Spring Break
EAC revision encourages more courses
KIMBERLY BOWERS
- Page 1 of 1
The EAC revised a proposal from the Undergraduate Credit Hour Committee that strongly encouraged students to take 15 credit hours per semester.
In an attempt to encourage students to graduate in four years, the Undergraduate Credit Hour Committee suggested changes in key language in the bulletin last month.
In its altered version of the statement dealing with credit hours, the committee said the "expected" academic work is 15 hours a semester and "undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to enroll for at least 15 hours each academic term."
Members of the EAC said the new language was too harsh, since under many circumstances students are unable to take 15 hours.
Vice President for Instruction Del Dunn, a member of the Undergraduate Credit Hour Committee, said the EAC took into account that students have other responsibilities and the 15 hours of credit are merely a suggestion, not a requirement.
In order to clarify the nature of the "suggestion" and lighten the load of students, the EAC voted to change the language of the bulletin.
It changed "expected academic work" to "normal" work, and also changed the number of credit hours from 15 per semester to 30 hours per academic year.
The complete statement will now say "In order to make timely progress towards their degree and to graduate at the end of four years, the normal academic work load is 30 hours per academic year for undergraduate students."
This allows students to take lighter loads during the year and make up for it during the summer, said William Barstow, professor of biological sciences.
Barstow said many students are preparing for the MCAT, LSAT or other graduate exams, and taking 15 hours would be too much work.
Dunn said there are many reasons for the University to encourage students to take more credit hours.
"I think that the primary reason for it is that, for every student that remains as a fifth- or sixth-year senior, it means that another student can't enroll as a first-year," he said.
Dunn also said the number of credit hours taken directly correlates to the amount of money distributed to the University.
"Credit hours were up this last year, but if they do go down it does result in less appropriation to the University System of Georgia (from the state) and probably for the University," he he said.
The EAC will further discuss other proposals from the Undergraduate Credit Hour Committee and Graduate Council at its next meeting Dec. 9 in Room 143 of the Tate Student Center at 2 p.m.
