Michelle Giovannozzi serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at Portland State University. In this role, she provides campus-wide leadership for digital learning, academic technology, instructional design, emerging education models, and innovative teaching and learning initiatives. In partnership with the teams she leads, Michelle ensures the strategic and effective development of academic resources and the integration of innovative technology. She collaborates with internal leaders and industry partners to advance Portland State’s educational and community impact.

Michelle previously served as the Director of Portland State’s Center for Executive and Professional Education. In this capacity, she provided strategic leadership for all aspects of center operations and the delivery of public and custom professional education programs, including student success, team leadership, long-term vision, competitive positioning, business development, financial management, research, and marketing.

Michelle has extensive experience in higher education, workforce, and economic development, with a passion for the intersection of education and business, including roles as an Executive Director and Director of Economic Development and Partnerships.  Her additional professional pursuits include delivering leadership coaching and team development training for corporate clients. Michelle Giovannozzi earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree from Seattle Pacific University, and she completed a fellowship with the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership.

In addition to her higher education leadership roles, Michelle was elected director and president of the Vancouver Public Schools’ Board, overseeing the district’s goals, operations, and policies. She also has held leadership positions for Leadership Clark County, the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools, the Citizens Committee for Good Schools, and the Princeton University Alumni Schools Committee.

Abstract

Building and Curating a Portfolio of Future-Ready Stackable Credentials

As new credentialing models emerge, such as micro-credentials and stackable programs, there is an opportunity for universities to expand and curate the credentials they offer to increase higher education’s relevance and impact on its students. Over 80% of students enroll in college to obtain a job, yet the perceived value of a college degree has declined. Companies such as Coursera, LinkedIn, and Google offer low-cost, short-term courses that are increasingly recognized as qualifications for employment.  Adults over the age of 25 represent roughly 40% of enrollment in U.S. higher education, and 36 million U.S. adults have some college but no degree. This audience seeks efficient, affordable, relevant education to advance their careers. According to a recent survey, 90% of students believe a micro-credential will help them stand out in the hiring process, and employers are 76% more likely to hire a candidate with an industry micro-credential. Universities can attract and serve additional adult students by offering credentials combined with a degree, even as traditional enrollments decline.

Rather than thinking of alternative credentials and degrees as an “either-or” choice, taking a “both-and” approach will increase opportunities for students and universities. With intentional design and thoughtful collaboration, alternative credentials can be stacked with degrees to take students from where they are to where they want to be in the future, advancing their career and social mobility in an affordable and accessible way. Stackable programs create a structure and process for students to engage in progressive learning throughout their careers and provide a mechanism for students to stop in and out when needed rather than drop out when family, job, or life conflicts arise.

Developing successful micro-credentials and stackable programs requires thinking outside the box, partnering with stakeholders across campus, and clearly defining and articulating alternative credentials’ definition, structure, administration, and governance. It is equally vital to communicate the distinction and benefits to students so they understand the value of engaging in stackable programs. 

Portland State University (PSU) Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation Michelle Giovannozzi will present a strategy, model, and systematic process for engaging campus stakeholders in creating micro-credentials and stackable programs. She will explain how PSU formed a Micro-Credential Advisory Council (MAC) to provide oversight, governance, and quality control for alternative credentials in the context of existing for-credit certificates, courses, and degrees. AVP Giovannozzi will explain how the Council developed a lexicon, framework, and process for micro-credentials and began developing a portfolio of curricular and co-curricular micro-credentials eligible for digital badges. 

The presentation will explain how cross-campus stakeholders such as the faculty, registrar, career services, library, and teaching and learning professionals can work together to curate university credentials. She will also explain how aligning alternative credentials with degrees to create stackable programs can reduce overlap and redundancy and reduce low-enrolled programs while advancing career readiness and lifelong learning for students.

1 Gallagher, S. "It’s Time to Reboot Our Thinking About Adult Learners in a Digitally Transformed World." EdSurge, Aug 11, 2021.

2 “4 ways micro-credentials and skills-based hiring can help displaced workers access jobs of the future.” World Economic Forum, May 1, 2023.