, University of Louisville

From Conversation to Co-Creation: Building Employer Partnerships that Drive Credential Innovation
New | Tag: Employer Engagement
Employers increasingly expect higher education institutions to move beyond outreach and become true partners in workforce development. Yet many institutions struggle to translate employer conversations into actionable credential strategies. Drawing on UPCEA's University-to-Business (U2B) Design Framework, this interactive session explores how institutions can build the internal capacity, processes, and partnerships needed to co-design workforce-aligned credentials with employers. Participants will examine practical approaches for identifying employer needs, facilitating meaningful engagement, prototyping solutions, and creating feedback loops that support continuous innovation. Through real-world examples and guided discussion, attendees will leave with strategies to strengthen employer relationships and create credentials that deliver value for learners, institutions, and industry alike.

• Devin Miles, Oregon State
• Eve Canty, University of Arkansas
• John McKenzie, UNT Health Fort Worth
• Kaley Klaus, Fort Hayes State University

Moderator: Melissa Peraino, UPCEA

Scaling Credit for Prior Learning Across a State System: Lessons from New Hampshire’s Multi-Institution Collaboration
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Policy
Credit for prior learning can expand adult learner success, but inconsistent policies, assessment practices, credential frameworks, and faculty engagement often hinder scale and portability. This session highlights New Hampshire’s statewide online learning community, created through a formal memorandum of understanding, to align CPL standards, share practices, and build institutional capacity. Panelists will show how this collaborative model supports cross-institutional alignment, reduces duplication, and strengthens learner mobility. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for building online communities of practice that advance equitable, scalable CPL implementation across institutions and sectors.

• Tamara Von George, University of New Hampshire
• Julie Moser, University of New Hampshire

Moderator: Julie Moser, University of New Hampshire

Building Employer Trust in Skills-Based Credentials

• Saira Cooper, Rice University
• Rob Coyle, 1EdTech Consortium
• Darin Hobbs, Western Governors University

Moderator: Rob Coyle, 1EdTech

Building for Scale: How UMGC Designed a Repeatable CLR Program Onboarding Process
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Policy
UMGC's CLR implementation revealed a critical design principle: skills mapping must be finalized before implementation begins, and credentials cannot be modified after issuance. Between those two locks lies a structured lifecycle — intake, metadata development, credential configuration, data validation, and launch — with clear role boundaries across academic, operational, data, and vendor teams. This session walks through that framework and the artifacts that support it, including a mid-course lesson that reshaped the work: decisions about what deserves a credential belong with a governance structure, not the implementation team. Credential selectivity, it turns out, is a strategy in building trust.

• Insiya Bream, University of Maryland Global Campus
• Tiffany Barr, University of Maryland Global Campus
• Sonja Strahl, University of Maryland Global Campus

Moderator: Insiya Bream, University of Maryland Global Campus

Building Together: Cross-Functional Collaboration for Scalable Learning and Employment Records
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Employer Engagement
As higher education institutions align credentials with evolving workforce needs, they face a double-edged sword: navigating competing frameworks while tackling the operational hurdles of systemwide deployment. This session explores how two distinct universities leveraged a national Learning and Employment Record (LER) Accelerator cohort to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and immediate, scalable implementation. The University of Central Oklahoma will share how a cross-functional team integrated disconnected workforce data and institutional structures to scale a unified LER platform. Simultaneously, the University of Minnesota will detail how they developed a strategic LER roadmap while launching a systemwide digital badging program via Parchment across multiple campuses. Together, presenters will map a comprehensive blueprint for institutional readiness, governance, and technology selection. Attendees will gain practical, dual-perspective insights into how long-term planning and immediate credential infrastructure mutually accelerate transformation, ensuring credentials are explicitly aligned, verified, and easily communicated by learners.

