Competency-Based Education Initiative
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Building Capacity and Infrastructure for Competency-Based Education
As part of Kansas State University's Next-Generation Land-Grant vision and shared commitment to academic innovation, student success and workforce-aligned pathways, we are launching a Competency-Based Education, or CBE, pilot initiative in Spring 2026.
Now more than ever, students — especially adult learners — seek flexibility and program pacing that works with their busy lives. By leveraging K-State's strong tradition of shared governance, faculty expertise and the structured student learning outcomes already central to K-State course offerings and development, this pilot initiative gives us the opportunity to explore the translation of those outcomes into clearly defined competencies. Ultimately, this will build a CBE framework that, if enacted, will allow students an opportunity to progress within a CBE-designated program based on a demonstration of competency mastery versus traditional seat time.
At its core, this pilot initiative will:
- Offer an opportunity for voluntary participation and exploration of a CBE framework among a set of participating graduate programs.
- Develop the policies, processes and governance structures foundational to a CBE framework.
- Build institutional capacity for colleges or academic units wishing to pursue CBE programs in the future, ensuring they can do so with clarity and support.
- Align K-State's CBE framework with Kansas Board of Regents policies and expectations, as well as the requirements put forth by the Higher Learning Commission.
- Ultimately, create an additional pedagogical option that may be of interest to learners and faculty alike — built on a well-defined foundation that will make any future CBE initiative faster and easier to implement.
Initiative Oversight and Functional Support
Charge
The Steering Committee provides institutional oversight and decision-making authority for the development and implementation of competency-based education (CBE) programs. The work group ensures alignment with institutional mission, academic quality standards, regulatory requirements and strategic priorities. Its scope of work includes:
- Approving overall project direction, timeline and milestones.
- Resolving cross-workgroup issues and making decisions as needed.
- Ensuring alignment with institutional governance, compliance and resource priorities.
- Providing executive sponsorship and institutional advocacy for the CBE initiative.
- Reviewing and approving major deliverables (i.e. CBE model decision, pilot programs).
Members
Co-Chairs
- Margaret Mohr-Schroeder, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Karen Goos, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
Core Members
- Jesse Mendez, Provost and Executive Vice President
- Thomas Lane, Vice President for Academic Success and Student Affairs and Dean of Students
- Bin Ning, Associate Provost, Institutional Research and Chief Data Officer
- Simone Cummings, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Kelley Brundage, University Registrar, Enrollment Management
- Jo Maseberg-Tomlinson, Faculty Senate Representative (General Caucus) and Executive Director, Strategic Program Development and Management, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Marci McMahon, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Kyle Bradley, Faculty Senate Caucus Chair of the College of Business Administration and Associate Professor, Management, College of Business Administration
- Beth Stuewe, Director, K-State Online Student Success and Advising, Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs
- Jessica Gnad, Director of Economic Development, External Engagement
- Megan Miller, Assistant Director of Student Success, Graduate School
Charge
The Executive Work Group provides strategic leadership and project governance for the CBE initiative. This group is responsible for defining the institutional CBE model, establishing project structure and timelines, and ensuring cohesive messaging, change management and cross-unit alignment. Ultimately, the group:
- Develops and maintains the master project timeline and governance roadmap
- Establishes project documentation standards and storage plans
Members
- Simone Cummings, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Kelley Brundage, University Registrar, Enrollment Management
- Jo Maseberg-Tomlinson, Executive Director, Strategic Program Development and Management, Academic Affairs and Innovation
Charge
The Academic Work Group is responsible for ensuring academic integrity, regulatory compliance and alignment with accreditation, federal, system and campus governance requirements. This group defines the academic framework, faculty model, learning model and policy infrastructure necessary to support CBE programs. Ultimately, the group will:
- Research and document requirements for campus, KBOR and HLC approvals.
- Draft and submit governance and accreditation applications (i.e. HLC).
- Define the institutional CBE learning model and instructional design framework.
- Establish competency equivalency, weighting, sequencing and assessment approaches.
