By Ron Womble

rwomble@morningsun.net

Pittsburg State and other universities in the Kansas Regents’ system could soon offer some degrees that require significantly fewer hours of college credit.

On Wednesday, the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) voted to adopt a policy that will allow institutions within the Regents’ system to pilot Reduced Credit Baccalaureate Degrees (RCBDs).

KBOR Chair Blake Benson said the new policy would give the universities “flexibility to design innovative programs that meet a need in Kansas while delivering the academic rigor and student outcomes Kansans deserve from programs in our system.”

A number of universities in other states have begun to offer reduced credit degrees and the KBOR has been studying the options for the past year.

A typical baccalaureate degree requires about 120 credit hours. Students in reduced credit programs can finish in as little as 90 credit hours.

In a recent interview, PSU President Thomas Newsom said he has experience with reduced credit hour degree programs at universities in Texas and Oklahoma. He said he believes they can be helpful, but should be approached carefully.

“I think that there is a need for those (RCBDs),” Newsom said. “But I think they have to be very intentional.”

Newsom said the reduced credit hour programs would be appropriate for specific areas of study.

“I think they need to be workforce driven programs,” Newsom said. They are programs that are niche in a way, that provide a specific amount of training and competency for a specific outcome. For instance, you wouldn’t do pre-professional programs at 90 hours. You wouldn’t do programs that lead to a master’s degree or some other graduate degree. You would do a 90-credit hour program that was specifically tailored toward what an industry or what a workforce needed that would give a person with that degree the specific knowledge and training to be very, very successful in that field.”

In a release from the KBOR, Regent Alysia Johnston, who chairs the Board Academic Affairs Standing Committee, said that “institutions that want to explore RCBD programs will need to pursue approval through a rigorous, multi-stage review process.” She added that the regents expected a limited number of RCBDs, noting that they were not intended to replace traditional baccalaureate degrees.