• Sandy Nelson, University of Minnesota
• Trevor Cox, University of Central Oklahoma

Lessons from a Trusted Career Profile Demonstration
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | Building | Tag: Technology
The Trusted Career Profile (TCP) standard promises seamless movement of learner records across educational, credentialing, and employer systems — but what does implementation actually look like? This session shares lessons from a multi-partner demonstration led by SkillsFWD that connected platforms including the Indiana Achievement Wallet, SmartResume, and a major applicant tracking system to test TCP in practice. Presenters from SkillsFWD and Western Governors University will share what worked, what didn't, and what institutions need to know before pursuing similar integrations. Open-source resources developed through the project will be available for attendees to adapt.

• Madelyn Rahn, SkillsFWD
• Amanda Winters, United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation
• Taylor Hansen, Western Governors University
• Dave Wengel, SmartResume

Moderator: Amanda Winters, United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Microcredentials in Action: Aligning Mission, Learning & Institutional Growth
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building
Explore how a small, teaching-focused university launched a digital badge and microcredential ecosystem to advance student learning and institutional growth. This session highlights the collaborative design of digital badges for students and an external storefront for continuing education - sharing lessons from planning, rollout, and early implementation. Attendees will gain practical strategies for aligning stakeholder priorities, building faculty buy-in, and designing credential systems that serve both internal and external audiences.

• Stefanie Heinrich, Valparaiso University
• Edward Finn, III, Valparaiso University

Real Programs, Real Lessons, and Actionable Strategies for Building Workforce-Ready Healthcare Programs in Motion with Iterative, Collaborative Design
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement
As healthcare workforce shortages intensify, continuing education units play a critical role in launching responsive, employer-aligned training programs. This session presents a practical, field-tested framework for developing healthcare programs that balance speed with sustainability through strategic alignment with employers and clinical faculty. Grounded in hybrid Clinical Medical Assisting and Dental Assisting programs, panelists share how to co-design curriculum, structure clinical experiences, align with hiring pipelines, and navigate operational realities across institutional systems. Emphasizing human-centered, applied training, this session offers a transferable approach for building programs “in motion” that respond to workforce needs while maintaining quality and strong student outcomes.

• Ashley Seitz Kramer, University of Utah
• Jennifer Thatcher, University of Utah

Moderator: Iris Moulton, University of Utah

Recognizing What Learners Know: Exploring the Full Spectrum of Credit for Prior Learning
From portfolio assessment and challenge exams to workforce-aligned learning recognition, Credit for Prior Learning takes many forms. This interactive discussion will examine current modalities, promising practices, and the role of CPL in creating more flexible and equitable pathways to credentials.

• Amber O'Casey, Alamo Colleges District
• Jack Rodenfels, North Carolina State University

Moderator: Amy Heitzman, UPCEA

Reengineering Noncredit Data Systems for Workforce Pell and Beyond
Many institutions have spent years building successful noncredit and workforce portfolios, yet few have developed the underlying data architecture needed to support the next generation of accountability expectations. As Workforce Pell implementation advances and states increasingly seek evidence of learner outcomes, employment impact, and credential value, institutions are discovering that fragmented registration systems, inconsistent program definitions, and disconnected reporting structures create significant barriers to transparency and decision-making. This session examines how institutions with established noncredit operations can begin reengineering their information systems and data governance practices to support emerging accountability requirements. Drawing from institutional readiness assessments, workforce credential reporting frameworks, and practical implementation experience, the presentation will explore the data taxonomies necessary to organize programs, learners, skills, occupations, employers, outcomes, and credential pathways in a consistent and scalable manner. Participants will learn how to identify common data gaps, evaluate the maturity of their current noncredit information environment, and create a roadmap for improving data quality, interoperability, and reporting capabilities. The session will also examine how Workforce Pell serves as a leading indicator of broader accountability expectations that are likely to influence state policy, funding models, credential transparency initiatives, and workforce reporting requirements in the years ahead. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge to help them prioritize the foundational data investments needed to support long-term credential accountability.

• Julie Uranis, UPCEA

Translating Workforce Signals into Academic Pathways: A CDI-Informed Decision Framework
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Technology
This interactive workshop shows how institutions can move from workforce data to actionable academic decisions. Using a Credential Density Index (CDI) and a structured Pathway Decision Framework, participants will work through a realistic scenario with pre-analyzed credential data to identify opportunities, navigate tradeoffs, and define next steps. The session highlights governance, faculty, and workforce alignment considerations while providing a practical, reusable tool for translating data into coordinated, learner-centered pathway design.

