As Associate Vice Provost for the Division of Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Delaware, George Irvine, PhD, is keenly aware that students today ask themselves, “Why do I need to go to college?”

Traditional pathways to higher education are expensive and time-consuming, and even employers are beginning to question the value of a four-year degree. 

In the latest episode of our MindMaxing Podcast series, “Adolescence to Adulthood,” Dr. Irvine notes that a more affordable and flexible education model is needed. The pandemic provided a catalyst for change. 

According to Dr. Irvine, university leaders are starting to discuss “alternative credentials, stackable badges, digital badges, certificates, and the like. All this nomenclature is basically saying, ‘You don’t need a four-year period of time. You can make [higher education] shorter, accessible, stackable, and digital.'”


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