The University of Idaho has implemented a decrease in the number of credits it takes for a student to obtain a bachelor’s degree from 128 to 120 across most majors, with the exception of some degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, according to director of general education Dean Panttaja.
Panttaja said the goal behind the curriculum change is to have students graduate on time, provided they take the recommended 15 credit hours per semester, and to make college more affordable in the long run. Panttaja said many things in college could delay a student an extra semester, costing them thousands.
“Students change majors, and sometimes that can put them a little bit behind towards graduation,” Panttaja said. “Sometimes a class isn’t offered at the frequency you need it, so that also delays you. But, for the most part, you should be able to graduate from an institution within four years without putting yourself in financial jeopardy.”
Dean Panttaja | Courtesy
Mike Keckler, the chief communications and legislative affairs officer for the Idaho State Board of Education, said Idaho institutions have been moving toward the 120-credit system since 2010, when Boise State University requested the board to “lower the number of credits for multiple programs.”
“The Board currently does not mandate a minimum or maximum number of credits for bachelorette level programs,” Keckler said in an email. “But institutions have been moving in the direction of 120 credit minimum since (2010).”
While the State Board doesn’t mandate the number of credits needed to obtain a bachelor’s degree, Panttaja said universities across the state have felt influence to change their curriculum in most majors in order for students to graduate on time.
“There was strong influence for all of the four-year institutions in the state to move toward 120 credits,” Panttaja said. “There are only so many credits over so many semesters to get to a timely graduation.”
Panttaja said the goal toward graduating in 120 credits does not apply to all majors, especially those in certain STEM fields.
He said there will still be several programs, such as engineering, that require more than 120 credits to meet their accreditation needs.
Clayton King | Courtesy
“They just can’t get around that, or they lose their accreditation as engineers,” Panttaja said.
Panttaja said despite a rising tuition, this change should make college more affordable in the sense that students will be less likely to need extra time to graduate. He said this change will allow some students to avoid paying for an extra semester.
“Education is expensive,” Panttaja said. “Getting as many Idaho students to go to college as possible, but also making sure they graduate in a timely manner with the least amount of financial strain on themselves and their families in way of loans.”
Panttaja said students should direct any questions they have about curriculum in their majors toward their advisers.
“Every major is different, so every major controls their own curriculum,” he said. “So, yes the best place to look for help would be with advisers, and to ask those questions about the number of credits it takes to graduate in their programs, and get those things mapped out.”
Clayton King, a Faculty Senate representative for ASUI, said the student Senate gathered some student feedback about the curriculum change via tabling and email, and the majority of responses from students toward this change have been positive, or uncaring.
“Most students are fairly indifferent to the change, or for it based off of timing for them, and how much easier it would be to get through in four years,” King said. “Most students who deemed the change as important said they liked it, but there were also a good number of students who didn’t seem to care either way.”
King said he believes UI is implementing this goal as another way of keeping up with other universities in the area with similar agendas.
“The administration has been working hard to match up with other with things like plus-minus grading system, or the 120 credits,” King said. “There’s just a lot of things UI has done differently for a while, that we’re trying to change to become more even with a lot of other places.”
Andrew Ward can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @WardOfTheWorlds