• Diane Ellison, National University
• Thapelo Whitfield, National University

Convergence Talks

Accelerating Microcredential Retention and Completion
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building | Tag: Policy
The early years of the microcredential movement across higher education focused on obtaining institutional and/or faculty support, defining microcredentials, developing microcredentials and building related processes and procedures. This presentation argues that the sustainability of microcredentials as in-demand credentials fostering career and academic success, particularly for adult learners, requires greater investment and focus on strategies to support student engagement, persistence and completion. Explored will be research-driven strategies for student engagement and success that can be adapted to fit within the smaller window of time available to make a meaningful connection with students and to support their success. Such strategies include advising, coaching, mode of delivery, technology and program orientations, microcredential design strategies, building student agency, transfer of learning to the workplace and continued academic pursuits, quality assurance and assessment. See how the State University of New York (SUNY) is leveraging research and best practices around student success from across higher education, in community and career and technical education, and in workforce trainings, to pilot adapted strategies for microcredential students in credit-bearing and non-credit programs. Pilot results and student feedback will be shared. Participants will leave with new insights on the microcredential student experience as well as a toolkit of strategies to support microcredential development and implementation. This session is particularly relevant given new federal completion standards associated with Workforce Pell, requiring 70% completion and job placement rates. This session is relevant for those launching microcredential programs as well as those planning to scale existing efforts; ensuring that structured planning for student engagement and success are embedded in policy, planning and implmentation.

• Cynthia Proctor, SUNY System Administration

 
Access Before Admission: Replicating a Performance-Based Pathway to Graduate Degrees
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | New | Tag: Faculty
This session explores how the University of Colorado Boulder uses a performance-based admissions pathway to expand access to graduate engineering education. Instead of submitting a traditional application, prospective students demonstrate readiness by completing a three-course pathway that counts toward the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management degree. Attendees will learn how this model reduces admissions barriers while maintaining academic rigor and how similar pathways could be implemented at other institutions.

• Nicole Miller, University of Colorado Boulder

 
Design Education for Opportunity: CE Pathways for Justice-Impacted Learners
Workforce & Community Partnerships | New
Explore how design education in continuing education creates workforce pathways for justice-impacted learners. Pratt SCPS and NJDOC’s fashion program combines hands-on projects, digital skills, and business training, culminating in a digital credential. A student’s upcycled uniform project demonstrates how CE unlocks creativity, builds confidence, and prepares learners for post-release careers. Attendees will gain practical strategies for hybrid instruction, program design, and public-sector partnerships that extend institutional mission beyond campus walls.

• Marissa Shadburn, Pratt Institute

 
What Makes a Microcredential Trustworthy? Five Real-World Examples
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building
Participants will explore five recently developed microcredentials, each mapped to clearly defined skills, observable actions, and validated assessment methods. Through these examples, the session will demonstrate how to design microcredentials that are transparent, measurable, and aligned with workforce expectations. Attendees will gain practical insight into structuring digital badges that communicate value to employers while maintaining academic rigor. This session is designed for professionals who are new to microcredential development as well as those seeking to strengthen the credibility and industry relevance of their existing credential frameworks.

• Jeannine Perry, Longwood University

Building Credential Infrastructure: A Co-Design Workshop with the Field
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Scaling | Tag: Technology
Most institutions know they need a credential strategy. Far fewer know what the infrastructure behind that strategy actually requires. This hands-on workshop brings the newly established Digital Credentials Services Center at Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies to Convergence with a concrete framework for credential ecosystem readiness — and an honest invitation: help us make it better. Participants engage in structured peer discussion to test the framework against their own institutional contexts, identifying where implementation gaps persist and what a vendor-neutral advisory partnership should address. Attendees leave with a practical tool they can apply immediately at their own institution.

