Elon University Launches New Credential with Parchment: The Elon Academy Transcript

For years, Elon University has been at the forefront of innovating the form and function of academic credentials. We are proud to now be launching another innovative transcript, this time, the Elon Academy Transcript.

The Elon Academy is a non-profit college access and success program for academically-promising high school students in Alamance County with a financial need and/or no family history of college. The Academy includes three consecutive summer residential experiences prior to the start of their sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school, as well as year-round Saturday programs for students and families. The summer following high school graduation, scholars and families participate in the Elon Academy Transitions to College Program. Once on their respective college campuses, Elon Academy graduates and families are provided with continuing support through the Elon Academy College Success Program to bolster college completion rates.

The mission of the Elon Academy is to inspire underrepresented, yet academically promising, students to pursue higher education, build leadership skills, and develop an active sense of social responsibility. The Elon Academy began in 2007 and has enjoyed increasing success. In 2015, Elon University Registrar Dr. Rodney Parks saw the opportunity to give these students a unique advantage by transcribing their summer college preparatory experiences. Inspired by the recent growth of stackable credentials, Parks vision evolved into the new “Elon Academy Transcript”. Terry Tomasek, Elon Academy Director and Associate Professor of Education, was eager to advance the idea of documenting summer coursework and direct service hours for Academy students. Dr. Tomasek provided the functional components of the credential, including course and instructor information, course numbering, and historical participation data.

Myself, Melissa Holmes, Assistant Registrar for Technology, and Doug McIntyre, Senior Technical Specialist, developed all technical aspects of the new program in Colleague, the University’s student information system. After months of building, testing, and preparing for the 2016 cohort graduation, the Registrar’s Office is excited to present the 2016 Elon Academy graduating class the new Elon Academy Transcript. These students now have a verified credential reflecting all three summers of their participation, replete with their coursework, service, and co-curricular experiences.

The Elon Academy Transcript will serve Academy students well, adding an impressive dimension to admission packets. It may also give them an advantage over other applicants when applying for part-time jobs in the community or on campus. Elon Academy Students also have the option to request their Elon Experiences Transcript, which complements in-class experiences with a record of their service hours worked while attending the Academy. Together, these credentials constitute a well-rounded view of each student’s experiences, replacing a purely anecdotal record. The new transcript also opens the possibility of institutional evaluation for prior-learning credit.

The Elon Academy Transcript is the newest addition to Parchment’s array of document solutions offered to Elon learners. It can be delivered electronically to any admissions office in the country, professionally portraying the accomplishments of Elon Academy students in an authentic watermarked document.

There’s always more to learn.