The Achievement Center
Dean of Integrated Communication, Director of Credit for Prior Learning, Executive Director of Advancement and Corporate Engagement, Dean for the School of Business and IT, Career Services Director, faculty representation from the following programs: Business Management, Marketing & Sales, Chemistry, and Business
Project Purpose
Review and update the concept and goals of M State’s Achievement Center to leverage credit for prior learning and provide short-term, stackable credentials to equip learners with the competencies needed to thrive in a competitive workforce landscape.
The Center will:
- Define and/or refine the concept of essential skills needed to thrive in a competitive workforce landscape.
- Identify and remove barriers to provide learners with upward economic mobility.
- Explore clear, flexible and equitable pathways that can build to a degree.
- Partner with employers, the human service industry, and other funding sources to create a sustainable and cost-effective program.
Deliverables
Outcomes:
- Increase completion of short-term, flexible and stackable credentials by creating pathways for learners entering or re-entering the workforce.
- Increase completion for adult and part-time learners.
- Increase the number of business and industry partners.
Deliverables:
- Engage Partners - Identify criteria/domains for determining the engagement of external partners and assist in developing a means to strategically evaluate external partners (capacity and interest in engaging with the College). Identify and focus on creating relationships with partners that would benefit from both credit (academic) and non-credit (Workforce Development Solutions) offerings.
- Create Marketing/Branding/Story - Explore options for promoting The Achievement Center and M State stackable credentials, along with promotional tools and marketing collateral, in preparation for a fall 2025 launch.
- Identify Internal Partners - Identify which internal partners would facilitate the launch of those programs. Determine internal partners once programs are identified (e.g. dean, faculty, enrollment/student services, IT, etc.)
- Gather Stakeholder Input - Identify disciplines or programs that would benefit from symposiums to gather stakeholder input in further refining the Center programming. Make external visits to industry partners for the purpose of exploring programming needs and promotion.
- Raise Funds - Work with both foundations for support in raising $2 million dollars for the renovation of space on the Moorhead campus, acknowledging the programming can be delivered on all campuses.
Project Scope
In Scope
Credit courses, non-credit courses, credit for prior learning, facility space on the Moorhead campus, ELL and PDEV programming, external/third party partnerships to fund students, training on all campuses, high school programming.
Out of Scope
Funding for space on other campuses.
Constraints
Financial, staying within capacity of the pilot programming
Effectiveness Measures
Project Goals
Rebranding Workforce Development Solution and expanding offerings through the Achievement Center.
Key Performance Indicators/Metrics
Achieve benchmarks for fundraising, program development, new branding and product launch for fall 2025.
Metric Review
Ongoing increase in learning engagement and contract training.
Results Reporting
Through sales results in spring 2026 and ongoing.
Financial Impact
- $2 million space renovation costs will be offset by College’s foundations’ fundraising efforts.
- After initial investments, the Center aims to be self-sustaining and having a net positive financial gain for the institution by attracting new learners and increasing retention by bridging non-credit to credit stackable programs.
