For generations of school college students, the normal path to a bachelor’s diploma has sometimes meant incomes about 120 credit score hours throughout a four-year interval.
However given at present’s elevated prices and time usually related to claiming a bachelor’s diploma, an increasing number of educators and lawmakers are championing accelerated, sub-120 hour bachelor’s diploma packages.
“I do suppose there’s a solution to streamline the method and get a pupil graduated by the system in three years versus 4 years; 90 credit score hours versus 120 credit score hours,” Utah Home Speaker Mike Schultz advised the Deseret Information final fall.
And Home Invoice 265 — the so-called strategic reinvestment laws that was not too long ago ratified by the Utah Legislature — limits bachelor’s levels at Utah’s public degree-granting establishments to not more than 120 credit score hours — with allowances if packages require further credit score hours in the event that they require accreditation or licensing.
Now a pair of Utah public faculties — Weber State College and Utah Valley College — have launched proposals for just a few particular accelerated bachelor’s diploma packages.
The accelerated packages had been applauded by the Utah Board of Increased Training throughout their latest assembly.
“We’re thrilled to see Weber State College and Utah Valley College stepping ahead with a number of the first accelerated bachelor’s levels in Utah’s public larger schooling system,” mentioned Aaron Skonnard, Utah Board of Increased Training member in a information launch.
“The Board of Increased Training’s transfer to approve these accelerated levels creates further studying choices for college students and quicker pathways to careers and helps push innovation throughout the nation.”
Accelerated bachelor’s levels require as few as 90 credit score hours — in comparison with the normal 120 credit required for many four-year packages — and are designed to extend flexibility and affordability for college students whereas sustaining rigorous educational requirements.
The board’s 2024 coverage made Utah one of many first states within the nation to permit public faculties and universities to develop bachelor’s diploma packages beneath the 120-credit-hour threshold, in keeping with the board of schooling.
Weber State’s proposed accelerated bachelor’s levels embody sound manufacturing/recording and an interdisciplinary diploma in politics, philosophy and economics.
In the meantime, UVU’s proposed levels embody emergency companies supervision, skilled development and a number of other different packages “every designed with high-impact profession outcomes in thoughts and a powerful give attention to studying outcomes and employer-aligned competencies,” in keeping with a UBHE launch.
The accelerated bachelor’s packages proposed by WSU and UVU are pending ultimate approval by the Northwest Fee on Schools and Universities — the accrediting physique for the state’s larger schooling establishments — and reportedly nonetheless must observe established pointers from the accreditor.
Weber State’s packages have already acquired approval from its board of trustees — whereas UVU’s proposal shall be reviewed by its board of trustees in its subsequent assembly.
‘One other software to assist extra Utahns graduate’
The proposed accelerated bachelor’s diploma packages are anchored to pupil success, mentioned Weber State College President Brad Mortensen.
“Offering accelerated pathways in choose packages saves money and time whereas reaching the identical studying outcomes,” mentioned Mortensen in a UBHE launch.
“We wish to meet college students the place they’re and assist them attain their objectives extra effectively, with out sacrificing the worth of their schooling. These packages are one other software to assist extra Utahns graduate and thrive in our state.”
Mortensen’s counterpart at UVU, President Astrid Tuminez, mentioned the state’s largest college is endeavoring to offer career-focused pathways that meet the evolving wants of the state’s college students and workforce.
“These proposed accelerated bachelor’s levels replicate that dedication,” mentioned Tuminez. “By lowering time and price to completion, we’re serving to extra college students obtain their academic objectives and contribute meaningfully to Utah’s financial system.”
Tuminez advised the upper ed board members that UVU has been learning accelerated diploma packages for “a very long time.”
“Our strategy was very pragmatic in simply asking which levels would lend themselves to this lower than 120 credit score hours.”
Mortensen added that WSU can’t actively promote the brand new accelerated bachelor’s diploma packages till they’ve acquired ultimate NWCCU approval — “however we’re hoping to have the ability to begin enrolling college students as quickly as this fall.”
Accelerated levels already being supplied by Latter-day Saint-sponsored faculties
An accelerated bachelor’s diploma program isn’t new to many Utah college students.
Utah’s Ensign School and neighboring Brigham Younger College-Idaho — that are privately sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — each supply accelerated bachelor’s diploma packages by BYU-Pathway Worldwide.
The NWCCU not too long ago eliminated the “pilot designation” for the prevailing accelerated levels at BYU-Idaho and Ensign School — whereas permitting establishments to submit substantive change proposals to “supply bachelor’s levels based mostly on college students reaching particular studying outcomes inside a lowered credit score hour quantity slightly than requiring a conventional variety of credit score hours to the diploma.”
“If an establishment can present {that a} (proposed bachelor’s diploma program) achieves the identical student-learning outcomes at a credit score stage that’s decrease than 120 credit score hours, then they may be capable of carry these ahead and the (NWCCU) will consider them,” mentioned TJ Bliss, the Utah System of Increased Training’s affiliate commissioner for educational affairs reported to the board.
Commissioner of Increased Training Geoffrey Landward mentioned that WSU’s and UVU’s proposed accelerated diploma packages “are precisely the type of pioneering approaches to most of these levels that we had been hoping for.”