CBE Programs Active and In Development S.

Thackaberry 2015

Straighter-Line?

Learning-Counts?

CAEL Member?

???

ACE Credit Network?

C-BEN Member?

1973

TAACCCT Grant Recipient?

Alverno College began working with CBE programs in

the late 1960s, introducing their first CBE degree program
in 1973 (Larsen McClarty & Gaertner, 2015; Council of
Independent Colleges, 2015; Klein-Collins, 2012).
Alverno College is a Catholic womens college founded
by the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1887 (Alverno
College, n.d.; Council of Independent Colleges, 2015)..
Initially, four global learning competencies were created
(Klein-Collins, 2012); these were expanded through
further discussion to eight core competencies (KleinCollins, 2012; Larsen McClarty & Gaertner, 2015;
Alverno College, n.d.). The language used by Alverno
College for these competencies is abilities; they call the
approach an Ability-Based Curriculum (Council of
Independent Colleges, 2015). These eight core abilities
are communication, analysis, poblem-solving, valuing,
social interaction, developing a global perspective,
effective citizenship, aesthetic engagement (Alverno

Educause BMI/CBE

Alverno College

Experimental Site?

Description of Program

Active or In Development?

Name of College

Year Program Established

(Please do not cite, this is draft, it does not have full APA citations in a reference section.)

College, n.d.). They have been revisited over 13 times

since the creation of the original four competencies
(Klein-Collins, 2012; Larsen McClarty & Gaertner, 2015).
American Sentinel
University

Antioch University

Argosy University

Austin Community
College District

American Sentinel University has a competency-based

MBA in Healthcare program for working professionals
who already have a bachelors degree. Their program
utilizes online courses and project-based learning to
demonstrate student achievements of learning objectives
(American Sentinel University, n.d.) Students complete 4
projects at their own pace, with subscription tuition
covering all learning per 16 week period (American
Sentinel University, 2015).
Antioch University has two types of competency-based
degree programs an MFA in Creative Writing and a
Ph.D. in Leadership and Change. The university is
currently exploring additional competency-based degrees
to expand nationally utilizing the name of Antioch
University Connected (online) (Competency-Based
Education Network, 2015).
Argosy University offers a competency-based MBA
program whereby working adults can test out of subject
areas where learners can already prove their learning,
enabling learners to them focus on their need areas and
accelerate their degree completion (Argosy University,
2014). Argosy University was one of the first universities
to apply for approval of their MBA as a direct assessment
program (Lacey & Murray, 2015).
Austin Community College District has created a
competency-based degree program in Accelerated
Programmer Training (APT) (Austin Community College
District, 2015). They have a model of CBE that they use
for developmental mathematics courses, and are exploring

2015

2014

2013

X
w/
Ga
tes

Bellvue College

Big Sandy
Community &
Technical College

Brandman
University

two new CBE programs in IT Career Academy and Career

Expressways (Austin Community College District, 2015).
The Institute for Business and Information Technology at
Bellvue College enables learners to accelerate through
coursework for a certificate in Business Software
Specialist. Students work with student navigators and
course instructors in support of their self-paced progress,
and a SmarterMeasure assessment is required for students
to ensure preparedness for the program (Bellvue College,
n.d.).
Big Sandy Community & Technical College is one of the 2011
six Kentucky Community and Technical College System
(KCTCS) who received a TAACCCT grant to expand
KCTCS Onlines Learn on Demand competency-based
program into four additional IT focus areas through
Enhancing Programs for IT Certification (EPIC) (KCTCS
Good News Report, 2014).
Brandman University is a founding member of C-BEN,
with Laurie Dodge co-chairing the Steering Committee
(Competency-Based Education Network, n.d.). Brandman
University separated from the Chapman University
system to focus on adult learners and their specific needs.
Following two years of study and discussion, Brandman
launched their framework in 2011 (Klein-Collins, 2012).
They have five specific degree qualification areas as well
as overall integrated knowledge and a disciplinary skills
requirement. The five qualification areas have aligned
rubrics based on AAC&Us Valid Assessment of Learning
in Undergraduate Education (VALUE), (Klein-Collins,
2012). The bachelor of business administration at
Brandman University enables learners to move through
self-paced online courses with faculty mentors that have

??

X
w/
Ga
tes

Broward College

Bryant & Stratton

College

Capella University

Central Arizona
College

55-60 competencies which are crosswalked to 120 credit

hours (Educause, 2014).
Broward College offers and associate of science in
Accelerated IT Training that will lead to technical and
industry certifications. Academic coaches support
students by assisting in their goal development process
and supporting their timeline and progress, as well as
intervening if challenges arise (Myers, 2014). They
utilized a five-step development process to create the
curriculum within Desire2Learn, their LMS. As of 2014,
170 students were enrolled in the program (Myers, 2014).
Bryant & Stratton College has been approved for
experimental site status. They are currently getting ready
to implement a PLA program and have recently begun
planning a CBE program. They are currently working on
a framework for the CBE program (Tarquino, personal
communication, November 11, 2015).
Capella University was the second provider approved as a
direct assessment experimental site (Silva, White & Toch,
2015). Their self-paced program called FlexPath enables
students to move as quickly as they can through the
learning process as long as they can demonstrate their
skills and knowledge through assessments (Capella
University, n.d.). The program utilizes a subscriptionbased cost structure, with students paying a flat quarterly
fee to complete and prove as many competencies as they
can (Weise & Christensen, 2014).
Central Arizona College adopted the Competency-Based
Education Action Project as a result of the challenges they
were experiencing with their developmental education
outcomes. As part of this project they will redesign the
developmental programs using competency-based
modules, beginning with workforce programs and moving

2013

n/a

???

n/a

X
w/
Ga
tes

to academic ones. Their Center for Excellence in

Teaching and Learning will lead the pedagogical redesign
of their developmental education curriculum (Central
Arizona College, 2014).
Central New Mexico Central New Mexico Community College launched their
2014
Community College associate degree in Business Administration in October
2014. This CBE program is designed as a cohort whereby
students progress through their degree together in less
than two years. Students are assigned faculty mentors and
achievement coaches and additional support services are
available. A liberal arts associates degree is being
developed to launch in Fall 2015 that will be fully online
and CBE (Competency-Based Education Network, 2015).
Central Wyoming
Central Wyoming College was a 2014 participant in
n/a
College
Educauses Breakthrough Models Incubator program
through the Next Generation Learning Challenges
(Central Wyoming College, 2014). They are developing a
CBE degree in simulation technology; the college
operates simulations for nursing and rural justice (Woods,
2014).
Charter Oak State
Charter Oak State College was established by the
College
Connecticut legislature in 1973 (Brower, 2014). Degrees
Without Boundaries was designed to meet the unique
needs of women who were returning to college. Creditby-exam and prior learning assessment enabled these
underserved women to successfully complete degrees,
with instruction being added in 1998. With approximately
2,000 students, the majority now utilized online courses
(Laiten, 2012). Charter Oak State College is among the
institutions that require a three-credit portfolio review
course (Klechen, 2015).

City University of
Seattle

City University of Seattles CBE programs surround

teacher certification preparation programs at the graduate
level (Competency-Based Education Network, 2015). .
Their first performance-based degree exploration began
over 14 years ago in this area (CAEL, 2015). Graduate
programs are offered in CBE formats for teaching,
curriculum and instruction, literacy specializations,
special education and adult education. They also have
programs at the undergraduate level with a B.A. in
Management and a B.S. in Information Technology
(Competency-Based Education Network, 2015).

NOTE: the data in the four last rows were from

Robert Kelchen, 2015 The landscape of competency-based education

2001
&
2012