MCO Pilot Project Outcomes

Course Aggregator (MCO Course Extraction and Integration Tool) – Software that will identify equivalent course sections that meet the requirements for multiple colleges and curricula, enable students to view real time course availability. The tool will integrate with the colleges’ registration system for course availability. (Exhibit A)

Improved Infrastructure – New robust registration system, that allows for automatic enrollments into desired courses through the MCO website.

Improved Analytics – Data warehouse that supports enrollment requests, enrollment completions, top courses enrolled, daily enrollment reports/data feed, non-complete enrollments and website analytics.

Digital Credential Pathway Tool – A career planning tool that enables a student to develop a personalized map for an academic path, skills path and experience path. (Exhibit B)

Course/Object Repository – A Michigan-based learning object repository that supports instructional design processes through the discovery and integration of open-source content. Supports content scaffolding, peer discovery and collaboration and workspace sharing.

Collaborative Help Desk – A help desk that supports student inquiries by utilizing a shared service model.

Improved Financial Aid Process – Upgrade the financial aid tool and process to allow for quicker enrollments of students with financial aid.

Collaborative Early Alert System – Develop a student relationship management system that supports the student engagement lifecycle. Develop a faculty dashboard that provides analytics and alerting tools to help shape student behavior.

Marketing – Develop specific marketing strategies for new student populations including, veterans, dual-enrollment, non-credit opportunities as well as international students.

Improve ROI for Institutions – Refine the business model to remove barriers to collaboration and identify intrinsic and extrinsic rewards at every level.

Human Resource Requirements - Examine personnel needs and restructure staffing for the Initiative with an eye to meeting the commitments.

Certified Online Courses & Faculty – Commitment to a revisited MCO Course Rubric and Certification for all offerings through the MCO.

Rebranding – Formally approve the name of the organization as “Michigan Colleges Online”. As desired, each member of the organization could co-brand themselves College Name Online (i.e. Schoolcraft Online).

Improved Horizontal & Vertical Articulation – Establish agreements that simplify the transferring of credits/courses between community colleges and with universities.

Professional Development – Establish a Professional Development Management Team to create events, including campus-based and regional workshops, conferences, webcasts and learning objects to support faculty and staff development as needed across the state.

Exhibit A – Course Aggregator

Exhibit B – Digital Credential Pathway Tool