• Kerri Lemoie, Northeastern University
• Sasha Goldman, Northeastern University
• Connie Yowell, Northeastern University

From Credential Governance to Academic Credit Pathways

• Nick Swartz, James Madison University
• Sarah MacDonald, James Madison University
• Anissa Lokey-Vega, Kennesaw State University

From Idea to Impact: A Five-Phase Framework for Building Workforce-Aligned Microcredentials
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building | Tag: Faculty
This session presents a practical five-phase framework for developing workforce-aligned microcredentials at regional universities. Participants will explore the journey from initial concept to market-validated credential, covering faculty engagement, curriculum alignment, and labor market validation. The presentation highlights strategies for cross-campus collaboration and overcoming institutional barriers while leveraging AI and labor market intelligence for data-informed design. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to implement or refine microcredential initiatives that balance regional workforce needs with institutional priorities.

• Kaley Klaus, Fort Hays State University
• Jeni McRay, Fort Hays State University

From Learning Recognition to Learner Mobility: Scaling CPL Pathways That Work
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Faculty

• Ryan Specht-Boardman, Competency-Based Education Network
• Kristen Vanselow, Florida Gulf Coast University
• Joshua Fortin, Florida Gulf Coast University

From Pilots to Systems: Scaling Credential Innovation Through Data, Design, and AI
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling
Most credential initiatives stall at the pilot stage because they are not designed for systems integration. This interactive workshop shows how to manage that transition. Drawing on a high-enrollment program redesign, participants will explore how to leverage data, design stackable microcredentials, and integrate AI-enabled advising to create structured, career-aligned pathways. The session emphasizes implementation, trade-offs, and alignment across systems and stakeholders. Participants will leave with practical tools to design and scale credential ecosystems that are coherent, sustainable, and learner-centered.

• Jean Starobin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Chera LaForge, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Amanda Brantner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Eric Larson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Employer-Friendly Practices: Meeting Employer Needs
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Scaling
Colleges and universities want to be strong employer partners, but friction across multiple areas of the institution – billing, advising, data sharing, coordination across departments, and many others – often gets in the way. This session introduces a research-based practice guide informed by higher education leaders at 2 and 4 year institutions. Participants will learn from research, hear from colleagues, and gain tools to identify where friction is highest at their own institutions and leave with practical next steps they can act on immediately.

• Haley Glover, UpSkill America
• Kevin Grubb, Strada Education Foundation

How Institutions Move Microcredentials from the Margins to the Academic Core
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Faculty

• Jill Pippin, SUNY Oswego University
• Sandra Mohr, Angelo State University

How Institutions Operationalize Workforce-Connected Credential Pathways
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement

• Beth Hein, University of Wisconsin-Stout
• Julie Zaloudek, University of Wisconsin-Stout
• Joe Davis, Education Design Lab

Moderator: Mara Woody, Riipen

How Institutions Translate Skills-First Principles into Curricular and Learner-Facing Practice
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Technology

• Dakota Horn, Bradley University
• Michelle Riggio, Bradley University
• Keying Chen, Digital Promise
• Meghan Toteno, Digital Promise

Mapping Credentials to Curriculum: A Practical Integration Lab
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building | Tag: Faculty
In this hands-on workshop, participants will use a practical mapping tool to connect credential domains to existing courses. The session reveals where alignment already exists and how small adjustments can unlock credential and career opportunities. No full curriculum redesign required.

• Sandra Song, University Canada West
• Mahmood Mortazavi Dehkordi, University Canada West
• Joseph Mauriello, The University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management
• Matthew Paske, The University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management

What’s happening beyond your campus? Come find out.

Credential innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Stop and Share brings together Convergence Promotional Partners and conference attendees for informal conversations about what’s emerging across the credential innovation ecosystem.

Move from table to table, meet organizations working in and around higher education, hear what they’re learning from the field, and share your own questions and experiences. Whether you’re looking for a new resource, exploring a challenge, or simply curious about what others are seeing, this is your chance to make connections and exchange ideas.

