Hundreds of US colleges now offer courses through Acadeum; The platform gives students access to in-demand courses from institutions and employers across the country
AUSTIN, Texas, May 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Acadeum, creator of the largest course sharing platform used by more than 460 US colleges including Texas A&M University System, Benedict College, University of Central Missouri and the Community College of Baltimore County today announced the closing of its $11.92 million Series B funding round. The round was led by Green Street Impact Partners, the fund’s first investment, along with ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund and Pearson Ventures.
“This is about balancing the tremendous potential of existing, high-quality courses, taught by talented, dedicated faculty, with learners who often struggle to attend the courses they need to graduate on time do and persevere,” said Amy Bevilacqua, managing partner of Green Street Impact Partners. “Acadeum is changing the game for institutions working to fulfill and expand their academic mission. It allows learners to find a more direct – and affordable – route through college.”
An April report by the National Student Clearinghouse found that the number of Americans with some college credits and no degrees currently stands at 40.4 million. Research continues to indicate that access to courses and the schedule are a significant barrier to completing their studies. Almost a quarter of all courses are overcrowded and so-called “bottlenecks” occur, and more than a quarter of adult learners are dissatisfied with the course times offered. Meanwhile, research suggests that learners are interested in pursuing more courses and certifications relevant to the world of work, while new programs remain costly and difficult for institutions to create.
“Our partnership with Acadeum not only helps our students access needed courses through convenient online modalities, but also allows us to reinforce the value of our humanities-based education by adding additional offerings targeted at the workforce” said Dr. Marc M. Camille, President of Albertus Magnus College. “The platform has enabled us to offer state-of-the-art, stackable micro-credentials in high-demand career fields taught by industry experts.”
Acadeum’s breakthrough technology platform not only facilitates the sharing of courses from hundreds of individual colleges and universities, but also supports sharing across national and regional consortia, including the Council of Independent Colleges Online Course Sharing Consortium and the League for Innovation in the Community College Online Course Sharing Consortium and the Southern Regional Education Board’s HBCU-MSI Course-Sharing Consortium. Acadeum has also partnered with Coursera to enable institutions to expand their offering of professional certifications that address the immediate needs of the workforce.
“Today, learners are older and more likely to be parents or working harder than at any time in our country’s history. The new majority of learners is putting pressure on institutions to adapt course offerings to the reality of their schedules and responsibilities outside of the classroom. said David Daniels, CEO of Acadeum. “At a time when some are questioning the role and relevance of American colleges, we are developing tools to harness the collective strength of our nation’s higher education system and create new opportunities for both institutions and.” to open for students.”
To learn more about Acadeum, please visit www.acadeum.com.
ABOUT ACADEUM
Acadeum supports colleges and universities in building academic partnerships with like-minded institutions to support student progression and equal access to job opportunities. Today, more than 460 higher education institutions use Acadeum’s course-sharing network to match students with in-demand online courses they need to stay on track for timely graduation. Institutions improve retention and completion while unlocking new revenue to increase financial sustainability. Acadeum’s platform provides seamless access to quality online college courses for a wide range of learners, including high school students and full-time employees. To learn more about Acadeum, please visit acadeum.com.
ABOUT GREEN STREET IMPACT PARTNERS
Green Street Impact Partners is an industry-specific private equity fund that invests growth capital in companies that use technology to catalyze innovation across the education lifecycle, from K-12 to higher education and workforce learning. As experienced investors and operators – including former policymakers, educators and university leaders – our focus is on the intersection between learning and economic mobility. For more information, visit https://gsimpactpartners.com/.
SOURCE Acadeum
