At Elon University, that question sparked a transformation. Like many institutions, Elon realized that students often leave college unaware of just how much they’ve done—and unable to articulate it in ways that matter to employers. At the same time, employers kept saying they weren’t seeing the skills they needed from graduates.
The solution? A Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR)—a digital record that captures the full scope of student learning, from coursework to campus leadership. By merging academic and co-curricular records into a single narrative, Elon has helped students take ownership of their experiences—and showcase skills that matter in the real world.
In this first installment of our CLR Conversations series, Elon’s University Registrar, Rodney Parks, shares what inspired their CLR journey, how they built it, and why it’s changing the game for students and employers alike.
It was a combination of hearing the needs of employers and the needs of our students. The Registrar’s Office at Elon sees every graduating senior to make sure they are registered for the final term. When students would come in, it was common that students wouldn’t remember their accomplishments and experiences. Now, when we show them their experiential transcript, they are floored at what they have done. The next phrase that would come out of their mouth was, “Wow, I had no idea that I did these things. Whenever I do my job interview, I can use this to communicate more about myself.”
For the longest time employers have said, “Higher education is not giving people the skills necessary to succeed.” I would argue we are giving them the skills, but the students just can’t talk about those skills. They can’t talk about what they’ve learned, their responsibilities on campus, and their accomplishments. There are so many things that go on throughout their career in higher education that we don’t do a good job of capturing. In our research with employers, they agreed that this would be valuable information to consume and that it would be useful for them to see. They also appreciated that these experiences were certified by Elon University.
It started in the early 2000s when Elon decided to have a comprehensive record that included both the academic and some co-curricular experiences that were part of a graduation requirement. Historically, Student Affairs had always had a co-curricular transcript that would document some Student Affairs activities.
However, it wasn’t being used very often. They would actually have to get the academic transcript from the Registrar’s Office and request their co-curricular record from Student Affairs. We noticed it wasn’t being requested. Students don’t want to go to multiple places to get a comprehensive look at their student experience. When I started here, I started looking at that transcript and we began to wonder, what would happen if we combined the academic and the co-curricular transcript together? That’s eventually what we did and it’s been a great success.
We have five “Elon Experiences” that comprise the CLR: Study Abroad, Global Education, Research, Internships, and Leadership. The academic transcript and the experiential transcript are concatenated together. We feel this gives students a really holistic picture of their experience at Elon.
You have to market it to students and communicate the value to them. Students have to understand what it is. When they realize how impactful it can be, they will share it.
🎧 This conversation continues on the Credentials Unscripted podcast! Hear even more insights from Rodney Parks in our episode, What’s the Deal with Comprehensive Learner Records? Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Elon’s approach shows that a CLR isn’t just another administrative tool—it’s a powerful way to bridge the gap between higher education and the workforce. By helping students see their journey more clearly, institutions can empower graduates to step into the world confident in who they are and what they bring.
Stay tuned for more CLR Conversations as we explore how institutions are modernizing records and unlocking deeper value for students.
Want to learn more about how a CLR could work at your institution?
Explore CLR Services or start the conversation with us here.