- Review and align PLA/CPL policies with CBE design.
- Submit curricula for institutional and system approval.
Members
Co-Chairs
- Simone Cummings, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Kyle Bradley, Faculty Senate Caucus Chair of the College of Business Administration and Associate Professor, Management, College of Business Administrstion
Core Members
- Michael Pritchard, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrated Studies, K-State Salina
- Terri Gaeddert, Associate Dean, Academics, K-State Salina
- Tricia Jenkins, Assistant Professor, College of Applied and Interdisciplinary Studies, K-State Olathe
- Mishelle Hay McCammant, Faculty Senate Representative (Agriculture) and Director, Academic Student Services, College of Agriculture
- Candice Ortbals-Wiser, Professor, Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences
- Sherrie Martinie, Faculty Senate Representative (Education) and Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education
- Megan McCoy, Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Representative and Associate Professor, School of Consumer Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Ryan Leimkuehler, Faculty Senate Representative (K-State Libraries) and Associate Professor and University Archivist, K-State Libraries
- Sandy Horton-Smith, Academic Systems Support Manager, Office of the Registrar, Enrollment Management
- Trina McCarty, Director of Instructional Design, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Andy Wefald, Associate Professor, Staley School of Leadership
- Jon Ulmer, Interim Associate Dean for Ag Academic Programs, College of Agriculture
- Janel Koons, Academic Program Administrator, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Alysia Starkey, Dean and CEO, K-State Salina
Charge
The Operations Work Group designs and operationalizes the systems, calendars, data definitions and compliance infrastructure required to support CBE programs within existing enterprise systems. It also oversees policy and governance (i.e. HLC approval). The Work Group will:
- Draft academic calendar policies and operational procedures.
- Define learner status and reporting terminology (enrollment, persistence, etc.).
- Align CBE data definitions with institutional reporting and IPEDS.
- Define competency-based transcription processes.
- Develop a financial aid implementation action plan.
- Coordinate with Registrar, Financial Aid, Instituional Research and IT offices.
Members
Co-Chairs
- Kelley Brundage, University Registrar, Enrollment Management
- Beth Stuewe, Director, K-State Online Student Success and Advising, Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs
Core Members
- Molly McGaughey, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Enrollment Management
- Mike Webster, IT Director, Office of the Provost
- Bin Ning, Associate Provost, Institutional Research and Chief Data Officer
- Scott Schlender, Academic Services Coordinator, Graduate School
- Hongfu Chen, Enterprise Systems Analyst, Division of Information Technology
- Aaron Stroot, Director, Systems and Fund Balancing, Division of Financial Services
- Robert Gamez, Director, Student Financial Assistance, Enrollment Management
- Kylee Soucie, CRM Specialist, Enrollment Management
- Sonya Baker, Faculty Senate Representative (Arts and Sciences) and Curriculum Integrity Manager, College of Arts and Sciences
- Siny Joseph, Professor, Department of Integrated Studies, K-State Salina
- Troy Harding, Department Head and Professor, Department of Integrated Studies, K-State Salina
- Phil Vardiman, Faculty Senate Committee on Technology co-chair and Associate Professor, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences
Charge
The Student Services and Success Workgroup designs a holistic, learner-centered support model for CBE students, with a particular focus on adult, online and nontraditional learners. The Work Group will:
- Inventory existing student services and assess suitability for CBE learners.
- Research best practices in adult and online learner support.
- Develop institution-wide CBE learner personas.
- Design an end-to-end learner support model covering the full student lifecycle.
- Identify service gaps and recommend enhancements or new supports.
- Ensure support services align with accessibility and student success goals.
