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SIU System Faculty Survey

Across the SIU System, faculty teach, assess, and support a wide range of skills based, experiential, and workforce relevant learning—often embedded within courses, co‑curricular activities, professional training, or noncredit offerings. In many cases, this learning already functions like a microcredential, even if it is not formally labeled as such.

This survey is designed to help the SIU System:

  • Identify existing credential ready‑ learning
  • Recognize and scale faculty developed‑ skills and competencies
  • Explore how microcredentials can contribute to a Learning and Employment Record (LER)—a learner controlled, digital record that documents verified skills, competencies, and achievements in ways that are meaningful to students, employers, and graduate programs
Results will inform System level‑ strategy while also supporting campus specific‑ pathways and options.

A microcredential is a competency or skills-based recognition that demonstrates mastery of clearly defined learning outcomes. Microcredentials‑ may be credit or noncredit, may be issued as digital badges, and may stand alone or stack into larger credentials such as certificates, degrees, and be validated and documented through an LER.
1.Campus affiliation
2.School / College / Department:
3.Email (optional, if you are willing to be contacted for follow-up)
4.Before this survey, how familiar were you with microcredentials or digital badges (short, skill‑focused credentials such as certificates or badges)?
5.Are you currently involved in any of the following activities that could support microcredentials or evidence that could enhance a LER?
(Check all that apply)
6.Do you believe any of your existing courses, modules, programs, or activities already produce learning that would be advantageous to a student if documented as certificate, microcredential (e.g., digital badge) or other evidence on a Learning and Employment Record (LER)?
7.If you answered “Yes” or “Possibly,” please briefly describe the course, module, or activity.
8.What skills, competencies, or knowledge areas in your discipline—whether already taught or newly proposed—could be recognized through microcredentials and potentially included in a student’s LER?
(These may be delivered through credit courses, noncredit courses, co‑curricular activities, or professional training.)
Examples: digital literacy, teamwork, specific elements of data analysis, lab safety, project management, digital marketing, research design, AI tools, regulatory compliance.
9.How would you characterize these skills?
10.Who would benefit most from having these skills documented as microcredentials or in an LER?
(Check all that apply)
11.Based on your experience working with students and connecting with employers, which delivery format would be most effective for student learning and completion?
12.Estimated total time to complete an ideal or typical microcredential for students:
(Please think about a single, well‑designed microcredential rather than multiple variations.)
13.Would you be interested in learning more about LERs?
14.If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, please indicate which modality you prefer:
15.What employer, industry, workforce, or professional needs would these microcredentials or LER documented‑ skills address?
16.Would you be willing to help design, refine, or validate learning outcomes for microcredentials or LER documented skills if institutional or system level‑ support were available?
17.What types of support or recognition would make you more likely to formalize existing work for microcredentials or inclusion in an LER?
(Check all that apply)
18.The SIU System has access to external professional certificates and credential platforms. Which types of credentials would you consider integrating into courses, programs, or LER aligned‑ pathways?
(Check all that apply)
19.SIU has access to a comprehensive offering of Google Certificates

Certificates take approximately 120-160 hours to complete and are usually evaluated and approved by American Council on Education for college credit.

For the Google Certificates listed below, indicate any that you would be interested in incorporating into an existing course(s). CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
20.SIU has access to a comprehensive offering of Google specializations

Specializations take approximately 8-12 hours to complete and are not evaluated for college credit at this time.

For the Google specializations listed below, indicate any that you would be interested in incorporating into an existing course(s).
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
21.Would you be interested in completing any of these microcredentials as part of professional development?
22.Please share any additional thoughts, or ideas related to microcredentials, skills based learning, or‑ Learning and Employment Records across the SIU System.