Welcome to Hastad Marketing

For the last 8 years, we have focused on the continued Digital Transformation in Higher Education and are offering:

* Full service Competency-Based Education Consulting from initial strategy, market research, regulatory submissions, faculty and operations support, curriculum and course development, assessment of competencies, and post-launch analysis

* In-depth curriculum and course reviews (why aren't enrollments growing and why aren't more students successful?)

* Online and Competency-Based Education (CBE) Rapid Product Development

* Strategies for using Open Educational Resources (OER) to reduce total tuition costs and improve learning

Kurt presented his Top 10 Success Criteria for Competency-Based Education 

As a consultant, I have the opportunity to influence the strategic initiatives for universities and colleges considering CBE for their courses and degree programs. It is imperative for university leaders to have an understanding of the challenges and opportunities with CBE so they set realistic expectations in their strategic plans. Based on research, and my own experiences with successful CBE programs at Western Governors University and Capella University, I have developed the following top 10 success criteria for CBE: 

1. Mission fit – It all starts with mission! CBE initiatives are a perfect fit for any institution with a mission and employee culture focused on student success. 
2. Institutional support – CBE initiatives must have visible and unwavering support from the president, chief academic officer, and key faculty. 
3. Adequate funding – Teams embarking on a CBE initiative must have necessary funds to pay for faculty time, course creation and assessment tools, instructional design, learning resource specialists, etc. 
4. Technology support – CBE initiatives need the technology infrastructure to support the unique attributes of CBE, e.g., ensuring that the LMS can track the satisfactory academic progress of students taking self-paced courses. 
5. Operational support – CBE initiatives need the operational infrastructure to support the unique attributes of CBE, e.g., supporting non-standard terms for course registration and financial aid. 
6. Realistic expectations – The best practice is to start small with one certificate or degree program. Very few universities and colleges in this country have over 6 CBE programs. 
7. Get the competencies right! – Faculty and instructional designers must take the time to ensure competencies are measurable, relevant, at the correct level for the course of study, and are clearly linked to marketable skills, knowledge, and abilities. 
8. Get the assessments right! Faculty, instructional designers, and assessment specialists must take the time to ensure that final assessments are valid and reliably assess the mastery of competencies. 
9. Quality learning resources – CBE programs using established guidelines or processes for selecting quality learning resources, including Open Educational Resources (OER), are more successful in providing students with seamless learning experiences. 
10. Ongoing employer engagement – CBE programs that form networks with major employers have more successful programs. Employers value the ability to contribute in validating competencies, assisting with ideas for relevant authentic assessments, and offering internship opportunities. 

*Presented at the CBExchange, Phoenix, Arizona, October 21, 2016.     

"We contracted with Adrienne to help us develop a comprehensive communication plan for prospective graduate and extended studies students. Adrienne did a great job of listening and understanding our needs and delivering an actionable strategy. Her recommendations were data-driven and technology focused, and backed by her extensive knowledge of marketing and higher education. Adrienne was reliable, punctual and a true pleasure to work with. I look forward to working with her again on future projects and wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to others."

"Kurt first worked with us to identify the courses that had the most significant retention risk. He then worked with a university task force comprised of key academic leaders, an instructional designer, a project manager, and a resource librarian to create a more rigorous approach to course development, and one that delivers consistent experience across all modes of delivery."  

"In the six months that Dr. Linberg has consulted with us, he has advanced the expertise of our faculty regarding the application of deeper learning practices and pushed us to develop more engaging course experiences." 

"Adrienne seeks complete understanding at the outset of a project and utilizes that knowledge as the foundation for her insights and recommendations. Her work is thorough, accurate, actionable and the output is professional and ready for delivery. The analysis she provides allow us and our clients to immediately understand how the output relates to their business goals." 

"I have known Dr. Kurt Linberg for eight years. He is the rare individual that has both a 30,000 foot strategic view of how an institution can compete in today's complicated higher education environment, but the ground-level know-how and emotional intelligence that allows him to work effectively with all faculty members at the detailed course level."

"Kurt impressed me with his ability to quickly focus on the most critical activities and produce incredible results in a short time. He was able to use his knowledge of advanced technology programs to assist faculty with much needed enhancements to the graduate programs in Computer Science, Information Systems Management, and Health Informatics."