Arkansas Tech University’s Pursuit of a Single Credentialing Platform

Learn how Arkansas Tech University elevated diplomas and certificates by moving to a digital solution that meets the needs of staff and students.

Arkansas Tech University knew what they wanted, they just didn’t know how to get there. For years, their goal was to issue both digital and print diplomas and certificates. But without a funding solution, it wasn’t going to happen unless they got creative.

A Creative Solution to Funding

For Tammy Weaver, Registrar at Arkansas Tech University, the idea of issuing digital diplomas and certificates was appealing. Still, it took a lot of work to see a path forward. Due to funding and budget constraints, it wasn’t feasible to add another line item to her budget. “We wanted to jump on board with a single credentialing platform for a while, but we didn’t have the financing”, said Tammy. Arkansas Tech University had been utilizing Parchment for many years as its transcript platform, which was the key to unlocking their ability to navigate the budget issue. “When we realized we could fund diplomas and certificates through our transcript fee, it made all the sense in the world.”

But the details were critical. Arkansas Tech University took pride in keeping transcript request costs low for students. When they began running the numbers, they realized that a single credentialing platform for all their credentials was within reach without burdening their students with an exorbitant increase in the fee for transcript requests. According to Tammy, “The opportunity to slightly increase the cost of our transcripts and not have another line item in our budget was the best thing about this. And our transcripts are still very affordable. It was a no-brainer for us, really.” Anyone who has worked at a college or university knows that funding is always a tough conversation, but with a single credentialing platform to fit their needs, Arkansas Tech was able to seamlessly implement a digital solution for diplomas and certificates without asking for an increase to their budget. “We have a zero-dollar contract through Parchment for our diplomas and certificates. Without this level of financial flexibility, it just wasn’t going to happen”, explains Tammy.

Increased Student Engagement & Analytics

While Tammy Weaver and her team were excited about issuing digital credentials, they weren’t sure what to expect. Were digital credentials something that students would get excited about? What were the tangible benefits for students? In the Spring 2023 term, ATU issued 1,600 digital diplomas and certificates, of which 500+ were shared via social platforms. Tammy describes the student experience with digital credentials, “They are so happy to be getting the diploma quicker, and they are sharing it on social platforms. It’s huge for them to share their accomplishment broadly, and that’s born out in the data.”

The ability for students to claim and share their credential has also granted ATU insight into what was previously hidden. When diplomas and certificates were mailed, the Registrar’s Office didn’t have any sightlines into what the students did with their credentials. Now, ATU can see the engagement between students and their credentials. Tammy explains, “We get to see the analytics of students claiming and sharing their digital credentials. That’s been really impactful for us. To be able to show this level of student engagement as part of our assessment plan in the Registrar’s Office has been phenomenal. We just didn’t have any data when we were mailing paper copies. Now, we can see that these credentials are valuable and that the students are excited about earning an Arkansas Tech credential and that it means something to them.”

Increased Student Engagement & Analytics

While Tammy Weaver and her team were excited about issuing digital credentials, they weren’t sure what to expect. Were digital credentials something that students would get excited about? What were the tangible benefits for students? In the Spring 2023 term, ATU issued 1,600 digital diplomas and certificates, of which 500+ were shared via social platforms. Tammy describes the student experience with digital credentials, “They are so happy to be getting the diploma quicker, and they are sharing it on social platforms. It’s huge for them to share their accomplishment broadly, and that’s born out in the data.”

The ability for students to claim and share their credential has also granted ATU insight into what was previously hidden. When diplomas and certificates were mailed, the Registrar’s Office didn’t have any sightlines into what the students did with their credentials. Now, ATU can see the engagement between students and their credentials. Tammy explains, “We get to see the analytics of students claiming and sharing their digital credentials. That’s been really impactful for us. To be able to show this level of student engagement as part of our assessment plan in the Registrar’s Office has been phenomenal. We just didn’t have any data when we were mailing paper copies. Now, we can see that these credentials are valuable and that the students are excited about earning an Arkansas Tech credential and that it means something to them.”

Improved Staff Productivity

In addition to increased student engagement, utilizing Parchment for digital and print credentials saved Tammy and her staff valuable time and resources. “What I’m seeing is an incredible time savings for our staff. It’s a stark contrast from our previous process where we had to worry about paper, ink and printers. All of that is time-consuming and expensive. None of that is a stress anymore”, Tammy said. The benefits of a more efficient process are felt in many ways, primarily being able to

provide better customer service and the ability to focus on more rewarding tasks within the Registrar’s Office. “We feel more equipped to address more strategic items. There is nothing wrong with stuffing an envelope, but our time is better spent on other things. This is a process that would take us days, now it takes minutes. That’s invaluable”, Tammy said. The process to issue credentials is merely a few clicks away.

The Benefits of a Single Credentialing Platform

Beyond the efficiency of the tool itself, Tammy found value in working with one partner for ATU’s credentialing. “For our office, working with all our different technology providers is considerable. It’s beneficial to work with one partner like Parchment. And for our students, they know Parchment is the place where they can access their credentials. Communicating with them is much easier knowing we have a one-stop shop”, Tammy explains.

The ability for a student to have one central location for all of their ATU credentials was also appealing. The goal is to make credentials more transparent, portable and accessible throughout the journey of the learner. Tammy describes how a single credentialing platform fits with the mission of ATU, “We have a lot of different degree programs at Arkansas Tech, and we view our institution as a place where anyone can learn. We hope folks come back for a Master’s Degree or a Doctorate degree later in life. For students to have a credential profile in Parchment fits our institutional mission to support lifelong learning.”

There’s always more to learn.