No presentations. No sales pitches. Just short, meaningful conversations with organizations helping move the field forward.

Moderator: Jacqueline Romero, UPCEA

No slides. No panel. Just peers.

What are you trying to solve? What have you learned the hard way? What is working, or not working, on your campus?

The Peer Learning Lounge brings attendees together in small groups of approximately 10 around timely credential innovation topics drawn from UPCEA’s Peer Learning Groups. These facilitated conversations are designed for candid exchange, practical problem-solving, and connection with colleagues facing similar opportunities and challenges.

Pick a topic. Pull up a chair. Bring your experience and your questions.

Moderator: Melissa Peraino, UPCEA

Best of Friends: Building a Strong, Trusting Partnership between the Registrar’s Office and Continuing Education
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building
As a continuing education leader, have you ever wished you could get the registrar’s office to agree with and support some of your innovative ideas? As a registrar’s office leader, have you ever wished that the continuing education office at your institution didn’t run off with crazy ideas that you can’t possibly support? Join us for an interactive session where we share the strategies and secrets to building a lasting relationship between registrars and continuing education, one that leads to strong partnerships, mutual support and buy-in, and improved outcomes for your students.

• Sarah MacDonald, James Madison University
• Kurt Johnson, James Madison University

Moderator: Sarah MacDonald, James Madison University

Building a Digital Credential Ecosystem in 12 Months: A Practical Roadmap from Fragmentation to Scale
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Technology
Learn how NJIT built a digital credential ecosystem in 12 months by aligning fragmented badge efforts across campus. This session shares a practical roadmap for mid-sized institutions, including how to build enterprise-wide governance, develop a shared taxonomy, and use active badge programs to test and refine systems in real time. Attendees will explore real use cases and leave with adaptable strategies to move from isolated initiatives to a scalable, institution-wide credential ecosystem.

• Kerry Eberhardt, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Michael Davis, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Alexander Visakay, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Oscar Reyes, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Moderator: Michael Edmondson, New Jersey Institute of Technology

From Faculty to Staff: Building and Scaling a Microcredential Bootcamp Model At UMBC
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Faculty
After a successful faculty microcredential bootcamp launched through a national LER Accelerator cohort, UMBC adapted the model for staff leading co-curricular and experiential learning programs. This session shares the curriculum, decisions, and lessons from both efforts — including what changed when the audience shifted from faculty to staff, how institutional review structures supported quality as the work scaled, and what outcome data from participants reveals about the model's impact. Attendees will leave with a replicable framework and a grounded view of the trade-offs involved in expanding credentialing capacity across an institution.

• Collin Sullivan, University of Maryland Baltimore County
• Susan Biro, University of Maryland Baltimore County
• James DeVita, University of Maryland Baltimore County
• Allison Jones, University of Maryland Baltimore County

From Pilot to Practice: Implementing Digital Badges at a Community College
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Faculty
Aims Community College shares lessons from implementing a digital badge pilot designed to make learning outcomes more visible and workforce-relevant. Learn how the college, working with Proof of Knowledge, developed a standards-aligned, institution-owned badging framework, navigated governance and adoption challenges, and improved learner engagement. This session offers practical insights for institutions seeking to launch or scale digital credentials across academic, workforce, and co-curricular programs while maintaining institutional trust and control.

• Jim Vernon, Aims Community College
• Tomás Mindlin, Proof of Knowledge

From Sector Alignment to System Design: Building Workforce Engagement as an Emerging Institution
Workforce & Community Partnerships | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement
This session highlights how an emerging organization can strengthen employer partnerships by moving from coordinated efforts to an integrated engagement model. Participants will explore a practical lifecycle framework focused on sustaining relationships through feedback, assessment, and strategic recalibration. The session introduces a simple maturity scale, clarifies team roles, and offers actionable strategies to prevent employer fatigue while increasing institutional responsiveness. Attendees will leave with a clear, scalable approach to building more intentional and sustainable employer engagement.

