SUNY Online Summit 2021 Day 5 Presentation Moderator: Cynthia Proctor, Director of Communications and Academic Policy Development, Office of the Provost at SUNY System Administration. Panelists: Deb G. Pernat, Program Coordinator, Professional and Continuing Education (PACE), SUNY Cobleskill. Dr. Edward Bever, Director, School of Professional Studies, SUNY Old Westbury. Dr. Mindy S. Kole is an Assistant Professor of Business at SUNY Ulster. Presentation: Leveraging SUNY Micro-Credentials to Meet Changing Needs https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/2021/01/30/microcredentials/ https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/tag/day-5/ Annual conference for the SUNY online teaching and learning community of practice. https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/ February 22-26, 2021 Virtual Event Conference website: https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/ Program: https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/program/ Speakers: https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/speakers/ Recordings/ Materials: https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/live-recordings/ Program Tracks: https://sunyonlinesummit2021.edublogs.org/program-tracks/

1. www.suny.edu
SUNY Online Summit, February 26, 2021
Cynthia Proctor, SUNY System
Deb G. Pernat, SUNY Cobleskill
Dr. Edward Bever, SUNY Old Westbury
Dr. Mindy S. Kole, SUNY Ulster
Leveraging SUNY Micro‐Credentials
to Meet Changing Needs

2. At the most basic level, micro‐credentials verify,
validate, and attest that specific skills and/or
competencies have been achieved.
They are smaller than minors, certificates or
degrees and more narrowly focused.
Micro‐credentials can be for‐credit, non‐credit,
or non‐credit to credit.
They can be offered online, face to face, or hybrid.
• Comprised of courses from registered degree programs or non‐
credit programs. Examples:
‐ Three for‐credit courses;
‐ A series of three‐credit courses;
‐ Two for‐credit courses plus an applied learning experience;
‐ A full degree program broken into 4‐5 micro‐credentials;
‐ Several non‐credit courses or a non‐credit program or a boot
camp (*that can be evaluated for academic credit)
• Successful completion of a micro‐credential can be represented
with a digital badge
What are Micro-Credentials?
Why Micro-Credentials?
 Pandemic Drop in HS Grads Going to College
 Pandemic Job Loss/Job Change
 Potential to Attract Adult Learners
22% fewer high
school graduates
from the class of
2020 enrolled in
college this fall.
 Growing Demand for Life‐Long Learning
 Closing the Skills Gap
 Overall Decline in High School Age Population
NORTHEAST

3. A SUNY Micro‐Credential is:
Competency Based, Verifying Specific Skills
and Competencies have been Achieved
Endorsed by the Issuing Campus
Developed through Faculty Governance
Meaningful and of high quality
Meaningful and of high quality
Developed through faculty governance
Developed through faculty governance
Endorsed by the issuing campus
Endorsed by the issuing campus
Competency‐based, verifying specific skills
and competencies have been achieved
Competency‐based, verifying specific skills
and competencies have been achieved
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4 Strategic,
Portable &
Stackable
SUNY’s Micro-Credential Policy
Key Components of Policy Framework
1. SUNY‐Specific Definition & Taxonomy
2. Guiding Principles for Micro‐Credential Development
3. Process for Local Approval via Faculty Governance
4. Collaborative Development
5. Transparency & Effective Communication
6. Allows for Multiple Micro‐Credential Types
Principles for Creating SUNY Micro-Credentials
 Academic quality is paramount
 Faculty governance engagement required (for credit
and non‐credit micro‐credentials)
 Aligned with campus mission & strategic goals
 Aligned with industry/sector standards
 Informed by market data
 Designed to have individual value and serve as a
pathway to a degree (stackable)
 Students can easily share them (portable)
Policy Encourages Multiple Types of Micro-Credentials
Motivate Existing
Students to Persist
Add Skill Sets Complimentary
to Students’ Major
A New Access Point to or Back to
Higher Education
Upskill Incumbent
Workers
Ongoing Professional
Development
Re‐Training
Address Emerging Employer Needs
Tools to Meet Changing Needs

4. Our Progress
19
Campuses
4
Now
Planning
@
200
MCs
Next Steps
• Continued Campus
Refinement
• New Campus Startup
• Marketing & Professional
Development Support
• Inventory and Identification
of Gaps
• Identification of
Opportunities for Multi‐
Campus Collaborations
• Defining our Niche in
National/International
Landscape

5. National & International Landscape At-A-Glance
The European Commission’s
Communication on the
European Education Area,
published on 30 September,
includes a commitment to
work towards a European
approach to micro‐
credentials. Nov. 2020.
B.C.’s [British Columbia]
post‐secondary ‘micro
credentials’ program aims
to build fast track to jobs.
Feb 2021.
FutureLearn launches first
suite of microcredentials
with leading universities
in UK, US and Australia
Feb. 2020.
The New Zealand
Qualifications Authority
has introduced a micro‐
credential system as part
of New Zealand’s
regulated education and
training system. 2019.

