Parchment Expands Credential Management Service with Addition of Digital Certificates and Digital Diplomas
(PRWEB) February 01, 2017 -- Parchment, the most widely adopted digital credential service, has expanded its credential management platform with Parchment Award. Parchment Award goes beyond digital transcripts to support the issuing, claiming, sharing and verifying of digital certificates and digital diplomas. Parchment’s recent technology investment in Parchment Award allows learners, issuing authorities and receiving organizations to expand the scope of credentials they can now manage digitally.
Charter members that have adopted digital certificates or digital diplomas, and have begun issuing or will soon issue, include:
- Bellevue University (Bellevue, NE)
- Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA)
- DePauw University (Greencastle, IN)
- Duke University (Durham, NC)
- Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, TX)
- Laguna College of Art and Design (Laguna Beach, CA)
- Nicolet College (Rhinelander, WI)
- Saint Leo University (St. Leo, FL)
- Southwestern Community College (Sylvia, NC)
- Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
- Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi, TX)
- University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, MO)
- University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Belton, TX)
- University of Nebraska at Omaha (Omaha, NE)
“For years, Parchment has worked with hundreds of colleges across the U.S. to take an analog transcript and make it digital, creating real time tracking for the learner and adding new benefits for the receiver,” said Matthew Pittinsky, Ph.D., Parchment Chief Executive Officer. “Once issuing institutions understood the value of making transcripts digital, they wanted to make all the credentials they issue available digitally. At the center of the digitization of all academic credentials is the learner and their ability to now securely collect and manage online all of the credentials they earn throughout their lifetime.”
One of the most valued credentials an institution issues is the diploma. This single credential carries with it the epitome of the institution’s brand and is a currency for the learner's future opportunities. When you make a diploma digital with Parchment, learners have the unique ability to access their credential profile, a personal vault for their digital credentials, from which they can share on their social networks and with potential employers online. As learners share their diplomas, they are also promoting the brand of the institution. Each digital diploma reflects the paper diploma’s traditional presentation, and is yet another way of sharing the value provided to learners from the institution. Additionally, learners also have access to a certified PDF version of their diploma, which serves as an official document of the institution, and can be shared globally.
“I will attach my digital diploma with my resume for every job I apply for” said Michael L., a 2017 graduate of University of Nebraska at Omaha who earned a B.S., Computer Science. “In today’s technology world, showing that digital diploma will give you an edge. It’s a no-brainer to attach with my resume.”
With the landscape of education shifting, more learners are turning to certificate programs to increase their value to the workforce. Issued in paper, a certificate can often be difficult to verify. Once a certificate becomes digital, it allows learners to share socially, increasing their marketability and personal brand. Additionally, in many cases, the issuance of certifications aren’t well tracked across institutions. Parchment Award provides a valuable cataloging mechanism for institutions to not only track those certificates that are claimed, but provide additional metrics, including social sharing.
“Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) is fully committed to cutting-edge systems and process that assist our students by offering digital credentials,” said Michael Rendon, University Registrar & Director of Veteran Affairs with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “With the introduction of Parchment Award, TAMUCC students may now securely share their academic credentials on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Clearly, this gives our students an advantage in a competitive job market.”
Since 2011, Parchment has rapidly grown its institutional member network to include college and university registrars and admission offices and began to build out a system that would support multiple types of academic credentials, beyond digital transcripts. Today, the active Parchment network spans 25 percent of US enrollments in secondary schools and 17 percent of US enrollments in postsecondary schools. While it took seven years to reach the one million mark, today Parchment is exchanging nearly one million credentials every two months.
Institutions interested in signing up for Parchment Award can learn more or request a product demonstration here.
About Parchment
Parchment is the most widely adopted digital credential service, allowing learners, academic institutions, and employers to request, verify, and share credentials in simple and secure ways. The platform has helped millions of people and thousands of schools and universities exchange more than 20 million transcripts and other credentials globally. Founded in 2003, Parchment Inc. is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, with offices in Roseville, CA, Denver, CO, Grand Rapids, MI, Toronto, ON and Washington, DC. Follow Parchment on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Tami Nealy, Parchment, http://www.parchment.com, +1 480-719-1646 Ext: 1014, [email protected]
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