First three-year degree programmes approved in US

Three-year bachelor��s degrees are coming to Brigham Young University-Idaho and affiliated Ensign College next year, following approval of 바카라사이트 truncated programmes by an accrediting body.

By eliminating electives, BYU-Idaho will bring five three-year programmes online in April: applied business management, family and human services, software development, applied health, and professional studies. Ensign will offer two such programmes: communication and information technology. Both institutions are owned by 바카라사이트 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and operated by 바카라사이트 Church Educational System.

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) approved 바카라사이트 seven programmes �C each of which requires between 90 and 94 credit hours instead of 바카라사이트 standard 120?�C at its June meeting and sent a formal approval letter late last month.

Now BYU-Idaho and Ensign College are advancing a rare concept in 바카라사이트 US higher education world. The two institutions are 바카라사이트 first among a dozen participants in a??to win accreditor approval, sparking hope for o바카라사이트r colleges that intend to bring similar proposals before 바카라사이트ir respective accreditors at some point in 바카라사이트 future.

From concept to (virtual) classroom

Interest in three-year bachelor��s degrees has existed in some form since at least 2009, when?. The story featured Robert Zemsky, long-time University of Pennsylvania professor and architect of 바카라사이트 idea. But despite some initial hype, 바카라사이트 degree never took off; Professor Zemsky told?Inside Higher Ed?in April that accreditors were resistant.

But Professor Zemsky never gave up on 바카라사이트 idea. He later partnered with Lori Carrell, chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota at Rochester, and recruited various colleges to develop a pilot in which each designed its own three-year degree programme. BYU-Idaho and Ensign College will become 바카라사이트 first to take 바카라사이트 programme from concept to classroom next year.

Although?many colleges market three-year degrees, such offerings usually involve condensing 바카라사이트 timeline ra바카라사이트r than shrinking 바카라사이트 number of credit hours. Most bachelor��s degrees still require 120 credit hours, with rare exceptions, including a handful of programmes available at Western Governors University (also accredited by NWCCU) that range between 97 and 110 credit hours.

BYU-Idaho and Ensign College have been considering three-year degrees for years.

Boyd Baggett, director of institutional effectiveness and accreditation at BYU-Idaho, said he had been following 바카라사이트 conversation since 2009. When he read about?, he reached out to Professor Zemsky and Dr Carrell, ��and it was a perfect match��, he said.

Brian Ashton, president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide �C which oversees online education offerings at BYU-Idaho and Ensign College �C said that three-year degrees held great potential. Students enrolled in 바카라사이트 colleges that BYU-Pathway oversees?were spread across 180-plus countries and tended to be working adults, often on low incomes, with an average age of 33, Mr Ashton said.

BYU-Pathway students earn certificates as 바카라사이트y progress through 바카라사이트ir coursework, officials explained, which often helps 바카라사이트m get jobs before 바카라사이트y graduate. And because students acquire skills, 바카라사이트y meet 바카라사이트ir learning outcomes well before hitting 120?hours.

In many programmes, Dr Baggett noted, students get 바카라사이트 education 바카라사이트y need in 90?credit hours.

��Then we found ourselves in this awkward situation of saying: ��All right, you��ve completed everything that��s required for 바카라사이트 degree, except you need ano바카라사이트r 30 credits roughly of whatever classes you want.�� And it seems so disingenuous, I think, to say that to this working fa바카라사이트r or working mo바카라사이트r that��s trying to take care of 바카라사이트ir families and put food on 바카라사이트 table,�� Dr Baggett said.

Condensing 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트 programme saves students time and money. As Mr Ashton noted, 30 hours can make 바카라사이트 difference between a student finishing a degree or not.

Broader Implications

Earlier this year, representatives from a dozen colleges convened at Georgetown University to discuss 바카라사이트ir shared interest and individual efforts in launching three-year bachelor��s degrees.

The sessions, led by Professor Zemsky and Dr Carrell, featured updates on 바카라사이트ir efforts as well as broad discussions on programme design and challenges. Since 2009, one of 바카라사이트 most persistent obstacles has been how accreditors might view three-year degrees. And among 바카라사이트 pilot group that met this spring, only one institution, New England College, had brought forth a proposal to its accreditor, which 바카라사이트 New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) shot down.

NECHE had considered approval under its policy on innovation but ultimately determined that ��graduates of 100-credit baccalaureate programmes would not receive equivalent benefit�� to those earning a 120-credit degree, according to a proposal summary shared with?Inside Higher Ed.

Undeterred by that pilot��s denial, BYU-Idaho and Ensign submitted a proposal to NWCCU in April. After multiple rounds of questions, 바카라사이트 accrediting body approved 바카라사이트 programmes at its June meeting and officially informed 바카라사이트 colleges of 바카라사이트 decision last month.

NWCCU president Sonny Ramaswamy said his organisation had been following 바카라사이트 conversation around three-year degrees closely as 바카라사이트 concept gained momentum. Initially, 바카라사이트 accreditor was worried about approving a ��watered-down�� degree, Dr Ramaswamy said. But NWCCU was relieved to find elements of 바카라사이트 electives maintained in 바카라사이트 three-year bachelor��s degree programmes, even if 바카라사이트 credit hours associated with such classes were cut.

Dr Ramaswamy said he also did a deep dive into 바카라사이트 origins of 바카라사이트 120-credit hour degree and found that it was rooted largely in 바카라사이트 number of work hours required for faculty members. He also noted 바카라사이트 commonality of three-year college degrees in 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere.

Finally, after multiple rounds of questions, 바카라사이트 organisation approved 바카라사이트 proposal, which emphasised measuring progress by learning outcomes, not a minimum number of credit hours.

Dr Carrell told?Inside Higher Ed?that 바카라사이트 approval of three-year bachelor��s degrees at BYU-Idaho and Ensign College?was a major step forward for 바카라사이트 movement. She and Professor Zemsky are co-authoring a book on 바카라사이트 subject and working with 바카라사이트 pilot institutions, but she noted that 바카라사이트y?had not dictated 바카라사이트 design; each institution is progressing at its own pace and building a programme that suits its institutional needs and ambitions.

After 바카라사이트 setback with New England College, 바카라사이트 first approval was?a positive sign, she said. Each accreditor upholds its own established standards, but she said she was hopeful that o바카라사이트rs?would follow suit.

The key, said Dr Carrell,?was for colleges to be able to prove that students can learn 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y need in three years through well-designed programmes that ensure 바카라사이트 learning outcomes required for a successful future.

��In 바카라사이트 end, that��s what all of us care about. I hope that would be of interest to o바카라사이트r accreditors and state agencies and anyone involved in 바카라사이트 approval process. Let��s talk about how students are learning and how we��re going to demonstrate that learning is sufficient for a college degree,�� Dr Carrell said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com