6. Micro‐Credential Team (May 2020)
Research Micro‐Credentials and Badges
Trainings through Acclaim/ Credly
Attend Workshops and Webinars regarding Micro‐Credentials (MC’s)
Develop Policies and Processes for both non‐credit and credit bearing MC’s
Identify Industry Needs
Educating the faculty on what Micro‐Credentials are? And how to develop them?
Promotion

7. Food & Agriculture Business
Agri‐Marketing
AgriBusiness Management and Finance
Artificial Insemination of Cattle*
Baking and Pastry Skills
Basic Fiber Sorting, Grading , and Classing*
Culinary Skills
Food, Nutrition, and Safety Basics
Meat Processing
Meat Processing and Food Safety*
Precision Agriculture Technology
Advertising
E‐Marketing
Entrepreneurship
Human Resources Management
Management I
Management II
Notary Public Preparatory Course*
*Non‐Credit Micro‐Credentials
Bold indicates Online Micro‐Credentials

8. Early Childhood Cybersecurity
Going Virtual with Young Children and
Families*
Nanny
Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) for
Early Childhood
Cyber Networking Security I
Cybersecurity Fundamentals*
SUNY Cobleskill Micro‐Credential Website
https://www.cobleskill.edu/academics/professional‐and‐continuing‐education/micro‐credentials.aspx

10. SUNY Old Westbury Micro‐Credentials
• A Faculty/Admin Task Force was constituted May, 2018 and delivered a
Report and Recommendations to Governance in October, 2018.
• Senate Authorized Micros in concept on a trial basis in February, 2019, and
approved first 3 (2 graduate Taxation, 1 undergraduate Counseling
Psychology) in May.
• All are for‐credit, involving 2‐4 courses, with a grade of B or better required.
• Infrastructure to begin offering them in Fall, 2019 put into place (Credly,
information and application on College website and portal, email address).
• Temporarily administered by School of Professional Studies.
• 3 more (TV and Video production) approved February, 2020, 3 in May, 2020
(2 in Neuropsychology, 1 in Nonprofit Administration).

11. • Latest 2 (Professional Workplace Skills and Spanish Translation) approved in
December 2020.
• Applications and Awards (Across 2 Graduate & 9 Undergraduate Micros):
• Salient points:
• Seems to be significant interest, both absolute number of applications and
acceptance rate.
• Covid significantly delayed approval and setup of new Micros.
• High number of Rejected applications is a result of how they
were publicized.
Level Applications Denied In‐Process Awarded Accepted
Undergraduate 46 22 16 8 7
Graduate 22 2 5 15 15
Total 68 24 21 23 22
SUNY Old Westbury Micro‐Credentials

12. • Information about Micros has been posted on the College website, both a
banner announcement about their existence and a set of web pages. There
was also an article in the Student newspaper when Micros were first started.
• However, the main means of publicizing them was, first, emails to students
qualifying for them at the end of the Fall, 2019 and Spring, 2020 semesters,
and then a mass email was to all students graduating in 12/20 and 1/21.
• Because changes to rules were only made in December, and students have to be
enrolled to apply, so this was quickest way to make sure nobody lost out.
• Result was many “false positives” as unqualified students applied.
• Upshot is Covid disrupted plans to expand publicity; next major step will be a
much more vigorous publicity campaign through announcements in student
newsletter, advising, and direct emails.
SUNY Old Westbury Micro‐Credentials

13. Microcredentials at
SUNY Ulster
Dr Mindy Kole
Director, Darlene L. Pfeiffer Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Faculty, Business & Professional Studies
kolem@sunyulster.edu

14. Our Process
• SUNY Guidelines provide excellent foundation
• Ongoing conversations with community partners on needs –
Accounting Computer Skills
• “Campus Cheerleader”
• Presentations at Academic Senate
• Work one-on-one with faculty
• Curriculum Committee approval for
credit and non-credit credentials

15. Opportunities & Challenges – COVID Environment
Challenges:
• Educating, getting attention and creativity of faculty,
especially in this environment
• Marketing to students
Opportunities:
• Increasing demand for short‐term, skill‐based education

16. Latest microcredentials
Ellenville Regional Hospital – Leadership (online) in progress
Health Alliance – discussion underway Leadership (online)
Mohonk Mountain House – Customer Service (need to “revive”)
STEM – CNC Operator, Programmer; CAD; Advanced Manufacturing
Pre-Apprenticeship (new)
Networking – under discussion