Institutional Policy

Institutional policy is provided through an array of bodies, individuals, and actions at the campus level:

Boards of trustees. They can issue directives, write administrative rules, launch initiatives, establish committees and task forces to explore certain directions, approve line-item budgets for specific projects, hire leaders and charge them with specific mission to carry out innovations.

College/university leadership. Guidance and directives can come from institutional leaders, including the president, provost, chief information officer, registrar, faculty senate, school or department heads, general counsel, and task forces.

Website and catalog. The institution’s official website and college catalog language.

Structural developments such as discrete campus units for prior learning assessment, instructional design, microcredentialing, data integration (degree/non-degree), continuing education and outreach.

Development of typologies for defining, coding, and categorizing incremental credentials within the campus learning management system.

Memoranda of understanding (MOUs) among institutions. MOUs guide collaboratives or networks (often supported extramurally) that are committed to innovations in curriculum development and delivery.

Contracts with external vendors. Such contracts can specify approaches and strategies through the learning management system (LMS). These approaches can capture digital credentialing with companies such as Credly and Parchment, and/or allow learners to establish their own digital portfolio of learning gained outside the traditional classroom.

Campus HR entities. They can count curricular innovation efforts by faculty toward tenure and advancement.