SMU students will soon have a transcript recording their co-curricular activities (CCA) and the skills they have learnt – a first among universities here – in a move to go beyond academic grades. The graduating class of 2025 will be the first to receive this transcript, which was announced on Thursday at an SMU symposium on holistic education and skill sets employers are looking for. At the event, SMU President Professor Lily Kong said the transcript will indicate the extent to which graduates have demonstrated “learning outcomes”, or skills and knowledge, through their co-curricular activities. Prof Kong said the aim was to promote a culture of meaningful reflection, and guide students in deepening and documenting their learning. More than 200 industry partners, educators and students attended the symposium, which featured a panel discussion chaired by Prof Kong on the skill sets employers value. The panel comprised Education Minister Chan Chun Sing; SMU Chairman Piyush Gupta; Dr Michael Preston, Executive Director of Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities; and Melissa Aratani Kwee, Chief Catalyst and former Chief Executive of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre.