Mapping out collegiate success

It would have been wonderful as a high school student taking advanced placement classes to know with 100-percent certainty that your AP credits were going to transfer.

Well, sigh with relief because high school students may one day have that
certainty.

Blinding envy is another appropriate response.

The IU Board of Trustees is brewing an idea, an idea that would change the way we go about choosing our classes and earning our degrees.

State lawmakers are proposing the requirement of degree maps for all colleges.

These degree maps would outline a student’s curriculum throughout the entirety of their college career.

Their purpose is to ensure that all students complete their degree on time and make all general education classes transferable.  

The motivation behind this movement stems from the depressing lack of Indiana residents with college degrees.

Only 34 percent of Indiana residents have a post-secondary credential.

As of 2012, Indiana ranked 42nd in the country for residents with post secondary credentials.

In the Midwest, we’re in dead last.

Last year, the “Reaching Higher, Achieving More” resolution was passed by the Indiana Education Roundtable.

The resolution had some aggressive goals designed to help students find success. They aimed to increase the on-time graduation of students at two-year and four-year colleges. They also looked to double the number of college graduates in the state by 2025.

The degree road maps are expected to help the state meet that deadline. Hopefully, with more guidance, students will be more likely to complete their degrees.

Degree plans are ideal for a number of students.

One example would be scholarship students who have a certain amount of time to get their degree. Indiana is one of few states to offer a program like 21st Century Scholars, which provides students with a full ride to college.

The downside is students must adhere to a tight schedule, as the financial aid lasts four years.

At the moment, IU seems skeptical of the idea, as they should be.

Education is constantly changing and evolving.

Students are earning college credits before they’ve even submitted a college
application.

They’re going abroad and taking classes online. For some of these students, a fenced-in pathway is not the best way for them to pursue their education.

Many students wouldn’t get the most out of their college experience if someone was holding their hand throughout the process.

The Editorial Board isn’t opposed to IU implementing this degree plan.

In fact, this may be just the ticket to solving our University’s problem of questionable advising.

But degree plans would not work for everybody, and a mandated requirement would hinder a number of students.

It’s not unheard of for a college student to change their major once, twice or six times, and they have the right to do so.

College is about exploration, and road maps don’t leave much room for detours along the way.

— opinion@idsnews.com
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