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By Autumn Walden, Editor, ̽»¨Â¥ Connect, Content Strategy Manager, ̽»¨Â¥, and Johnika Nixon, Doctoral Student and ̽»¨Â¥ Learning Mobility Project Manager and ASCEND Program Coordinator
Can 500 people change the way transfer time-to-decision works? We’ve launched the ̽»¨Â¥ National Learning Mobility Challenge: Improving Transfer Time-to-Decision for finding the answer—but solving transfer time-to-decision is only one piece of a larger vision. At the center of this work is the concept of Learning Mobility and the Learning Mobility Lab. The challenge offers a roadmap for how institutions and partners can impact learner outcomes by reducing barriers, speeding up learning recognition, and documenting the value of prior learning.
Improving Transfer Time-To-Decision Starts Now
"The stakes are too high to maintain status quo approaches when extended time to degree, increased costs, and reduced completion rates disproportionately impact first-generation learners, learners of color, and economically disadvantaged learners—the very people higher education should empower," said Dr. Wendy Kilgore, Senior Director of Research at ̽»¨Â¥. "The most important change we want to see is a fundamental shift from designing systems around institutional convenience to creating flexible pathways that recognize learning wherever it occurs, to embracing a learner-centered innovation where systems, processes, and initiatives are designed around learners' needs and interests at every stage of their journey."
The Learning Mobility Challenge, launched in partnership with the , is designed to:
Introduce improvement science to a large audience of higher education practitioners.
Open-source the first national dataset related to the transfer student admissions process, identifying variation and opportunities for improvement.
Build a culture of rapid, continuous improvement and data-informed decision-making.
Explore existing proven interventions and discover new reliable solutions that increase transfer student enrollment rates.
Learn from real-world case studies of institutions that have successfully accelerated innovation and change.
What’s Happening Now and What’s Next
We are excited to share that at present, we have approximately 270 higher education colleagues representing 150 institutions who’ve . For those who’ve expressed interest by signing up, the wait is almost over. For those who are on the fence, take the leap with us. For ALL—members and nonmembers, corporate partners, and more—there are two virtual launch events you should attend to learn more about the Challenge.
NASH and ̽»¨Â¥ will facilitate a series of webinars and office hours starting on October 1, where colleagues drop in to learn more and to get their questions answered.
There’s still time to express interest by signing up, . After signing up, you will be welcomed into our Challenge portal, where you can explore more about:
Building Upon a Strong Foundation of Research and Innovation
This challenge kicks off the growing momentum of a larger ecosystem of initiatives under the Learning Mobility Lab, a series of collective initiatives that align our ongoing efforts in advocacy and policy, technology and workforce alignment, innovative credentials, and more—formerly referred to as ̽»¨Â¥ “Signature Initiatives.” You may have heard of a few: LER Accelerator, Project Infuse, and Groningen Network.
Complementing the Learning Mobility Lab is The Assembly, the cornerstone annual summit of the Learning Mobility Lab community and the next evolution of ̽»¨Â¥’s longstanding Technology and Transfer conferences. To bring it full circle, the Learning Mobility Challenge for Improving Transfer Time-to-Decision serves as the springboard for the first focus of The Assembly in 2026: to reimagine the systems and structures that shape transfer time-to-decision.
You Can Be Part of The Solution: Join Us Today
The work of Learning Mobility is not done in silos. We highly encourage institutional teams to and experience this challenge together. If you have any questions, email LearningMobility@aacrao.org.