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AACRAO National Learning Mobility Challenge:
Improving Transfer Time-to-Decision

Get ready to transform higher education with us. The AACRAO National Learning Mobility Challenge: Improving Transfer Time-to-Decision is a groundbreaking initiative designed to revolutionize how learners move through their educational and career journeys. We’re inviting systems, institutions, and partners to engage in real, data-driven action to make learning count for every student.

This year’s challenge, in partnership with NASH’s Center for Postsecondary Improvement, leverages cutting-edge improvement science methodology to help you meaningfully move the dial for transfer students and their success.

Phase 1

Phase 2

Learning Mobility Book

Free to AACRAO Members

FAQ

In-Person Event: The Assembly

Join the Challenge

For You

For Our Institutional Colleagues
(You, the Implementers of Success)

The speed of admitting a transfer learner matters. Every day a transfer learner is left waiting for an admissions decision is a day they are unable to continue on their educational journey. This Challenge is your unparalleled opportunity to help build a national picture of transfer timelines and improve your own in the process. You’ll directly contribute to identifying where your institution’s processes encounter obstacles, and you’ll learn what others are doing to address them, all with the support of data and expert guidance from NASH-trained improvers.

For Our Corporate Partners
(You, the Solution Providers)

We’re redefining engagement to make you an integral part of the solution. This Challenge offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage as equal stakeholders in driving real change. By participating, you’ll gain unrivaled strategic insights through what will function as invaluable research focus groups. This unique access will provide a deep understanding of the exact challenges institutional and industry leaders need to solve for better learner mobility outcomes, helping you shape solutions that truly meet market needs. Join us in fostering deeper collaboration and contributing to a living, outcomes-based platform that drives systemic advancement for the benefit of all.

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Phase 1: Your Data, Our Future

Contribute to a National Dataset on Transfer Student Admissions

We’re launching the nation’s first-ever dataset focused on the critical “time-to-admit” for transfer students. Your institution will simply share its current baseline data on how long it takes to process a transfer student application from submission to decision. It’s a simple step with enormous potential.

DateDeadline/DeliverableContext/Notes
October 6Optional: Watch Overview Video
October 8Challenge Reflection Question 1 Due
October 8Watch ‘What is Improvement Science?’
October 10Challenge Reflection Question 2 Due
October 13Watch ‘Why Focus on Transfer TTD’
October 13Challenge Reflection Question 3 Due
October 15Watch ‘Defining Time to Decision’
October 15Challenge Reflection Question 4 Due
October 20Watch ‘Collecting Your Baseline Data’
October 20Challenge Reflection Question 5 Due
October 30First Priority Data DeadlineData submitted by this date will be included in the findings at the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) conference in November
December 15Final Data Submission DeadlineAll Phase 1 data must be submitted by this date
Join the Challenge

Why is this game-changing for you?

  • See Where You Stand: Gain unprecedented insights into national trends and variations in transfer admissions processes, instantly understanding your institution’s position.
  • Pinpoint Improvement Areas: Analyze your data against a national benchmark to uncover hidden inefficiencies and bright spots within your operations.
  • Empower Decisions with Real Data: Move beyond assumptions. This initiative provides meaningful outcome measures, offering concrete insights into what’s actually happening on the ground.
  • Easy Contribution, Massive Impact: Your participation is straightforward, yet absolutely vital to building a powerful foundation for systemic, positive change across higher education.
  • A Free Opportunity for Growth: Join this groundbreaking national effort at no cost, positioning your institution at the forefront of innovation.

Phase 1 Timeline:

Those who entered the Learning Mobility Challenge by the November 14 deadline may submit their data through December 15, 2025—the final milestone and conclusion of Phase One.

Challengers will complete modules and answer a reflection question in the AACRAO LMS. Completion of these tasks should take between 90 – 120 minutes.

All challengers from a given institution should complete these modules.

Only one challenger from a given institution will be asked to complete the time-to-decision data entry.

Phase 2: Action, Acceleration, Achievement

Utilize Improvement Science to Accelerate Learner Journeys

Building on the collective insights from Phase 1, you’ll delve into the practical application of improvement science methodologies adopted for the higher education sector by NASH’s Center for Postsecondary Improvement. This phase is all about rapidly testing changes to measurably reduce the time-to-admit for transfer students at your institution, transforming theory into tangible results.

Join the Challenge

Why will this propel your institution forward?

Earn Valuable Recognition: For those who dive deep, there will be opportunities to earn valuable micro-credentials or other recognition artifacts, verifying your skill development in this critical area.

Become a Pioneer of Change: Get hands-on experience with powerful improvement methodology, transforming your processes with data-informed decision-making.

Access Proven Solutions: Discover “bright spots” and successful interventions from other institutions that have already accelerated their time-to-decision.

Unrivaled Expert Support: You won’t go it alone. Benefit from interactive webinars on improvement science, exclusive coaching opportunities, and monthly office hours with seasoned NASH improvement coaches to guide every step of your journey.

Faster Results, Greater Efficiency: Learn to test, iterate, and spread change initiatives at unprecedented speed, leading to direct, measurable improvements in your transfer student enrollment processes.

Champion Learner Success: Directly dismantle systemic barriers for transfer students, ensuring they experience a truly seamless and equitable journey towards their educational and career aspirations.

Build Lasting Internal Capacity: Develop practical, plain-language solutions that are not only transferable but also immediately implementable across any college or university, cultivating a powerful culture of continuous improvement within your institution.

Learning Mobility: Empowering Educational Journeys Beyond Traditional Pathways

This book is the first comprehensive exploration of learning mobility in U.S. higher education. It emerges from a dynamic collaboration among scholars, practitioners, and policy experts who are reimagining recognition, validation, and credentialing practices to better reflect the realities of today’s learners. With AACRAO’s longstanding commitment to innovation in academic records, credentials, and student success, we proudly offer this resource free to our members as a catalyst for institutional transformation.

As learners navigate increasingly complex, non-linear educational journeys that often span multiple institutions, life experiences, and learning environments, traditional models of credit recognition fall short. Learning Mobility offers a compelling alternative: one that centers learners, values their full range of knowledge and experience, and builds efficient pathways through higher education. We invite you to explore the insights and strategies presented in this volume and join us in creating a more effective, future-ready educational system.

Read the book
Learning Mobility book cover

Student Mobility FAQs

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