Emerging University Of The Future — Changemakers Tiimiakatemia Program

Executive Summary

We propose a learner-led, team-based university model that converts every week of study into visible value for learners, employers, and communities. The “University of the Future” begins in Washington with The Evergreen State College Changemaker Lab as the first anchor, expanding into a distributed, library-anchored pilot that scales into a regional network of micro-campuses and partner universities. It blends learning by doing (real projects and ventures), learning by reading (a disciplined book culture), and learning by dialogue (coach-facilitated sense-making) into one coherent experience. The outcome is not just a transcript — it is a public portfolio of work, leadership behaviors, and impact. Beyond serving current learners, the network’s public activities also create an entry point for potential students who are curious about alternative, experiential learning. By engaging with showcases, ventures, and dialogues, these individuals gain exposure that can guide them toward existing experimental learning opportunities — such as those already presented through the Changemaker Lab.

Problem we solve. Traditional universities struggle with cost, speed to real-world value, uneven work-readiness, and disconnection from local challenges. Learners and employers ask for earlier, continuous practice and evidence.

Our answer. A Tiimiakatemia-inspired model that treats the team as the classroom and the city as the campus. Teams (15–25 learners) form team companies, acquire real clients, ship deliverables, and study the literature that sharpens their practice. Coaches pull learning instead of pushing lectures. Credit is earned through evidence: projects, reflections, leadership rotations, and community impact.

What launches now. A 90-day pilot across public co-working spaces in regional libraries, followed by a 12-month build-out and a 36-month scale plan. We will demonstrate outcomes, publish an annual impact report, and codify a replication playbook.

North Star. Make higher education radically relevant, faster to value, accessible, and socially catalytic, graduating changemakers who create jobs, solve local problems, and strengthen democratic, regenerative communities.

1) Why Change Now (Problem Framing)

• Cost and time to value. Tuition and living costs outpace wages; too many learners wait years before applying knowledge to consequential work.
• Skills–signal gap. Degrees signal mastery unevenly. Employers increasingly ask for proof of work — portfolios, client references, and team experience — not only grades.
• Completion and equity. First-gen, working adults, veterans, neurodivergent, and justice-impacted learners need flexible, evidence-based pathways that reward progress each term.
• Place and belonging. Post-pandemic isolation eroded campus community. Libraries, civic spaces, and partner workplaces can restore public, inter-generational learning and social trust.
• The AI era. When information is abundant, judgment, ethics, creativity, and teamwork become the premium skills. Reading widely, dialoguing deeply, and doing real work together are the best ways to build them.

Bottom line. We must move from time-served instruction to evidence-rich formation — from course completion to community contribution.

2) Vision and Design Principles

Vision. A distributed, civic-embedded university where every learner contributes to real projects weekly and graduates with a portfolio, a network, and a track record.

Design Principles. 1. Learner-owned goals. Personal purpose → team contract → community outcomes. 2. Team as classroom. 15–25 learners operate as a firm (team company). 3. Three engines of growth. Projects (doing), books (reading), and dialogue (sense-making). 4. Coach, not lecture. Pull questions, not push content; learners lead decisions. 5. Open campus. Public co-working spaces (libraries) and partner workplaces — no fixed lecture halls. 6. Proof of work. Portfolios, micro-credentials, and venture milestones earned continuously. 7. Community first. Local needs set the brief; public showcases build trust and momentum. 8. Inclusive by design. ADHD-friendly rhythm, peer body-doubling, clear roles, wrap-around supports. 9. Stackable pathways. Micro-badges → certificates → articulated degree credit. 10. Quality with humility. External moderation, transparent rubrics, and continuous improvement.

3) Model Overview (Tiimiakatemia-Inspired)

Weekly rhythm. Team Coaching (≈4 hours each, twice weekly — ~8 hours/week); Project Sprints (6–8 weeks); Reading and Reflection; Leadership Rotations; Informal Coaching.

