Colleges across the University of Idaho campus are reducing the number of required credits to graduate from 128 to 120.
Last November, the UI Faculty Senate created an opportunity for
colleges to remove credits from graduation status.
“We observed that our peer institutions required only 120 credits,” said Jeanne Christiansen, vice provost of academic affairs. “We realize that students are too busy now juggling an average of 16 credits a semester. With this reduced load, students will now have about 15 credits a semester.”
The proposal to eliminate the eight credits surfaced during fall 2011. Faculty from each college met and voted to bring the motion to the College Curriculum Committee. After approval from the group, the proposition went into review under the University Curriculum Committee. In the final step, the Faculty Senate approved the switch from 128 credits to 120 and sent the approval to President M. Duane Nellis.
“This decrease in credits is only optional for all colleges to do,” Christiansen said.
Interested colleges submitted proposals to change graduation credits Feb. 13.
“We are not lowering our standards by any means,” said Mark Nielsen,
associate dean of the College of Science. “We are just eliminating the elective credits that we once required to graduate.”
The College of Natural Resources also opted for the adjustment. “Fifteen credits a semester is a standard across the country,” said Steven Hollenhorst, CNR associate dean for outreach and engagement. “I think an underlying factor is the need to get students to graduate in four years to avoid excessive debt from rising costs of education.”
The Office of the Registrar is offering to alter the fall catalog to accommodate the colleges that participated in the change.
“This really is not a huge change,” Nielsen said. “We still expect a lot from our students. They are all still on strict schedules.”
Amy Asanuma can be reached at
[email protected]