ASSESSING CO-CURRICULAR
TRANSCRIPTS COMBINED WITH
THE ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Rodney L. Parks, Ph. D.
Should we extend the Academic Transcript by
adding a Co-curricular record?
•  Need Based
•  Growing demand to identify student experiences on academic
transcript without credit
•  Transcript no longer a credential that fully describes the full set
of academic experiences
•  Combining the two transcripts paints a very different picture of
student achievement and 4-year education
•  Transcript should match the vision of the institution (Study
Abroad, Service Learning, Internship, Research, and
Leadership)
Value of the CCT
•  “Co-curricular and competency-based transcripts innovate at the level of
content and substance, extending the academic transcript” (Pittinsky, 2014).
•  “An employer needs to see the ‘experiences’ gained by a potential job
candidate and not just a random list of courses taken” (CupaHR, 2014).
•  “Traditional student transcripts tell us what kind of classroom learning has
taken place, but they don’t capture all the different ways in which a student
gains knowledge, skills, and abilities. In today’s work world, experiential
learning is just as important as academics” (CupaHR, 2014).
•  “Traditional four-year college experience can be an exploratory time for
students to discover their passions and test ideas and values with the help of
teachers and peers. If a degree is really about developing a whole person, and
preparing them with humanistic education that will serve them in a very
dynamic career landscape, surely a ledger of courses and grades alone is a
poor reflection of that experience” (DelBanco, 2013).
What is the Elon Experiences Transcript?
•  Created in 1994 – the transcript seeks to deepen the
documentation of the student experience by recording
participation in five key program areas.
•  Global Experience/Study Abroad
•  Service
•  Leadership
•  Internships
•  Research
Study Demographics
•  Purpose of the study
•  105 Employers/Universities
•  142 Students
•  How the information was collected
•  Why ask students?
•  Time for some results!
Employer and University Participants
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
100
Experiential transcripts paint a different picture of
candidates/applicants than academic transcripts
(Employer/University)
Favorably
90
80
70
47
60
Somewhat
Favorably
Indifferent
50
40
30
45
20
10
Unfavorably
16
0
Negative
Neutral
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
Experiential transcripts paint a different picture of
candidates/applicants than academic transcripts (Student)
140
Favorably
120
100
53
80
Somewhat
Favorably
Indifferent
60
40
69
20
0
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Unfavorably
4
1
Negative
15
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
70
Experiential transcript information causes me/us to view
applications/candidates more favorably than applicants who
submit academic transcripts alone (Employer/University)
Favorably
60
31
50
40
Somewhat
Favorably
Indifferent
30
20
37
35
10
0
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Unfavorably
2
3
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
140
Experiential transcript information causes me/us to view
applications/candidates more favorably than applicants
who submit academic transcripts alone (Student)
Favorably
120
100
55
80
Somewhat
Favorably
Indifferent
60
40
63
20
0
Unfavorably
23
1
Negative
Neutral
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
80
Including an experiential transcript along with an academic
transcript improves a candidate/applicant’s chances of
acceptance/employment/award (Employer/University)
Favorably
70
60
31
50
Indifferent
40
30
20
37
39
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Unfavorably
10
0
Somewhat
Favorably
1
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
120
Including an experiential transcript along with an academic
transcript improves a candidate/applicant’s chances of
acceptance/employment/award (Student)
Favorably
100
50
80
Indifferent
60
40
64
20
0
Somewhat
Favorably
Unfavorably
25
3
Negative
Neutral
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
My organization/institution requires/requests portfolios
from applicants/candidates (Employer/University)
70
Always
60
50
Often
32
40
Sometimes
30
20
30
10
10
22
14
0
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Rarely
Never
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
My organization/institution requires/requests portfolios
from applicants/candidates (Student)
60
Always
50
18
40
Often
23
30
Sometimes
46
20
32
10
Rarely
23
Never
0
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
90
Experiential transcripts allow for a candidate/applicant’s
experiences to be more easily verified (Employer/
University)
Always
80
70
37
60
50
Sometimes
40
30
45
20
10
0
Often
6
1
Negative
19
Neutral
Rarely
Never
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
Experiential transcripts allow for a candidate/applicant’s
experiences to be more easily verified (Student)
120
Always
100
80
49
60
Sometimes
40
Rarely
53
20
0
Often
35
Never
5
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
45
Information contained within experiential transcripts is
used in making hiring/admissions decisions(Employer/
University)
Always
40
11
35
Often
30
25
14
Sometimes
20
33
15
10
31
Rarely
19
5
Never
0
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
Information contained within experiential transcripts is
used in making hiring/admissions decisions(Student)
90
Always
80
70
27
60
50
Sometimes
40
30
49
20
10
Often
52
Never
14
0
Negative
Rarely
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
80
Receiving experiential transcripts for more candidates/
applicants would be helpful to our hiring/admissions
process (Employer/University)
Strongly
Agree
70
60
24
Agree
50
Neutral
40
30
45
20
10
0
28
9
2
Negative
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
120
Receiving experiential transcripts for more candidates/
applicants would be helpful to our hiring/admissions
process (Student)
Favorably
100
80
40
Indifferent
60
40
58
20
0
Somewhat
Favorably
33
8
3
Negative
Neutral
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Unfavorably
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
60
It would be helpful for experiential transcripts to be in a
standardized/machine readable format for the purpose of
data extraction (Employer/University)
Favorably
50
26
40
Indifferent
30
42
20
29
10
0
Somewhat
Favorably
Unfavorably
8
3
Negative
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Neutral
Positive
Feedback on the Impact of the EET
120
It would be helpful for experiential transcripts to be in a
standardized/machine readable format for the purpose of
data extraction (Student)
Favorably
100
41
80
Indifferent
60
40
67
20
0
Somewhat
Favorably
Unfavorably
30
3
1
Negative
Neutral
Somewhat
Unfavorably
Positive
What specific information on experiential transcripts is
most useful to you in making admissions/hiring/award
decisions (Employer/University)?
