The document describes a pilot program for a competency-based associate degree in business. The pilot will involve 12 community colleges in Washington State. Students must demonstrate mastery of competencies rather than depend on time, with support based on individual needs. The goal is for the degree to be completed online within 6-month terms, with multiple start dates. Faculty will develop openly licensed courses and assessments to be shared across the colleges. The pilot aims to test competency-based approaches to increase access to a degree for nontraditional students.

1. CBE Business DTA Pilot
September 2014

2. Competency-Based Program
• Students must demonstrate mastery of
explicit competencies to receive credit
• Students receive constant support
based on their individual learning needs
• Learning, not time is the determining
factor
(Adapted from Christensen Institute)

3. The Goal
• A Business Transfer Degree
– Competency based
– Completely online
– Openly licensed
– Six-month term with multiple start dates
– Full time equivalent tuition ($2667 plus fees)
– Students work at their own pace, completing as
many credits as they are able during each term
– Available January 2015

4. Pilot Colleges
• Columbia Basin—lead
• Bellevue
• Centralia
• Clark
• Everett
• Green River
• Olympic
• Pierce Colleges
• Shoreline
• South Seattle
• Spokane Falls
• Tacoma
• Walla Walla

5. Why?
• Reduced population growth in 15-19
year olds in the next 10 years
• Increased growth in 20-44 year olds
• Almost 1 million Washingtonians have
some college, no degree

6. The History
Western Governors University supported
colleges in developing CBE certificate programs
• Spokane Falls
• Edmonds
• Columbia Basin
• Bellevue
• System work group developed a plan endorsed by
WACTC March 2014

7. The Elements
• Students with some college or work
experience
• “Intrusive” advisors at each college
• Completion coaches
– Hired by Columbia Basin for the pilot
consortium)
• Disciplinary faculty who teach and assess
– Hired by Columbia Basin for the pilot
consortium

8. First Faculty Cohort
• Four full-time faculty
– English
– Math
– Accounting
– Economics and Business Law

9. First Faculty Cohort
• Six adjunct faculty
– Sociology
– Political Science
– Geology
– Biology
– Public Speaking
– Art

10. 18 Courses
• Work group chose high-enrollment
courses that meet the distribution
requirements
• Courses will be transcribed as regular
credits and use open content
• Curriculum and competencies will be
mapped by system faculty

11. Lumen Learning
• Leaders in open educational resources
and in CBE
• Building openly licensed courses and
adaptive assessments
• http://lumenlearning.com

12. System Assets
• Strong transfer agreements
• Shared course system (WAOL)
• Shared learning management system
(Canvas)
• Common elearning tools
• Western eTutoring Consortium
• AskWA

13. Student Experience
• Application process
• Orientation
• Completion coach
• Faculty engagement
• Adaptive testing
• Authentic assessment
– Grades: A, B, and Incomplete

14. Why pilot as a system?
• Share initial development costs
• Share staffing to support students who
work at their own pace
• Students belong to the college where
they enroll
• All faculty for the pilot will be hired at
Columbia Basin College

15. Find Out More
• Blog: http://cbewa.org
• Listserv:
http://lists.ctc.edu/mailman/listinfo/cbe

16. Questions?
Connie Broughton
cbroughton@sbctc.edu
Cathy Clary
cclary@columbiabasin.edu