The QA Commons is mindful of the dramatic and transformational impact COVID-19 is having on all institutions of higher education. As an organization, we are adapting our services to support preparing graduates for the workplace that is now changing more precipitously than ever.
QA Commons’ vision is to ensure all programs of study prepare learners for successful future employment. Our focus is on the proficiencies employers say are most needed, which candidates often lack, and are the hardest to find. Known as employability skills, soft skills, or noncognitive skills, we characterize them as Essential Employability Qualities (EEQs).
EEQs are necessary to continuously succeed in the workforce. These skills are universally needed across different careers and jobs. In fact, they’re not just useful and required in jobs, they form the basis for how we interact with others in various day-to-day encounter
“The foundation of a career in a highly technical field is a set of non-cognitive skills that is necessary in every industry, such as basic literacy, communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. Without these skills, no amount of technical training will be sufficient; lacking such a foundation makes the technical skills simply “fall through,” which helps explain why technical skill–training programs, especially those for disadvantaged populations, simply do not yield the results their designers and implementers hope for…”
－ American Enterprise Institute
92% of executives say soft skills are equal to or more important than hard skills
– Wall Street Journal
89% of talent professionals said bad hires typically lack soft skills
－LinkedIn
70% of employers report difficulty hiring graduates with the soft skills they need －
SHRM
86% of students state getting a job is their primary reason for attending college －
Strada/Gallup
Quality Assurance (QA) Commons was founded in 2016 with a grant from the Lumina Foundation and support from the National Center for Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). We ensure all learners are prepared for the changing dynamics of the workforce and economy through a range of services – from helping embed Essential Employability Qualities (EEQs) into courses and curriculum – to training instructors and staff on employability and deploying our programmatic accreditation.
Through considerable research and a national pilot project, QA Commons has identified eight EEQs that comprise a hire-worthy learner profile. We believe all disciplines need to prepare learners for employability – not just those that are specifically workforce-related or pre-professional.
In its tenure, QA Commons has:
Engaged 34 institutions
Evaluated 83 programs
Accredited 14 programs
Impacted 83,000 students
Convened national leaders (funded by a USA Funds—now Strada—grant). Unanimously decide that new models focusing on career readiness are vital.
Research begins on bridging the gap between Higher Ed and the workplace. Awarded a Lumina Foundation grant.
Successfully conclude Pilot Program. Awarded Lumina Foundation continuation grant. Launch Kentucky EEQ Certification Initiative.
Launched a Faculty Employability Fellows program, enabling faculty to learn first-hand about local workforce needs, employer concerns, and the views of the role higher education needs to play.
The Board of Directors oversees the organization, with a focus on mission, strategy and goals.
President
President
EXPERIENCE
Mason brings 25 years of experience in employment policy, workforce development initiatives, postsecondary education and training, and entrepreneurship, and has the rare experience of having worked at both the federal and state/local levels in both workforce development and postsecondary education. He understands the strengths of, and challenges faced by, workforce agencies, community colleges and universities, federal agencies, and community organizations. He particularly enjoys implementing new initiatives and program reforms, as well as improving service delivery and opportunities for people to be upwardly mobile. Mason has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the US Department of Labor, Legislative and Marketing Director for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, Public Affairs Director for the Utah Department of Workforce Service, Vice President at Salt Lake Community College, and is currently a Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
EDUCATION
Mason earned a PhD in Public Policy from George Mason University and both an MPA (Public Administration) and a BA in Political Science from Brigham Young University.
President
Mason brings 25 years of experience in employment policy, workforce development initiatives, postsecondary education and training, and entrepreneurship, and has the rare experience of having worked at both the federal and state/local levels in both workforce development and postsecondary education. He understands the strengths of, and challenges faced by, workforce agencies, community colleges and universities, federal agencies, and community organizations. He particularly enjoys implementing new initiatives and program reforms, as well as improving service delivery and opportunities for people to be upwardly mobile. Mason has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the US Department of Labor, Legislative and Marketing Director for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, Public Affairs Director for the Utah Department of Workforce Service, Vice President at Salt Lake Community College, and is currently a Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Mason earned a PhD in Public Policy from George Mason University and both an MPA (Public Administration) and a BA in Political Science from Brigham Young University.
Executive Vice President
Rebecca has served as CEO and Founder of Accreditation Advisors for 14 years, advising colleges, universities, and the public workforce system on business planning, policy development, and strategic partnerships. She also spent 12 years with the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET), which identifies, evaluates and enhances the delivery of continuing education and training through an independent peer-evaluation process.
Rebecca holds a degree in BA in Political Science from State University of New York at Cortland.
Vice President of Operations
Michelle comes to the QA Commons with breadth of experience in both the non-profit and corporate realms. Before joining the QA Commons, she served as Director of Organizational Strategy at the RP Group, a research-based organization focused on student success and equity in the California Community Colleges.
Prior to her work in the field of higher education, she served as Managing Director at Atlas Capital Advisors, as a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, and as an Account Manager at Oracle Corporation. Ms. Deasy has served on the boards of the Mural Music and Arts Project, the Presidio YMCA, the South End Rowing Club, and the Cornell Track Association. She spent several years competing internationally as a professional triathlete.
Ms. Deasy earned a BS in Development Sociology from Cornell University and an MA in Demography from UC Berkeley.
