In today’s fast-changing workforce, employers are looking beyond grades and résumés to find candidates who can think critically, lead teams and solve complex problems. Now, the University of Georgia is giving students a new way to showcase exactly those skills.
This fall, UGA will officially launch its Comprehensive Learner Record — an innovative digital credential designed to capture a student’s full range of learning experiences, from academic courses to leadership roles and hands-on projects.
Unlike a transcript, the CLR presents a holistic, validated record of the skills that matter most in the modern job market — skills such as analytical thinking, communication, leadership and creativity.
“Students at the University of Georgia are already building important skills through their classes and activities. By helping students recognize and articulate what they’ve learned, we’re not just enriching their education — we’re giving them a powerful advantage in the job market. This credential helps them tell a clearer story of their strengths, preparing them to stand out and succeed beyond graduation,” said Marisa Anne Pagnattaro, vice president for instruction and senior vice provost for academic planning.
UGA is among the first universities in the nation to implement the CLR on a campus-wide scale. The launch will begin this summer when all 6,000 incoming first-year students are introduced to the CLR during orientation, and this fall the tool will be available to all of UGA’s 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The CLR is built around UGA’s six new Institutional Competencies:
- Critical Thinking
- Analytical Thinking
- Communication
- Social Awareness & Responsibility
- Creativity & Innovation
- Leadership & Collaboration
UGA is leading the way as the first university to implement a CLR on such a large scale. Thanks to extensive collaboration across campus, every validated course and activity in the CLR is mapped to at least one of the six competencies. This gives employers and graduate schools confidence that a student’s skills, such as leadership or critical thinking, are not just self-reported but backed by validated experience.
“You are so much more than your GPA. Employers want to know what you’re active in. This gives insight beyond just a number, and this helps you understand the importance of all your classes,” said recent UGA graduate and CLR focus group participant Abigail Huggins.
“I think this is incredible,” said Alva “Rock” Rogers, another UGA graduate and focus group participant. “It gives a reference point and shows the experiences I need to strive for and deepen my understanding.”
The foundational work on the institutional competencies is faculty driven. Instructors are aligning their course learning outcomes with UGA’s competencies so that, beginning this fall, students will be able to see which competencies are tied to each course and activity and search for classes by the skills they want to build.
Currently, more than 75% of UGA’s schools and colleges have submitted courses for inclusion in the CLR.
The University of Georgia is excited to launch this initiative that will provide all 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students with their own fully validated, university-backed CLR that will reflect their unique journey.