• Tom Nicholas, Nevada State University
• Tansy Rabijahed, Nevada State University
• Stephanie Molina, Nevada State University

How Institutions Create Interoperable, Scalable Credential Ecosystems That Learners and Employers Can Use

• Holly Custard, Strada Education Network
• Emilie Rafal, 1EdTech Consortium
• Insiya Bream, University of Maryland Global Campus

Moderator: Holly Custard, Strada Education Network

Key Considerations for Creating a Comprehensive Learner Record: Designing, Scaling, and Sustaining Success
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building
This session examines key considerations for creating a Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) that is learner-centered, scalable, and sustainable. Using Michigan State University’s Spartan Experience Record (SER) as a case example, presenters will explore how they define and validate learning experiences, establish governance, and center student learning and skill development. Attendees will learn approaches to building cross campus partnerships, selecting technical solutions, and aligning experiential and co curricular learning. The session will share implementation successes and challenges while demonstrating how the SER advances skill development and supports building career ready Spartans.

• Sarah Esler, Michigan State University
• Korine Steinke Wawrzynski, Michigan State University

No New Courses Required: Innovating Without Breaking the System
Credential Innovation Foundations | Building | Tag: Faculty
This panel explores how institutions embedded credentials into existing courses to bypass governance bottlenecks and accelerate implementation. Panelists will share what worked, what trade-offs were required, and how this approach enabled scalable innovation without creating new courses.

• Joseph Mauriello, The University of Texas at Dallas
• Matthew Paske, The University of Texas at Dallas
• Wesley Ladd, Louisiana State University
• Jeffrey Angle, ISACA

Scaling What Works: Building Faculty Buy-In and Organizational Alignment for Non-Credit Growth
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Scaling | Tag: Faculty
Successful non-credit and workforce initiatives require more than strong programs—they require institutional alignment. This interactive session explores how faculty engagement, effective change management, and strategic use of the LMS can help institutions build support, reduce resistance, and scale workforce and lifelong learning initiatives. Drawing on experiences from the University of Toledo, West Virginia University, and Blackboard, participants will leave with practical diagnostic tools and implementation strategies they can apply immediately on their own campuses.

• Whitney Stout, West Virginia University
• Barbara Kopp Miller, The University of Toledo
• Justin Louder, Blackboard

Advancing Quality Assurance in Credentials: The HLC Endorsement Framework
Credential Innovation Foundations | Advanced | Tag: Policy
HLC has introduced a nationally recognized endorsement framework to assure quality in the growing credential marketplace. This session explores how endorsed providers meet rigorous standards, including legal authorization, financial stability, workforce alignment, and learner protections. Participants will gain insight into the review process conducted by experts in education and workforce development, as well as practical strategies used by an HLC-endorsed provider to collaborate with employers. Learn how high-quality, workforce-aligned credentials are developed to meet evolving labor market needs and how endorsement signals trust and value to learners, institutions, and employers.

• Karen Solomon, Higher Learning Commission
• Ying Iverson, Capella University
• Ghi Crisafulli, Sophia Learning

Credit Where Credit Is Due: Building Scalable Learner Mobility Pathways
Learner Mobility: Pathways, Transfer & CPL | Building | Tag: Policy
As learners move between colleges, workforce training, certifications, and employer education programs, institutions must redesign transfer and credit for prior learning systems to support learner mobility. This session shares how an institution aligned transfer pathways, common course numbering, industry certification credit, and CPL into a unified learner mobility strategy focused on protecting student progress and accelerating completion. Attendees will learn policy, governance, and partnership strategies that support scalable transfer and CPL pathways while maintaining academic quality and accreditation compliance.

• Tyson Heath, Western Governors University
• Penny Ramirez, Western Governors University

From Badges to Systems: How a Community of Practice Built a Scalable Microcredential Ecosystem
Credential Innovation Foundations | Scaling | Tag: Policy
How do you move from isolated badges to a scalable credentialing system? This session shares how Virginia Tech leveraged a community of practice to build a unified microcredential ecosystem. Learn how cross-functional teams co-created digital badge guidelines, governance structures, and design standards to support noncredit learning at scale. Presenters will explore key decisions, challenges, and lessons learned, offering practical strategies for building collaboration, consistency, and institutional alignment.

