Conversation Outline : Rick Torres, CEO National Student Clearinghouse

1. Conversation Outline : Rick Torres, CEO National Student Clearinghouse Connecting learners records : Highlighting the need to create better frameworks for cross border credential comparability A look at specific examples between US and China Overview of US credential production Examples of comparability issues Building a better process going forward Bridge building meeting in DC Oct 13, 2016

2. Nearly 4mln new degrees are awarded annually

3. Reverse Transfer - FL Additionally 800K higher education certificates are awarded Many recipients also have traditional degrees in addition to these certificates These can be stacked and can become an additive credential to the concepts that underlie existing reverse transfer mechanisms Source: Complete College America

4. The Industry and Professional Certification Market is also large and growing: I.e.: tech… According to CompTia there are ~2.0mln tech certification holders and growing and now we also have Boot camps awarding industry certifications as well.

5. 46% of 1.9mln Students Completing Degrees at 4-Year Institutions had Previous Community College Enrollment % of Degrees Awarded in 2013/14

6. A Growing Number of Students Who Earn Bachelor’s Degrees are Starting with Associate’s

7. Percent of Baccalaureate recipients with prior Associate degree by US citizenship Status

8. Some examples of articulation complexity US – China: Traditional education • Student A • Enrolls in community college and completes an associates degree (60 credits) in two years with a 4.0 GPA. • Student automatically transfers to a 4 year institution, all credits accepted and completes baccalaureate in 2 more years • Student B • Enrolls in community college and completes an associates degree (60 credits) in two years with a 4.0 GPA. • Student returns to China How would these student’s academic work be evaluated in China?

9. Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange An Introduction to the Overseas AcademicCredentialEvaluation Service Oct. 2016

10. Key functions of CSCSE • Supporting Chinese students to go to study overseas • Promoting Chinese higher education • Attracting Chinese students to return from overseas • Evaluating overseas qualifications of higher education www.themegallery.com

11. Regulated Professions Employability City Residence Further Study Why overseas credentials get evaluated Overseas Credential Evaluation Voluntary application

12. 1. 2. Verifying the authenticity of the credential 3. Providing professional advice on the qualification level 4. Issuing written assessment reports Overseas credentials evaluation is about: Verifying the status of the overseas H.E.I. www.themegallery.com

13. The Chinese higher education is not simple for US

14. 1. 2. Verifying the authenticity of the credential 3. Providing professional advice on the qualification level 4. Issuing written assessment reports Associate degree comparability is an issue • Student B – Associates degree only returns to China • 2yr school accredited • Program accredited • Equivalent to Chinese technical certificate; test required for 4 year schools; no auto transfer • Student A – Associates degree followed by baccalaureate degree • 4yr school accredited • Program accredited • Comparable to Chinese Baccalaureate 120 credits Verifying the status of the overseas H.E.I.

15. Higher level degrees also create confusion • LAW: • JD is terminal credential in US for law; seen as masters level credential in China • Medicine: • MD and PhD are both medical degrees in the US (though different levels are paid similarly in the marketplace in several disciplines). In China two different levels and paid differentially. • Physical therapy is offered in the US at associates, baccalaureate, masters and PhD level, is it a vocational, technical or academic degree. • Performance Arts: • Is earning a masters degree in Dance a technical or academic degree

16. www.themegallery.com Building a better process going forward • Meeting held in Washington DC on Oct 13 • Topics addressed: Improve understanding of: • Professional and performing arts degrees: comparabilities • Associates degrees: academic value • Attendees: • China: CSCSE • US: Community college sector, 4 year sector, accreditors (regional and program); AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers); National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) as a moderator

17. www.themegallery.com Building a better process going forward • Next steps: Collaboration, partnership, advisory • Community colleges (CC), AACRAO to provide better guidance/advice to transferability of associates degrees pathways within the US to prospective students via CSCSE • CSCSE has offered to help CC create comprehensive university level curriculum to help elevate local perceptions of CC programs • CSCSE to work closely with US professional program accrediting bodies to better understand, by professional discipline, the comparability of the credentials to the Chinese system. • This will lead to building an assessment framework