1. What is the purpose of the digital badging initiative?

The digital badging program aims to increase engagement, recognize learning achievements, and help participants demonstrate ServiceNow skills.

Badges provide:

• Tangible recognition of your learning progress and expertise.
• Motivation to continue with advanced training.
• A professional credential that can be displayed on LinkedIn, resumes, or internal career profiles.

This aligns with our goal of building ServiceNow competency and fostering a culture of continuous learning across our partners/users.

2. What types of badges will be offered?

We will issue milestone badges that represent mastery of a broader skill area or the completion of multiple related workshops. These visually distinct badges signal cumulative skill progression and are intended to appear on professional profiles.

3. What is the eligibility timeframe for badge issuance?

To ensure badges reflect the current platform version, we are using a two-tier eligibility system.

4. What platform will be used for badging?

We will use Parchment Badge, which:

• Is already adopted by Virginia Tech.
• Integrates seamlessly with Canvas, our primary learning management system.
• Supports pathways, skill tagging, and badge sharing on LinkedIn and other venues.
• Allows full customization of badge criteria and data.

5. What is the pilot plan and timeline?

Our deployment will focus on a phased approach to validate the workflow before expanding.

Phase 1 (Pilot  – January and February 2026)

• Focus Badges: ServiceNow Core Navigator for Tier 1 recent participants.

Phase 2 (March and April 2026)

• Focus Badges: Task Master, Analytics Essentials, Service Builder for Tier 1 recent participants.

Phase 3 (May and June 2026)

• Focus Badges: Roll out all milestone badges for Tier 2 legacy participants.

Phase 4 (Sustain & Improve – ongoing)

• Ongoing issuance of badges to newly eligible partners and users
• Regular review of badge criteria to align with ServiceNow platform updates
• Continuous improvement of the participant experience based on feedback and usage data

6. How does this initiative align with organizational goals?

The digital badging program supports organizational goals by:

• Building ServiceNow capability across users within the university.
• Encouraging participation in ongoing training and platform updates.
• Providing a modern, portable record of learning that enhances professional development.
• Strengthening the internal ServiceNow community and culture of learning.

7. How will I receive my badge?

Once you complete the required workshop(s), eligible participants will receive their digital badge via email and within our dedicated Canvas course. You will be able to accept the badge and add it to your profile, download a badge image, or share it directly to LinkedIn and other platforms.

Badges are typically issued within a short period after workshop completion and verification.

8. Do I need to create a Parchment account?

No action is required in advance. You will receive an email invitation from Parchment with instructions to activate your badge.

If you already have a Parchment account, you can simply log in and manage your badges from your existing profile.

9. Will badges expire or require renewal?

Yes. All digital badges are valid for two (2) years from the date they are issued. This ensures that badges continue to reflect current ServiceNow knowledge and skills.

You can renew or refresh your badge in any of the following ways:

• Reattend the required workshop(s): If you complete the same workshop(s) again, a new badge will be issued.
• Complete two “New Features Unlocked” sessions within the two-year period: This provides an alternate path to keep your badge current without repeating the full workshop path.

Replacement behavior:

• If you renew a badge within the two-year validity window, the new badge will automatically replace the previous badge.
• If your badge has already expired, a new badge will be issued once you complete the renewal requirements.

10. Can I decline or opt out of receiving a badge?

Yes. If you prefer not to receive or display a badge, you can simply decline the badge when you receive the invitation email or contact our team to opt out of future badge issuance.

Participation in the digital badging program is voluntary.

11. Is there a central place to view and manage all my badges?

Yes! You can access our dedicated ServiceNow Badging Portal on the Parchment platform at https://vt.parchment.badges.com. You do not need to create an account here, just sign in using the Virginia Tech SSO using your PID/password combination. 

By visiting the portal directly, you can:

• Create Your "Badge Backpack": Securely store, organize, and manage all your earned credentials in one digital location.
• Showcase Your Progress: Easily share your entire collection of ServiceNow and other achievements to social media or professional portfolios from a single link.
• Explore New Opportunities: Browse the full catalog of available badges to see which skills you can master and plan your learning journey.

For additional questions, please submit a request through our “ServiceNow Consultation and Training” request item at https://4help.vt.edu/sp?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=b72068751b7b7340ec30ebde6e4bcbaf. For “1. Topic of consultation”, please choose the second choice “Follow-up consultation”, and then choose “Digital Badging” as the consultation topic.