University Business September 2016 - 13

Campuswide care Collegiate recovery centers partner with other departments to provide holistic services. Ohio State's community grew out of a campus wellness program, and participates in diversity and inclusion initiatives to improve retention and graduation rates, says Nerad. Ohio State's Student Life Disability Services provides priority registration for recovery students and additional accommodations that they may need. "We also have access to our student's grades and schedules," says Nerad. "We provide recovery-informed academic advising to ensure they are prioritizing their recovery and building a schedule that they will be successful with." Professional development and leadership opportunities are offered to members throughout their college careers. At Oregon, meanwhile, a recovery center faculty advisory council helps students to schedule classes so they don't overload themselves during the early stages of recovery, says Siebel. Recovery centers seek to create a positive social outlet for recovering students, in addition to assisting them academically. Ohio State's recovery center co-hosts sober tailgate and watch parties for football and basketball games. U of Oregon holds sober watch parties in a catered tent that welcomes any spectator who wants to enjoy the game in a safe environment. Oregon also partners with Oregon State and Southern Oregon University, with each hosting a quarterly sober event for recovering students. Recreational swimming and snowshoeing trips to Crater Lake National Park, bowling tournaments and rope course outings help to create a larger sober network for students. By connecting people and schools statewide, these friendships benefit students after graduation, both socially and professionally, says Siebel. -Stefanie Botelho www.universitybusiness.com Millennial demand drives badging expansion Almost all U.S. colleges and universities now award certificates, digital badges and other forms of microcredentials so students can quickly show an employer specialized skills they've acquired. Driving this fast-growing trend are workforce millennials who want to learn, for instance, how to operate an Amazon delivery drone or repair a self-driving car without having to earn another degree, says James Fong, director of the Center for Research and Marketing Strategy at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. A generation immersed in social media, millennials are also drawn to the gamified aspect of collecting and displaying digital badges, says Fong, who recently completed a study on the growing influence of microcredentials (http:// UBmag.me/altcred) in higher ed. "If an institution is good at tech, I think badging will advance faster," Fong said. "At small, private liberal arts schools-which didn't embrace online education as quickly-the need for badging might not be as high." Stony Brook University on Long Island in New York has awarded 130 badges in its school of professional development since launching them just over a year ago. Most of the badges have gone to working professionals in HR management and higher ed administration. "You may be waiting two or four years years to earn a degree, but you're developing skills and knowledge along the way- badges make this knowledge visible," says Ken Lindblom, interim dean for the School of Professional Development. Badges earned are posted to an internal online platform. The students can add them to a resume or share them on social media; LinkedIn and Twitter are the most popular platforms at Stony Brook. When employers click on the badge, they are shown a detailed description of the skills and competencies developed. Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland has adapted its badge program to workforce needs. The college, in the last two years, has awarded hundreds of badges to students who have mastered various casino skills-such as blackjack dealing, says Charlene Templeton, the assistant dean for continuing education. The college has also granted about 140 badges in its English as a second language program. The badges give students an extra level of motivation to complete courses-the college has seen a jump in enrollment from its beginning to its intermediate ESL classes, she says. "You can present an employer with a résumé and it shows what you have collectively done over the years. But a badge shows there are specific things you have achieved." -Matt Zalaznick BADGING BREAKDOWN Fields in which most badges have been issued: Business Technology Education Health care 94% 1 in 5 Institutions offering alternative credentials Colleges and universities that issue badges Source: "Demographic Shifts in Educational Demand and the Rise of Alternative Credentials," University Professional and Continuing Education Association and Pearson, 2016 September 2016 | 13 http://www.UBmag.me/altcred http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business September 2016