Transparency by Design which produces the College Choices for Adults  website, is a consortium of regionally-accredited, adult-serving distance higher education institutions assisting adult learners in becoming informed consumers of higher education. The key differentiator of this site is providing program-level learning outcomes and results of measures of those outcomes.

Transparency by Design,  funded by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education and annual dues from member institutions, calls for regionally accredited, adult-serving institutions which offer some or all programs at a distance or online to commit to increasing the number of adult learners who find success in higher education by providing an unprecedented level of data to inform college choice. Members of the initiative are:  American InterContinental University Online, American Public University System, Argosy University, Ashford University, Capella University, Charter Oak State College, Colorado Technical University, ECPI University, Excelsior College, Fort Hays State University, Franklin University, Kaplan University, Regis University, Rio Salado College, Southwestern College Professional Studies,  University of the Rockies, Western Governors University. Cambridge College and New Charter University are Associate Members.

Transparency by Design is governed by an Executive Committee comprised of elected leadership from the member institutions.

 

 

WCET, the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technology accelerates the adoption of effective practices and policies, advancing excellence in technology-enhanced teaching and learning in higher education. WCET serves as the third-party data quality assurance reviewer on the College Choices for Adults website and provides project management for the Transparency by Design initiative.

 

Lumina Foundation for Education is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college — especially low-income students, students of color, first-generation students, and adult learners. The organization’s goal is to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025. Lumina pursues this goal in three ways: by identifying and supporting effective practice, through public policy advocacy, and using communications and convening power to build public will for change.  

 

 

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) works collaboratively with its’ members to expand educational access and excellence for all citizens of the West. WICHE is the only organization in the western United States that focuses exclusively on higher education issues, from access and accountability to tuition and fees to distance learning and innovation. In addition to Transparency by Design, WICHE’s other adult-focused programs include Non-Traditional No More, College Access Challenge Grant Program and Best Practices in Statewide Transfer and Articulation Systems.

 

 

The Presidents’ Forum was established in 2004 and is hosted by Excelsior College. The forum is a collaboration of accredited, national, adult-serving institutions and programs which have embraced the power and potential of online education. The Mission of the Presidents' Forum is to advance the recognition of innovative practice and excellence in online learning.