• Amanda MacDonald, Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
• Marc Zaldivar, Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

From Pilot to Practice: Building an Integrated Microcredential Strategy
Credential Innovation Foundations | New | Tag: Policy
Launching or scaling a microcredential strategy can feel overwhelming. Without a coordinated approach, institutions risk fragmentation, unclear learner pathways, and limited impact. This session offers practical, scalable strategies that connect governance, design, operations, and data into one coherent microcredential approach. Whether you are piloting your first program or refining a mature one, you’ll leave with frameworks that help you prioritize, align stakeholders, and support learners effectively.

• Sherri Place, University of Pennsylvania
• Brooke Bakan, University of Pennsylvania

Moderator: Sherri Place, University of Pennsylvania

From Pilot to Scale: A Systematic Framework for Sustainable Microcredential Ecosystems
Credential Innovation Foundations | Scaling | Tag: Faculty
How can institutions scale microcredentials in a consistent and sustainable way? This session shares how TTU Online uses a systematic instructional design framework, grounded in ADDIE, to support scalable development. Attendees will explore real workflows, templates, and quality processes, along with key challenges and lessons learned. Ideal for institutions moving from pilot efforts to sustainable microcredential ecosystems.

• Burcu Stone, Texas Tech University
• Bonnie Cordell, Texas Tech University

Innovating Access: Designing Flexible, Student-Centered Pathway Ecosystems
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Employer Engagement
As community needs evolve, institutions must rethink how learning is recognized and converted into credentials with real workforce value. This session highlights strategies for expanding credential innovation through Credit for Prior Learning, skills‑focused credentials, and pathways that help adult learners move seamlessly between corporate training, non‑credit, and credit programs. The University of Arizona and Arizona Online will share three pilot programs developed with the Eller College of Management, illustrating essential planning and implementation practices. Participants will learn how to create non‑credit, skills‑aligned microcredentials designed for reconversion to credit through credit‑by‑exam, portfolio review, and other PLA methods.

• Cari Burson, University of Arizona
• Jessica Normoyle, University of Arizona
• Erin Riesgo, University of Arizona

Modular Mastery: Scaling Workforce Pathways with Clemson’s SkilRedi Solution
Digital Credentials & Skills Ecosystems | Building | Tag: Technology
To meet the rising demand for EV skilled workers in South Carolina, Clemson University developed SkilRedi, a workforce solution built on Open edX. This session explores how Clemson leveraged open-source infrastructure to bypass vendor lock-in, enabling deep customization and the integration of immersive XR/VR technologies.

• Annabel Cellini, Axim Collaborative
• Trae King, Clemson University
• Rebecca Short, Clemson University

Rethinking Noncredit: Designing Experiences That Scale Across Systems
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Building | Tag: Technology
Noncredit programs often outgrow systems built for credit-bearing education, creating fragmented workflows and limiting scale. Learn how the University of Arkansas redesigned its approach to course discovery, registration, and learner engagement using Slate to create a more cohesive, scalable noncredit experience. This session includes a practical case study and live demonstration, along with lessons on reducing administrative burden, improving data visibility, and supporting system-level collaboration. Attendees will gain strategies to modernize noncredit operations without overhauling existing institutional systems.

• Eve Canty, University of Arkansas
• Chris Browning, Human Capital Education

Moderator: Tyler Rohrbaugh, Human Capital Education

Transcript Transformers: Turning Civic Learning Into Workforce Gold
Strategy, Systems & Scaling Transformation | Scaling | Tag: Technology
American University is defining institution-wide Signature Skills, including civic competencies, to make student learning more visible and aligned with workforce and democratic needs. This session explores how AU is partnering with ETS to translate that framework into a Civic Skills Transcript by extracting skills from coursework and curricula. Presenters will share early implementation lessons and discuss how institutions can connect civic learning to meaningful, workforce-relevant signals.

• Bridget Trogden, American University
• Ashley Burke, Educational Testing Services