Sample Week (Team of 20). Mon: Client meetings and project work. Tue: Library hub 1–5 PM public co-working; mini-workshop + reading circle. Thu: 4-hour team coaching; AAR; commitments. Fri: Portfolio updates; micro-credential evidence submission.

Outputs (every 2–3 weeks). Client deliverables, revenue booked/pro-bono value, reflection essays, portfolio entries, public demo nights.

4) Learner Journey (12–24 Months)

On-ramp (Weeks 0–2): Orientation, purpose workshop, Learning Contract, portfolio setup, team charter, code of conduct, basic sales and safety.

Core Cycle (6–8-week sprints): Set sprint goals; acquire/discover projects; select books; weekly coaching + mid-sprint AAR; end with a public Showcase.

Milestones and Evidence: Project (proposal → delivery → testimonial); Leadership (rotation + feedback); Reading (essays + synthesis); Portfolio (artifacts uploaded each sprint).

Bridge to Credential: Micro-badges accumulate into Certificates with articulation agreements to degree credit.

5) Program Architecture (Washington Pilot → Regional Network)

• Sites and Spaces. Public co-working areas in regional libraries; the city is the campus.
• Cohorts. 2–4 teams per site; 15–25 learners per team.
• Coaches. Lead coach per team; roaming senior coach; quarterly coach dojos.
• Partners. Libraries, municipalities, nonprofits, SMEs, anchor employers.
• Digital Fabric. Portfolio platform, lightweight CRM, reading tracker, reflection logs; ethical use of AI.
• Coach Academy. Pipeline for training new coaches.

6) Credentials and Assessment

Competency Framework (21 skills). Enterprise, Leadership, Civic and Ethics.

Assessment. Transparent rubrics and evidence audits; peers, coaches, and external moderators score artifacts.

Stackable Pathway. Micro-badges → Micro-certificates → Certificate in Team Entrepreneurship and Civic Innovation → degree credit via MOUs.

7) Governance and Quality

• Academic and Industry Board for oversight and relevance.
• Quality cycles each sprint; annual impact report.
• Coach standards: training, observation, supervision, ethics.
• Safeguarding and risk management.

8) Inclusion and Access

• ADHD-friendly cadence and supports.
• Veterans and justice-impacted pathways.
• Financial access through stipends and work-study.
• Universal design and trauma-informed practices.

9) Funding Model

Start-up (Year 0–1): Philanthropy, civic grants, sponsorships, in-kind space.

Operating (Year 1+): Blended revenue: modest tuition, sponsorships, project income, grants.

Value Proposition: Lower cost per learner, higher employer relevance, civic value creation.

10) Impact and Metrics (North Star KPIs)

Learner: Portfolio depth, leadership behaviors, revenue/pro-bono value, outcomes, wellbeing.

Community: SMEs served, civic projects delivered, local hiring, partner satisfaction.

System: Credits articulated, employer council engagement, cost-to-outcome ratio.

11) Pilot and Scale Plan

Phase 1 — 90-Day Pilot: 1–2 teams; library hub cadence; 6–10 projects; 2 showcases; memo.

Phase 2 — 12 Months: Multi-site expansion; employer council; coach academy launch; MOUs; Impact Report v1.

Phase 3 — 36 Months: Regional micro-campus network; replication playbook; national partners; coalitions.

12) Risks and Mitigations

• Project pipeline variability → outreach team, partner MOUs, opportunity board.
• Coach capacity → coach academy, supervision, playbooks.
• Assessment drift → external moderation, calibration sessions.
• Equity gaps → stipends, wrap-around services, proactive mentoring.
• Space constraints → flexible presence in public co-working areas; rotate branches.

Appendices (A–B excerpts)

Includes the 21 skills competency map, rubrics, crosswalks to LinkedIn, IDGs, CPA pathways, and WEF/McKinsey future skills — used to translate portfolios into employer-relevant signals.