American Council on Education Unveils Alternative Credit Project Course Pool
Capella University and Sophia Learning Participating in Initiative to Help Nontraditional Learners Gain College Degrees and Credentials
MINNEAPOLIS, November 5, 2015—The American Council on Education (ACE) recently announced the pool of courses selected as part of ACE’s Alternative Credit Project,™ a groundbreaking initiative to boost the ability of millions of nontraditional learners to gain a college degree.
The 111 low- or no-cost, lower-division general education online courses were submitted by a group of non-accredited course providers, including Sophia Learning, a subsidiary of Capella Education Company, chosen to participate in the Alternative Credit Project. Forty colleges, universities and systems, including Capella University, are taking part in the project and have agreed to grant credit after a rigorous evaluation of the academic content for a large number of these courses, which include disciplines such as business, critical thinking and writing, foreign language, humanities, mathematics and natural and physical sciences.
“This is an important step for an initiative that already has significantly increased our body of knowledge about the most effective ways to increase the number of Americans able to earn a college degree or credential by using education, training and life experiences gained outside a formal classroom,” said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad.
“We’re proud to partner with the American Council on Education to help adult learners achieve their educational goals,” Capella University President Scott Kinney said. “According to the Department of Education, over 85% of college students are not first-time, full-time students. Capella is deeply committed to increasing access to high-quality degree programs for these nontraditional students who are balancing the demands of career, family, community and their education.”
ACE will be collecting anonymized data from participating institutions regarding the number of credits each institution accepts through this project as well as progress and success rates of students who transfer in consortium-approved courses.
The project is made possible by a $1.89 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
About Capella University
Capella University (www.capella.edu) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1993, the university is dedicated to providing flexible, professionally aligned online degree programs designed to help working adults advance in their careers. As of June 30, 2015, more than 37,000 students were enrolled in Capella’s bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs, with over 70 percent in its graduate programs. Known for its commitment to learner success, academic quality and innovations in online education, Capella pioneered competency-based direct assessment programs allowing students to learn at their own pace. Capella University is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company (NASDAQ: CPLA). For more information, call 1.888.CAPELLA (888.227.3552).
About ACE
Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.