Brandman University Becomes Fourth School Approved by U.S. Department of Education to Award Financial Aid Through Direct Assessment Program

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 14 -- Brandman University issued the following news release:

Brandman University announced today that the nonprofit institution has been notified by the U. S. Department of Education that it has been approved to award financial aid to competency-based students using direct assessment. Brandman is just the fourth institution in the nation to earn this type of approval.

"The U.S. Department of Education administers a rigorous process to insure that institutions awarding direct assessment financial aid adhere to the highest standards, and I am proud that Brandman is among the first few institutions to garner this approval. It reflects our dedication to academic quality and innovation on behalf of students," said Chancellor Gary Brahm.

Through published guidelines, the Federal government defines a direct assessment program as "an instructional program that, in lieu of credit hours or clock hours as a measure of student learning, utilizes direct assessment of student learning, or recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others. The assessment must be consistent with the accreditation of the institution or program utilizing the results of the assessment."

At Brandman, direct assessment is being used in the university's new competency-based education program, which is set to roll out in January 2015. Competency-Based Education (CBE) is a modern educational method that leverages the power of technology to match the skills most needed in a 21st century workforce with a formal degree program.

"The unique structure of the program requires students to concretely demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities, without requiring them to sit through a traditional sixteen week course," said Charles Bullock, Brandman University Provost.

Bullock says the Brandman competency-based program is innovative in a number of ways: (1) it is a low cost degree ($5,400 per year including digital textbooks); (2) students have multiple sources of support, including a Brandman coach and dedicated tutorial faculty; (3) the learning management system is mobile/tablet ready and incorporates the latest learning technology, including adaptive learning; and (4) the program was designed by faculty using a backward design process that truly prepares students for today's workforce.

"Although competency-based programs have been criticized as a 'one-and-done' approach to learning, Brandman intentionally threaded certain student learning outcomes throughout the program, such as oral and written communication skills, research skills, and decision-making skills are introduced; they are practiced, applied and mastered across the curriculum."

"Competency-Based Education is Brandman's response to the need for affordability, accessibility, consistency, and increased quality of educational instruction," Chancellor Brahm added.

In a letter sent to colleges last year, Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Bergeron noted that competency-based programs "have the potential for assuring the quality and extent of learning, shortening the time to degree/certificate completion, developing stackable credentials ... and reducing the overall cost of education. Over the last several years, some institutions of higher education have developed new and creative program models in which students are provided with the means to acquire the knowledge and skills at an individual pace to demonstrate achievement of specific competencies identified as necessary to complete a program and earn a degree or other credential. A majority of these program models are offered in credit or clock hours and can be accommodated under the current title IV, student financial aid regulations as non-term programs. An increasing number, however, are not offered in credit or clock hours, and many of the institutions offering such programs want them approved for participation in the title IV, HEA programs."

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