Members
Co-Chairs
- Jo Maseberg-Tomlinson, Faculty Senate Representative (General Caucus) and Executive Director, Strategic Program Development and Management, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Megan Miller, Assistant Director of Student Success, Graduate School
Core Members
- Ashley Noll, Graduate Student Retention Coordinator, Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs
- Lotta Larson, Professor and Associate Director, Master of Arts in Teaching program, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education
- Alexa Heseltine, Graduate Student Representative, President-Elect of Graduate Student Council
- Zane Whitney, Graduate Student Representative
- Luke Matulewicz, Assistant Director, Academic Achievement Center, Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs
- Gwen Sibley, Faculty Senate Representative (K-State Libraries) and Assistant Professor, K-State Libraries
- Jesse Weir, Assistant Director, Student Financial Assistance, Enrollment Management
- Bill Watts, Associate Vice President, Academic and Career Engagement, Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs
- Vicky Hanning, Manager, Academic Student Services, Office of the Registrar, Enrollment Management
- Todd Mobray, Instructional Accessibility and Training Team Leader, Student Access Center, Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs
- Tiffany Coetzee, Assistant Director, Career Center, Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs
Charge
The Finance and Human Resources Task Force develops sustainable financial, staffing and workload models to support CBE programs within existing institutional systems and budget structures. The Work Group will:
- Define overall CBE budget framework and funding philosophy.
- Identify start-up and ongoing cost categories.
- Develop enrollment-based budget models and cost-recovery assumptions.
- Establish formulas linking enrollment to expenditures.
- Identify departmental funding needs and resource impacts.
- Define staffing models and workload ratios for CBE-specific roles.
- Coordinate with HR on position classification, compensation and FTE implications.
- Support financial assumptions used in governance and accreditation submissions.
Members
Co-Chairs
- Karen Goos, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
- Ethan Erickson, Vice President for Administration and Finance
Core Members
- Becca Zecha, Associate Vice President for Financial and Strategic Planning, Division of Financial Services
- Marci McMahon, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Amanda McDiffett, Assistant Vice President, HR Operations, Human Resources
- Chris Urban, Director of Business Intelligence and Analytics, Office of Data, Assessment and Institutional Research
- Carlotta Bell, Associate Vice Provost, Finance and Business Operations, Office of the Provost
- Brandon Savage, Faculty Senate Faculty Affairs Committee co-chair and Instructor, Management, College of Business Administration
- Michael James, Executive Director, Administration and Finance, K-State Salina
Charge
The Recruitment and Marketing Task Force develops the institutional brand, positioning and outreach strategy for CBE programs to support enrollment growth and employer engagement. The Task Force will oversee:
- Competitive market analyses of peer CBE programs.
- Brand positioning for the CBE portfolio.
- Development of value propositions for learners and employers.
- Creation of a comprehensive marketing and recruitment plan.
- Identification and development of marketing assets and messaging.
- Development and launch of a CBE website shell aligned with institutional brand.
- Coordination of recruitment strategies with enrollment management and employer partners.
Members
Co-Chairs
- Ashley Bourne, Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing, Division of Communications and Marketing
- Alexis Bestwick, Director of Enrollment Marketing and Communications, Enrollment Management
Core Members
- Christy Craft, Graduate Faculty Associate, Graduate School and Professor, Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs, College of Education
- Nicholas Brown, Interim Director, Graduate Recruitment, Enrollment Management
- Gina Turner, Graduate Recruitment Coordinator, Enrollment Management
- Alesha Nelson, Digital Media Planner, Division of Communications and Marketing
- Autumn Prosser, University Marketing Manager, Division of Communications and Marketing
- Rachelle Banwart, Executive Director, Corporate Engagement, External Engagement
- Emily Garwood, Associate Director, Corporate Engagement, External Engagement
- Jessica Gnad, Director of Economic Development, External Engagement
- Janice Nikkel, Academic Program Administrator, Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Julia Hall, Communications and Marketing Specialist, Graduate School
- Sarah Kells, Recruitment Coordinator, Enrollment Management
- Kirsten Regan, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives, K-State Salina
- Brandie Disberger, Associate Professor, Communications and Agricultural Education, College of Agriculture
- Katie Olsen, Assistant Professor, A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, College of Arts and Sciences
Stay Informed
Have questions about the Competency-Based Education pilot initiative? Email academicinnovation@k-state.edu.
Coming soon!