UMBC students develop powerful, career-relevant skills across campus — through leadership roles, civic engagement, student employment, involvement programs, community partnerships, and other experiences beyond the classroom.
Much of that learning is intentionally designed, coached, and mentored by staff — but it is not always formally recognized.
This 6-part professional learning series will help staff formalize those experiences into microcredentials that clearly document learning outcomes, competencies, and authentic assessment aligned with career readiness.
What This Series Will Do
Participants will:
- Define clear, student-facing learning outcomes for co-curricular and experiential programs
- Develop “experiential syllabi” that communicate purpose, expectations, and growth
- Design authentic assessment approaches (beyond traditional grading)
- Map programs to competencies and career readiness outcomes
- Draft and refine a full microcredential proposal
- Submit proposals for review through a cross-campus Microcredential Review Board
By the end of the series, you will have a complete, review-ready microcredential that documents student learning in your program area.
Why This Matters
- Provides formal recognition for authentic student learning
- Clarifies the learning happening across diverse campus contexts
- Enhances visibility of staff contributions to student development
- Supports future integration into UMBC’s Learning & Employment Record (LEDR)
As leadership and program models evolve across campus, this series creates shared clarity around how we define, document, and recognize learning beyond the classroom.
Who Should Apply
UMBC staff who lead or support:
- Co-curricular programs
- Student leadership initiatives
- Civic or community-based experiences
- Work-integrated or career-connected learning
- Student employment or involvement programs
- Any structured experience where meaningful learning occurs
Meeting Dates
- Welcome & The Experiential Syllabus as a Design Tool: March 13 | 1-2pm | Virtual
- From Program Descriptions to Learning Outcomes: March 27 | 1-2pm | Virtual
- Evidence of Learning and Authentic Assessment: April 10 | 1-2pm | Virtual
- Microcredentials as Learning Documentation at UMBC: April 24 | 1-2pm | Virtual
- Making Learning Visible: Earning Criteria, Skills, and Competencies: May 1 | 1-2pm | Virtual
- Connecting Experiences: Pathways, Stacking, and Next Steps: TBD by cohort members | Face-to-face
Missed the Kickoff?
You can watch the launch session recording here. The recording provides an overview of the framework, expectations, and timeline for the series.
Application Details
Applications are open now. Deadline: Monday, March 2 at noon. Space is limited to ensure meaningful collaboration and feedback.
Questions?
James DeVita, Assistant Vice President for Academic Partnerships & High Impact Experiences
Collin Sullivan, Program Director for Digital Credential Innovation