Higher education is under growing pressure to offer faster, more flexible credential offerings beyond the traditional degree. For Higher Learning Commission President Barbara Gellman-Danley, the challenge for accreditors and academic leaders is to move fast and creatively without compromising standards.
“You’re serving an opportunity up to the students for more choice: degrees, microcredentials, reduced-credit degrees, et cetera,” Gellman-Danley says on The University Business Podcast. “What we all care about, though, is high quality.”
As the leader of the largest institutional accreditor in the country, Gellman-Danley is increasingly shaping how institutions and learners navigate the “wild, wild west” of the short-term credential marketplace. These programs have gained traction, particularly among nontraditional learners, because of their flexibility and workforce relevance.
The Credential Lab at HLC endorses third‑party microcredential providers by evaluating organizational reputation, workforce alignment and financial sustainability. The goal is to help learners better assess quality in a crowded market. HLC is also helping institutions develop noncredit offerings and pathways that can connect to credit-bearing programs.
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But faster completion times should not override rigor or student development, Gellman-Danley stresses.
“We’re not encouraging anyone to cut out durable skills. I don’t care what workforce experience a student may have; you have to be able to communicate and you have to be able to write.”
Leaders should not chase every emerging trend because new programs must fit the missions of academic departments and institutions, Gellman‑Danley says.
It comes down to institutional focus and change-oriented leadership. Senior leaders must gauge the influence of early adopters and those who are hesitant to innovate.
“Innovation is a broad term, as is transformation. It can be incremental,” she concludes. “Over time, you can make a really big difference in students’ lives.”
