NECHE Lumina Credential Recognition Grant

In Fall 2022, the New England Commission of Higher Education received a one-year grant from the Lumina Foundation to develop a quality assurance framework and process for non-credit, credential granting organizations.  NECHE has created a taskforce comprised of educators from six of its member institutions.  The Taskforce will work over the next year to advance the grant’s goals and deliverables.

Grant Funder:

            Lumina Foundation

Grant Timeline:

11/1/2022 – 10/31/2023

Project Goals:

  • Define a common nomenclature for non-credit programs and credentials, defining the scope of offerings that will be encompassed in this new recognition process;
  • Develop a draft addendum to the Standards for Accreditation that will serve as a framework for assuring the quality of an institution’s non-credit programs and credentials;
  • Develop a process for periodic evaluation of an institution’s non-credit offerings;
  • Create a set of case studies based on the six institutions participating in the task force;
  • Develop a framework that could be used for quality assurance and recognition of non-traditional providers.

Activities and Timeline:

  • Six institutions and team members identified to participate in Taskforce (Nov 30, 2022)
  • Kickoff Meeting with Teams (December/January 2023)
  • In-Person Meetings (Spring and Summer 2023)
  • Draft addendum to Standards for Accreditation and process for periodic evaluation developed for Commission review and possible adoption (June 2023)
  • Framework for non-traditional providers developed (October 2023)
  • Case Studies developed (October 2023)

Project Deliverables:

  • White Paper with Case Studies (November 2023)
  • Evaluation Report (November 2023)
  • Presentation at NECHE Annual Meeting (December 2023)
  • Addendum to NECHE Standards for Accreditation (September 2023)

Participating Institutions and Team Members:

  • Bunker Hill Community College
  • Central Connecticut State University
  • Great Bay Community College
  • Holyoke Community College
  • Northern Essex Community College
  • Rhode Island College

Project Consultant:

            Sean Gallagher, Northeastern University

If you have any questions about the NECHE Lumina Credential Recognition Grant, please contact Laura Gambino (lgambino@neche.org) or Paula Harbecke (pharbecke@neche.org).

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