R.I. debates 3-year degrees
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Three-Year Degree
Students short on money for a college education could earn their bachelor's degrees in three years under a new bill.
Published: February 24, 2009
Updated: February 24, 2009
PROVIDENCE—Students short on money for a college education because of a deep recession could earn their bachelor’s degrees in three years at Rhode Island’s state schools under a bill House lawmakers will consider Wednesday.
If adopted, the plan would force state education officials to create a standard set of college-level classes that all high school students could enroll in. Students who successfully complete the program would need only three years, instead of four, to earn a degree at Rhode Island College or the University of Rhode Island.
Rep. Joseph McNamara wrote the bill after hearing from residents struggling to put themselves or their children through four years of college as the economy tanks. Unemployment hit 10 percent in December with job losses spread across nearly every sector. Less time in college means cheaper tuition bills.
“Certainly many Rhode Island families are going through some difficult times today, and education has always been the key to advancing yourself in society,“ said McNamara, a Warwick Democrat.
Students now have several options for earning college credit during high school. They can enroll in college-level courses that are jointly run by local high schools and universities. They can also earn college credit by scoring high enough on Advanced Placement tests run by the College Board.
But McNamara said a statewide program is necessary because not all high schools offer the same college-level courses. Colleges can also set their own policies on which Advanced Placement tests and scores they will accept.
“What we don’t have is a seamless transition,“ McNamara said.
If adopted, his bill would require the state’s Board of Governors for Higher Education to present lawmakers with a plan for their approval by Feb. 1, 2010. A three-year pilot program would begin the following fall.
The House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare will consider the bill Wednesday.
Support is mixed among Rhode Island college officials.
Rhode Island College President Nancy Carriuolo supports the bill, saying it would offer new opportunities for high school students ready for college studies.
“They will be able to secure a college education in a tighter timeframe, which will result in a lower cost,“ Carriuolo said in a written statement. “The lower cost will, of course, be of special interest to students and families who are struggling with the economic downturn.“
But University of Rhode Island Provost Donald DeHayes said his school cannot support the program unless the cash-strapped state makes additional investments.
DeHayes said high schoolers seeking college credit would probably need to attend a condensed summer course on the university campus and supplement their work with online studies. Those students could take extra classes to graduate in three years, but DeHayes said time constraints may prevent them from working an internship or studying abroad.
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Reader Reactions
If we switched to County government, with our massive tax burden (highest in the nation) we then could afford to fund our schools instead of “side-walk inspectors” in our 39 separate city governments.
I think the 3 year degree is a great idea.
Most other states already offer college courses to high school juniors and seniors in addition to A.P. credits.
I feel my senior year at LaSalle Academy was somewhat pointless—seeing that I had already been accepted to college and I had a 4.0 with little effort senior year. I would have LOVED the opportunity to get started on my college generals. In college many of my peers come in already having 15, and sometimes up to 30 credits on their first day of college classes.
In response to someone else’s comment about Rhode Islanders being stupid….
I disagree, I just believe we have a disproportionate amount of students who struggle with math and science due to poor school curriculum. Why? Probably because we have 39 cities and towns in the smallest state and almost the same amount of school departments—all with different rules and standards. Rhode Island should switch to County government as almost every other state in the Union is. It seems especially important for a state as small as Rhode Island when our biggest industry and employer in the state is government!
Just look at the performance of the RI public schools. It S*cks!!!
After their Senior year, most aren’t ready for college - there is no way they will be ready in their Junior year. This program will fail as most students will not pass these courses. Then the standards of the courses will be lowered through legislation to make it look like more are passing. They will be receiving the same crappy education and will not be prepared for the workforce and a degree for a RI college/university will be meaningless. Employeers looking at a resume from a RI graduate from RI and someone with a nonRI degree will hire the person with a degree from somewhere else.
This is the problem with our educational system - it is about MONEY - it is NOT about EDUCATING our citizens.
If we want to save them even more money, just give anyone the opportunity to go to RIC’s website, pay $5, type in their name, and print out a diploma in whatever field they want. It will be just as worthless as a degree from RI colleges once uneducated people go into the workforce illequiped and employers lose faith in the value of a RI college degree.
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