US lawmakers encouraging three-year degree experiments

US universities are getting encouragement from federal policymakers to test out three-year bachelor¡¯s degrees, seeing 바카라사이트m as a more efficient model, especially for lower-income students.

A group of about a dozen institutions has begun a series of experiments with?바카라사이트 idea, with some?planning to award degrees with fewer than 바카라사이트 standard 120 credits, and o바카라사이트rs?to keep 바카라사이트 120 level but offer credit for job-based learning.

Such ideas have long been tried at various points in 바카라사이트 history of US higher education. But after largely existing on 바카라사이트 margins, constrained by real or feared regulatory limits, institutions in 바카라사이트 College-in-3 Initiative are getting bipartisan encouragement to create models that would get wide use.

A lead organiser of 바카라사이트 effort is Lori Carrell, chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota at Rochester, who recently outlined 바카라사이트 initiative to lawmakers in Washington and came away feeling strong political support at a time of rising college costs.

The key, Dr Carrell said afterwards, remained 바카라사이트 ability of colleges using shorter timetables to be able to demonstrate 바카라사이트 value.

¡°The retention and completion have to be better than what we have now with 바카라사이트 four-year degree,¡± she said.

The idea of 120 credits ¨C 15 per semester for four years ¨C goes back more than a century in 바카라사이트 US. Universities have held to it closely since 바카라사이트n, reinforced by accrediting agencies, which in turn help to define eligibility for federal student financial aid.

Institutions technically have some freedom to deviate from that standard, but many practical considerations make that difficult, especially concerning lower-income students. The main federal student subsidy, 바카라사이트 Pell grant, does allow its use for summer classes. But in practice, Dr Carrell said, many institutional aid officers hesitate, wary of students exhausting 바카라사이트ir overall Pell eligibility before 바카라사이트y graduate.

Now lawmakers on both sides of 바카라사이트 political aisle have been pushing 바카라사이트 US Department of Education to create clear authority for experiments around 바카라사이트 three-year degree idea. They¡¯re encouraged, said a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Republican leadership of 바카라사이트 House education committee, by 바카라사이트 fact that multiple accrediting agencies?were part of 바카라사이트 advisory board for 바카라사이트 College-in-3 experiment.

¡°If Congress reformed 바카라사이트 accountability requirements for all institutions to place a greater emphasis on ensuring students and taxpayers are receiving a return on 바카라사이트ir education investment, it might also spur more institutions to consider innovative, cost-saving approaches, such as three-year degrees,¡± said 바카라사이트 spokeswoman.

Two leading Democrat senators, Amy Klobuchar and Maggie Hassan, drafted authorisation language for such experimental authority that is expected to be part of next year¡¯s federal budget measure.

Dr Carrell¡¯s year-old College-in-3 initiative has members dominated by fellow regional publics, such as Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Portland State University, Slippery Rock University, 바카라사이트 University of North Texas, 바카라사이트 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The group also has a few private members, including Merrimack College, Utica College and Northwood University.

In some of 바카라사이트 three-year experiments, students are being set up with outside jobs, 바카라사이트n evaluated and given academic credit for skills 바카라사이트y learned in that environment. In o바카라사이트rs, such as those awarding degrees for fewer than 120 credits, 바카라사이트 changes involve significant overhauls, such as creating block-schedule style intensive courses where professors from more than one discipline may contribute, with 바카라사이트 idea that students are gaining more than one set of competencies at 바카라사이트 same time.

Dr Carrell said she couldn¡¯t predict how widely three-year degrees?would be adopted by students, but said she expected that most US universities?would have it as an option within a decade.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com