Comprehensive Digital Records for the 21st Century Workplace

Case Study

The academic transcript was once seen as the gold standard for equity and opportunity. But multiple reports on graduates’ career readiness and rigor have indicated that these credentials are outdated to the needs of the 21st century workforce. This is because the academic transcript struggles to signal to employers skills and competencies learned in the classroom. Institutions now are being pressured to demystify the value and practicality of a college degree.

In 2013, collaborations between the Elon Office of the Registrar and Student Affairs began to explore the production of a co-curricular transcript. What began to be known as the Elon Experiences Transcript (EET), the credential would document a student’s participation their Elon Experiences – five High-Impact Practices (global education/study abroad, internships, leadership, service learning, and undergraduate research. The EET would serve as a credential certified by the institution to document a student’s co-curricular activity. The transcript intended to provide students with an institution-backed credential they could share with employers to indicate skill attainment and “soft skill” development.

Elon University was selected as one of eight institutions in 2015 to receive a $1.27 million grant by AACRAO and NASPA to consider how to expand the learner record. The University Registrar and his design team decided on a digital-first credential that could embed data and links within the transcript. The Elon Visual EXP, the transcript’s latest iteration, provides employers an added layer of clarity to learning outcomes and competencies attained from their Experiences.

Finalist Presentation

UEDA Awards of Excellence Finalists presented at the Annual Summit in Milwaukee on October 22 and 23, 2018. Summit attendees then voted for the best initiative in each category.