Competency-based education and CORE assessment: Faith in your future via the experience of your past
Kasie Corley |
Lipscomb University’s College of Professional Studies and its customized outcome based relevant evaluation, or CORE assessment, continue to provide professionally experienced students with the ability to earn credits for what they already know.
Launched by the College of Professional Studies in the spring of 2014, the program, now in its fourth year, is designed to recognize a student’s pre existing competencies, knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through work experience and other learning opportunities. Competency-based education remains a hot topic in higher education, varying from traditional college models.
“This program is designed to help adult learners get a jump start on finishing college by giving them an opportunity to earn credit for their life and professional experiences,” said Nina Morel, dean of the College of Professional Studies.
“It recognizes and honors where you’ve been in life and can be used to help take you where you want to go next in life. Numerous studies show that those who have a college degree are more likely to have greater job opportunities, to have a higher earning potential and to be satisfied with their jobs and their lives among many other benefits. This program helps individuals achieve goals such as these and more,” she said.
Leading from the front of the field of competency-based programs, Lipscomb sent former dean of the College of Professional Studies Charla Long to Washington D.C. in the spring of 2014. One of only three universities from across the nation invited to the nation’s capital, Lipscomb's team participated in discussions which explored new ways to use federal student aid to increase access to these models.
Lipscomb’s program quickly gained and maintains a reputation as a national leader, being featured by Time Magazine and the Hechinger Report in the spring of 2015. The CORE assessment program measures 15 competencies on a badge system. CORE competency credits are then applied toward a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership degree or any other adult degree offering.
Linda McCampbell, featured in the Time Magazine article, earned 30 credit hours through the CORE assessment center which she applied to her bachelor’s degree in integrated studies with concentrations in aging and nutrition. Army veteran Jeff Negus also utilized the CORE assessment after retiring and experiencing trouble securing a job.
“The military gave me a lot of leadership and management skills through my experiences. I received 30 credit hours as a result of going through the CORE assessment,” he said. “That is huge. There is only one credit that I didn’t get. So, for the cost of basically one class, I received about a year’s worth of college credit.”
The CORE assessment results allowed Negus to drastically reduce the amount of class work required to complete his degree not only saving him time, but also funds from his Post 9/11-G.I. Bill as a part of the Yellow Ribbon Program. “It’s amazing. What a gift. A college degree is the key that opens the door to everything,” he said.
“I highly recommend this path to others,” he says. “Lipscomb’s quality and reputation will continue to grow as more adult students come through. Lipscomb is great. I love it!”
For more information on the College of Professional Studies, visit the website. To learn more about competency-based education and the CORE assessment, click here.