Coded Reason
N
Percent
Blank/NA/Unsure
19
9.4
Study Abroad
10
5
Leadership Positions
36
18
Verification of Experiences
18
8.9
Service Hours
18
8.9
Internships
27
13.4
All Around Useful
23
11.4
Research
15
7.4
Unclear
10
5
Student Organizations Student is Affiliated
13
6.4
Miscellaneous Others
13
6.4
Total
202
What additional information would be helpful to see on
experiential transcripts(Employer/University)?
Coded Reason
N
Percent
Blank/NA/Unsure
16
34.8
Campus Employment
2
4.4
More of a description/Information
16
34.8
Memberships for Clubs and Honor Societies
3
6.5
Information is Great – No Change
3
6.5
College Athletics
2
4.4
Needs Grades Added
1
2.4
Positions Held or Accomplishments
3
6.5
Total
46
What specific information on experiential transcripts is
most useful to you in making admissions/hiring/award
decisions (Student)?
Coded Reason
N
Percent
Blank/NA/Unsure
27
13.7
Study Abroad
17
8.6
Leadership Positions
28
14.2
Verification of Experiences
15
7.6
Service Hours
32
16.2
Internships
29
14.7
All Around Useful
16
8.1
Seeing the Hours
9
4.6
Research
15
7.6
Miscellaneous Others
11
5.6
Total
197
What additional information would be helpful to see on
experiential transcripts (Student)?
Coded Reason
N
Percent
Blank/NA/Unsure
16
34.8
Campus Employment
2
4.4
References
16
34.8
Leadership in Positions Outside of EET
3
6.5
Memberships in Clubs and Honor Societies
3
6.5
Information is Great – No Changes
2
4.4
Positions Held
1
2.4
Volunteer Service
3
6.5
Miscellaneous Others
10
Selected Employer Quotes
•  “Format is very important. If I have to search for it, I may decide to
stop looking”
•  “shows more of a full picture of the candidate – not just that they get
great grades, but that they were interested in various other aspects of
life. “The combined information displays the versatility of a candidate
and may display info not covered in an interview that might serve to
give one candidate the edge they need to stand out against the
other.”
•  “I liked all of the information that was included on the experiential
transcript. Along with the academic transcript, it provides a total story
of the student!”
•  “The experiential transcript likely won’t impact my hiring decisions as
an employer, but it would likely positively impact my decision-making
process for bringing someone in for the interview. Gaining an
understanding of what a student took advantage of at school outside
of the classroom is often hit or miss based solely off a resume or
academic transcript. It also provides something most employers don’t
see”
So What Does it all Mean?
•  Gut reactions?
•  Discussion
•  Themes
•  Where do we go from here?
Future Research – Building a strong CCT
•  Verifiable data
•  Be able to demonstrate depth
•  Credit hours academically but what about experientially? We
currently use semesters and frequency
•  Provide enough information so the reader understands
the nature of the experience
•  People don’t spend a lot of time reviewing transcripts so keep that
in mind when you build them
What impact will social media have?
Contact Information
Rodney Parks, Registrar
[email protected]
336-278-6670
Information Page for Other Institutions
http://www.elon.edu/e-web/students/elon_experiences/
otherins.xhtml
References
Cupahr. (2014, June 26). A new student transcript model
showcases experiential learning [Blog post]. Retrieved
from http://blog.cupahr.org/?s=elon
Jackson, N. M. (2014, August). E-transcript acceleration.
University Business, pp. 68-70.
Kuh, G. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What
they are, who has access to them, and why they matter.
Washington, D.C.: American Association of Colleges
and Universities.
Pittinsky, M. (2014). Extending the transcript. Retrieved
September 29, 2014 from
https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/02/10/e
ssay-calls-broader-concept-transcripts