Lifetime Education Innovation
The American workforce is in flux like never before, from rapidly advancing technology, to longer lives and longer careers. As a result, universities are under pressure to supply its learners with new skills and competencies to keep pace with career realities. At Georgia Tech, we are leveraging our roots in technological innovation to meet this challenge.
From degrees-at-scale to flexible learning experiences and alternative credentials, Georgia Tech Professional Education has been a driver of change in lifetime education. Here are the ways we created new knowledge and shared it with our learners, campus partners, and peers in higher education in 2019.
Symposium for Degrees-at-Scale
The fourth Affordable Degrees-at-Scale Symposium was held in September at the Global Learning Center. Our signature event is designed to share Georgia Tech's expertise in delivering online degrees-at-scale. As many as 106 attendees from higher education institutions all over the country attended, an increase of 86% over the last two years. In addition, nearly half of the featured speakers were represented by higher ed peers who have delivered and developed their own degrees-at-scale programs.
Knowledge Sharing
Throughout the year, members of the GTPE executive leadership team as well as staff members take part in initiatives, activities, and events beyond Georgia Tech to raise awareness of the Institute's leadership in higher education and GTPE's role in professional and continuing education.
GTPE's executive leaders and staff members played a prominent role at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) Annual Conference this March in Seattle. As the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education, UPCEA serves public and private colleges and universities across North America.
New UPCEA President
Dean Nelson Baker was inaugurated as the association's president for 2019-2020. In this role, he will lead UPCEA members as they work with their institutions to navigate change in higher ed and explore ways to bring transformaitonal education to lifelong learners.
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Outstanding Service Award
Patrice Miles, assistant dean, was awarded the Walton S. Bittner Service Citation, in appreciation of outstanding service in professional, continuing, and online education.
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Marketing Success Story
GTPE Marketing & Digital Strategy Team members, Chris Walker, Mont Rogers, and Stephen Fain, presented Marketing at Scale: Optimizing and Personalizing the Learner's Journey, an overview of GTPE's research-driven marketing approach, from program launch through learner acquisition.
Learn moreDatabase for In-Demand Skills
The National Science Foundation's Convergence Accelerator awarded Georgia Tech a grant of $499,753 to develop the Competency Catalyst project in conjunction with the University System of Georgia. The funding will support the creation of a skills database to help working professionals identify emerging tech areas, arming workers with the ability to identify skills gaps and a path for continued learning, training, or reskilling. Steve Harmon, associate dean of research, will oversee the project.
Transformation Readiness
Georgia Tech, the American Council on Education (ACE), and Huron surveyed nearly 500 leaders at four-year, nonprofit colleges and universities to better understand their preparedness for the evolving higher education landscape. The collective research was shared in a report released in October. Dean Nelson Baker and Richard DeMillo, executive director of the Georgia Tech's Center for 21st Century Universities, were among the key contributors behind the report.
Lifetime Learning in the News
With many employees now extending their stay in the workforce, it’s becoming more important to adopt a pattern of lifetime learning. Georgia Tech experts authored several articles in 2019 discussing the future of higher education.
