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InvitationtoApplyfortheBreakthroughModelsIncubator
NextGenerationLearningChallenges(NGLC)invitesinstitutionspreparedtoplanandimplementnew
educationalmodelstoapplyfortheBreakthroughModelsIncubator.TheIncubatorprovidesan
intenselysupportiveenvironmentforchangeleadershiptargetinglearningoutcomes,college
completion,accessibility,andaffordability,particularlyforlowincomestudents.Participating
institutionswillusetheIncubatortodevelopandimplementatechnologyenabledlearningand
businessmodel,suitedtotheirownlocalcontexts,thatincorporatesgamechanginginnovationssuchas
competencybasedprogression,MOOCs,andonlinestudentsupportprograms.Weinviteyoutoapply
tojointhishighlyselectivenationalcohortofinnovativeinstitutions.Theinitiativewilllaunchinsummer
2013anditstwoinitialcohortswillcontinuetheirworkthroughDecember2014.
BackgroundThegoalofNextGenerationLearningChallengesistoimprovecollegereadinessandcompletionby
acceleratingandscalingbreakthroughsintechnologyenabledinnovation.TheBreakthroughModels
IncubatorisoneofseveralprogramsdeployedbyNGLCoverthepastthreeyears,includingawarding
nearly$40milliondollarsingrantfundingtosupportearlyadopterinstitutions.NGLCismanagedby
EDUCAUSEinconjunctionwiththeLeagueforInnovationintheCommunityCollege,International
AssociationforOnlineLearning,andCouncilofChiefStateSchoolOfficers.TheBill&MelindaGates
FoundationhasbeenNGLCsprimaryfunderandissupportingthedesignandimplementationofthe
Incubator.
TheBreakthroughModelsIncubatortargetsinstitutionsthatseektodramaticallyimprovestudent
success.TheIncubatorseeksinstitutionsthatarewillingtosharetheirlearningwiththebroaderfield.
TheIncubatorisdesignedtohelppostsecondaryinstitutionsmakefundamentalchangesthatleadto:
Higherstudentoutcomesintermsofpersistenceandgraduation;
Morepersonalized,masterybasedapproachestolearning;
Moreaffordableeducationforstudents.
Inordertomakeitsworkbroadlyscalableinpostsecondaryeducation,theIncubatorwillfocuson
institutionalchange
strategies
that:
Arenotdependentonsignificantphilanthropiccontribution;
Relyuponadaptationasmuchormorethannewmodelcreation;
Willberecognizedasviableandachievablebymanyotherinstitutions.
TheIncubatorexperienceexplorestechnologyenabledchangeinhighereducation.Althoughmodels
areemerging,thelandscapeisevolvingrapidly.Lessonslearnedbyoneinstitutionmaynotapplyat
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anotherduetosize,culture,orcontext.TheIncubatorisdesignedtohelpinstitutionsexplorewhatwe
know,whatwedontknow,andrapidlyevolvetheirthinking.Whiletheremaybenosingleright
answer,theIncubatorbringstogetherinnovativeinstitutionsthatarewillingtoexplorenewmodels
anddistillwhattheylearn.TheelementsofbreakthroughmodelscurrentlyfundedbyNGLCandthe
GatesFoundationarebrieflysummarizedinBreakthroughModelsIncubator:BackgroundandContext,which
accompanies
this
invitation.
TheIncubatorwillconnectitsparticipatinginstitutionswiththeleadersofemergingmodelsandprovide
arangeofsupportsincluding:
Analysisandinformationonemergingmodels,suchascompetencybasedstudentprogression,oreducationalpathways;
OpportunitiestonetworkwithpeerIncubatorinstitutionsandnationalexpertsthroughfacetofaceworkshops,webinars,andacollaborativeonlinespace;
Individualizedcoachingonplanninganddesignfromexpertswithexperienceinthesemodels;
Incentives,
including
$150,000
in
grant
support,
to
complete,
approve,
and
launch
the
plan.
