Spring Break
New co-curricular transcripts to include out of class experiences
Carrie Dietz
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
As the job market continues to grow increasingly competitive, employers seek out applicants who succeed in applying experiences they have gained in the classroom. The UW-System is currently in the process of implementing a second co-curricular transcript to compliment student's current grade transcript.
The new co-curricular transcripts allow students to officially track out of class experiences and involvement on and off campus. As the UW-system searches for a better method in assessing students learning, the plan to offer a second official transcript will assist graduates in showing future employers the student's achieved growth through clubs, leadership, travel, and other forms of association. Besides listing activities, like a resume, the second transcript would be a faculty-approved, in depth summary describing how students applied classroom knowledge to the real world.
With businesses increasingly wanting more from students than just good grades, a number of universities and colleges are beginning to require students to create electronic portfolios and senior projects to present to employers. Schools around the country have already created the opportunity for the dual transcript, including the University of St. Cloud State in Minnesota and Gannon University in Pennsylvania.
According to the Associated Press, "President Kevin Riley said the UW System would be the nation's first to use a second transcript on all campuses." Reilly also said exact timeline for mandating the change in the system's 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges is not secure, but pilot projects are starting as early as next year on some campuses.
While the Involvement Center at UW-L currently offers students the option to create a form of the co-curricular transcript, beginning in the fall of 2008, University Centers plans to have an online version available. Assistant Director of Student Activities Kaye Schendel said they are currently in phase 3 of 22 in the implementation process of getting the program up and running. Kaye said students would be able to enter data into the program, which will verify all information and prove credibility. The University Centers website, http://www.uwlax.edu/uc/, will have more information in the fall on how to execute the second transcript.
The new co-curricular transcripts allow students to officially track out of class experiences and involvement on and off campus. As the UW-system searches for a better method in assessing students learning, the plan to offer a second official transcript will assist graduates in showing future employers the student's achieved growth through clubs, leadership, travel, and other forms of association. Besides listing activities, like a resume, the second transcript would be a faculty-approved, in depth summary describing how students applied classroom knowledge to the real world.
With businesses increasingly wanting more from students than just good grades, a number of universities and colleges are beginning to require students to create electronic portfolios and senior projects to present to employers. Schools around the country have already created the opportunity for the dual transcript, including the University of St. Cloud State in Minnesota and Gannon University in Pennsylvania.
According to the Associated Press, "President Kevin Riley said the UW System would be the nation's first to use a second transcript on all campuses." Reilly also said exact timeline for mandating the change in the system's 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges is not secure, but pilot projects are starting as early as next year on some campuses.
While the Involvement Center at UW-L currently offers students the option to create a form of the co-curricular transcript, beginning in the fall of 2008, University Centers plans to have an online version available. Assistant Director of Student Activities Kaye Schendel said they are currently in phase 3 of 22 in the implementation process of getting the program up and running. Kaye said students would be able to enter data into the program, which will verify all information and prove credibility. The University Centers website, http://www.uwlax.edu/uc/, will have more information in the fall on how to execute the second transcript.
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