Contact: michelle@theqacommons.org
Director of Communications
Dina comes to the QA Commons with a drive to spearhead communications initiatives, corporate messaging, thought leadership strategy, positioning, and pull through. She offers 20 years of experience effectively supervising direct reports by fostering individual talents, executing mentorship techniques, and implementing best practices to achieve success.
Before joining the QA Commons, she served as Director of Communications and Outreach at the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS), a non-profit that helps organizations improve workforce performance by teaching them how to train and validate training with practical experiences that reflect what employees face on the job. Prior to her work in the field of non-profit certification, she was the owner and CEO of her own brick-and-mortar retail business in Northern Virginia.
Dina earned a BA in Political Communications from the George Washington University.
Contact: dina@thequacommons.org
Director of Product Development
Rebekah has 20 years of experience in workforce development, education, public policy and non-profit management. She previously led the operations of two manufacturing certification organizations including program and product development, business development and strategic planning and partnerships. Rebekah has developed industry certifications, student curriculum, training the trainer programs and apprenticeships.
She worked closely with the U.S. Army to assist service members transition into civilian careers and obtain industry certifications. She has worked with hundreds of training programs across the country to ensure that learners are able to obtain and demonstrate the skills needed by employers in their communities.
Rebekah earned a BA in Fine Arts from Ouachita Baptist University.
Senior Advisor
Dorinda brings more than 20 years of experience in workforce, outreach, and economic development to the QA Commons. Her areas of expertise include workforce strategy; business engagement; grant writing, management, and evaluation; and project implementation and leadership. Dorinda’s diverse employment background includes community colleges, economic development, Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), manufacturing, and Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). Additionally, Dorinda has served as community college Foundation board member and has played key roles in church fundraising for many years. Dorinda holds a Master’s Degree from Muskingum University and a Bachelor’s from Ohio State.
“For the rapidly changing jobs of today and tomorrow, “soft skills” are no longer just something to pick up “somewhere.” Technology, offshoring, and roboticization are but a few of the challenges graduates will face, and skills such as collaboration, adaptability, and continuous learning have become essential for ongoing employability. We need to integrate essential employability qualities with academic content and theory to prepare graduates for meaningful careers. That’s why we created The Quality Assurance Commons.”
— Ralph Wolff
Founder & Senior Advisor
Ralph Wolff is the Founder and Sr. Advisor to QA Commons as well as an independent policy consultant focusing on accreditation and quality assurance processes in the US and internationally.
He previously served as the president of the WASC Senior College and University Commission from 1996 through August 2013, and as Associate Executive Director since 1981. He is a member of the University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and on the National Advisory Boards of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) and for the Lumina Foundation on the Degree Qualifications Profile. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees of the United States International University Africa, located in Nairobi, Kenya and Palo Alto University. He has published multiple articles and book chapters on accreditation, quality assurance, distance education, and the changing role of the library. Current projects include a research study of quality assurance standards for international branch campuses from the perspectives of the sending and receiving countries, and developing a new registry for better understanding of the meaning and standards for degree, certificates, badges, etc
Before joining the staff of WASC, Mr. Wolff was one of the founders of the Antioch School of Law in Washington DC, which now continues to operate as the David A. Clarke Law School at the University of the District of Columbia. The law school was the first ever designed to prepare lawyers to serve in public interest and poverty law settings. He later became dean of the Antioch Graduate School of Education, heading five programs in seven states. He also served as Associate Provost, setting up internal quality assurance processes for the geographically dispersed college. In 1976, he was appointed a law professor at the University of Dayton.
A graduate of Tufts University, Mr. Wolff received his JD with honors from the National Law Center at George Washington University. He continues to be a member of the Washington, DC bar.
For his service in support of quality assurance and improvement in the WASC region and nationally he was awarded in 2008 the Virginia B. Smith Award for Innovation in Higher education and, in 2013, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Loma Linda University.
Contact: ralph@theqacommons.org
QA Commons works with a cadre of experienced, professional educators to review Employability Self-Assessments and EEQ CERT portfolios. Click HERE to view our Independent Reviewers and their bios.
A troubling lack of skills in literacy and numeracy
Open Campus
June 10, 2021
How Colleges Can Increase Equity Through Employability Standards
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
February 1, 2021
New benchmarking tool for higher ed seeks to address workplace soft skills gap
Chief Learning Officer
October 15, 2020
Student’s own experience helped launch KCTCS training program
ABC 36 WTVQ Lexington
October 1, 2020
UK Equine Undergrad Program Earns Employability Certification
US Ag Net
June 22, 2020
Grant-Funded Study Helps Prepare Connecticut’s 12 Community College for Consolidation
Connecticut Examiner
June 17, 2020
Kentucky Campuses Lead the Charge on Employability
Northern Kentucky Tribune
June 3, 2020
Schools Offer Certification for Employability Skills
US News & World Report
November 5, 2019
Do Your Academic Programs Actually Develop ‘Employability’? There’s an Assessment for That
Chronicle of Higher Education
April 16, 2019
CPE Launches Employability Initiative to Prepare Graduates for Workplace Success
Kentucky Business & Economic News
November 16, 2018
Group Attempts New Twist on Accreditation
Inside Higher Education
October 9, 2017
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