TheultimategoaloftheIncubatoristoacceleratetheadoptionofinnovativestrategiesfortwoyear
andfouryearinstitutions.Beginningwithasmallpilotgroup,theIncubatorwillworkwithsuccessive
cohortstocreateanexpandingnetwork.TheplansputinplacebyIncubatorinstitutions,andthe
knowledgetheygenerate,shouldcatalyzeothersandultimatelyresultinimprovedstudentsuccess
nationwide.
ProcessandTimeline
ApplicationsareduebyFriday,April5,2013at5:00p.m.EDT.Uptoeightinstitutionswillbe
acceptedinto
the
pilot
of
the
Incubator
program.
Another
eight
to
twelve
institutions
will
be
partofasecondcohort(andwillapplythroughasecondadmissionscyclelaterthisyear).
Eachinstitutionwillreceiveaninitial$50,000todefraytravel,meeting,andothercostsduringtheeducation,design,andplanningperiod.
TheIncubatorwillproceedassinglecohortswiththeunderstandingthatsomeIncubatorsupportandactivitieswillfocusonsubsetsofinstitutionssharingparticularattributes,needs,or
aspectsofbreakthroughdesign.
Prekickoffeventswilloccurviawebinarsandotheronlineformatstohelpfamiliarizenewlyformedteamswithexistingbreakthroughmodels.
InstitutionalteamswillattendonefacetofacedesignworkshoptheofficialkickofftotheIncubatorwhichwilloccurover2.5daystolaunchtheirplanningprocess.Eachteamwill
includethepresident,provost,chieffinancialofficer,chiefinformationofficer,anda
representativeofthefaculty(e.g.,facultysenatechair).Atrusteemaybeincludedontheteam,
anduptoeightindividualsfromeachinstitutionmayattendinall.Thedesignworkshopwill
beginontheeveningofTuesday,July23andconcludethefollowingFridayatnoon,July26,in
SeattleWashingtonattheheadquartersoftheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation.
Followingtheplanningworkshop,assistancewillcontinueinvariousforms:
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Expertcoachingtoindividualinstitutionsonbothlearningandbusinessmodels;expertconsultingonthedevelopmentofbusinessplans.Guidanceprovidedtoparticipating
institutionswillincludeperspectivesfromNGLCscurrentbreakthroughgranteesten
institutionsdesigningneweducationandfinancialmodels.
o
Ongoingtopicalactivitiesfortheentirecohortviavideooronlineworkshops.Institutional
teams
may
be
expanded
for
these
events.
For
example,
workshops
and/or
discussiongroupsmaybeprovidedoncompetencies,accreditation,businessmodels,
tuitionpolicies,learninganalytics,studentcentereddesign,serviceblueprinting,virtual
communities,and/orchallengesrelatingspecificallytotwoyearorfouryear
institutions.
o
Assistancetosubsetsofparticipatinginstitutionsfacingsimilarchallengesorworkingonsimilardesignstrategies.
o NGLCidentifiedand/or
developedtoolsandstrategiesforbreakthroughmodels.o
Sharedonlineworkspace.
Attheendoftheeducation,design,andplanningperiod,eachinstitutionwillberequiredtosubmit
abusiness
plan
for
their
proposed
changes.
Plans
that
meet
baseline
(TBA)
benchmarks
forinstitutionalchangewillreceivefundingof$100,000tohelplaunchimplementationofthe
plan.Fundingisdependentuponaninstitutionalcommitmenttoassessandshareresults.
NGLCandpartnerswillcollectandanalyzedatatomonitorinstitutionalprogressandsynthesizelessonslearned,sharingwithparticipatinginstitutionsformutualbenefit.Theresultsand
syntheseswillbefreelyavailable.
Atprojectend,institutionalrepresentativeswillbeinvitedtoaconveningtosharelessonslearnedandsuggestimprovementstotheprogram.
FormoreinformationabouttheBreakthroughModelsIncubator,pleasecontactNancyMillichap,NGLC
PostsecondaryProgram
Officer,
at
[email protected].
To
apply
to
the
Breakthrough
Models
Incubator,pleasecompletetheApplicationformthataccompaniedthisinvitationandreturnitto
[email protected],April5at5:00p.m.EDT.
