UW Faculty Senate approved a bill on Monday reducing the required upper-division credits across the university from 48 to 42.
If approved by UW President Richard McGinity, the bill will go to the board of trustees.
Ed Janak, former chair of the senate, said they are hoping to expedite the process so the bill can make its way to the May board of trustees meeting.
“If it gets on their agenda for the May meeting, this could be in place for the next academic year,” Janak said.
The bill would help transfer students entering the university graduate on time and could also increase the overall number of students graduating in four years.
“There are two main reasons for this bill to be implemented,” Janak said. “The first is for our community college transfer students, which are a large proportion of the population. It would be much easier for students to transfer and graduate on time. Our four year graduation rate is very, very low. We are hoping this might improve our four year graduation rate.”
This bill does not change specific program requirements, but sets a minimum standard across the university. Individual departments can still choose to set their own standards. The bill would put the university closer to the standards of universities across the US.
“We were one of two or three other universities that had 48 or higher as a requirement,” Janak said. “The majority of other universities have lower requirements.”
While Tucker Readdy, Senate chair-elect, voted against the bill while representing his department, he also said it could be a good move for the university.
“I think it gives more opportunities, but doesn’t tie the hands of the departments,” Readdy said in an interview with the Laramie Boomerang. “In the end, I did feel there was more positives than negatives.”
