The University of Wyoming is considering eliminating distributed degrees in favor of a bachelor of general studies degree program, according to an announcement posted online Feb. 18.
The bachelor of general studies will be different from the distributed degrees because it will offer opportunities across all colleges instead of the specific focus areas of distributed degrees.
Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Anne Alexander thinks students do not seem opposed to the new bachelor of general studies program.
“Part of the reason for that is because we are replacing it with a general studies degree,” said Alexander. “It gives them a lot more flexibility, and so far we haven’t heard anything but excitement for the people who have touched base with us.”
A distributed degree is a type of major offered to students who wish to pursue two interests without completing a double major. Distributed degree pairings offered at the University include humanities/fine arts and math/science or social science. According to the University website there are only eight students with humanities/fine arts distributed degrees and 12 students in math/science.
Students currently in the distributed degrees program have been contacted and made aware that their current programs may dissolve. These students are allowed to stay in their major or transfer into a new one.
The distributed degree program has a number of issues including complicated advising and coursework schedules, which the bachelor of general studies program may fix if approved.
Board of Trustee member Michelle Sullivan thinks that the bachelor of general studies Program will help students, particularly with advising.
“I think one of the concerns was that this will allow better advising so from that perspective I think this really has the potential to actually help,” said Sullivan.
In addition to advising challenges, the distributed degree program complicates scheduling and degree plans.
“The downside is that there were a lot of credits and a very specific amount of coursework so if a professor retired they would have to find an alternative or wait,” Alexander said. “The coursework and advising work was very complex — too complex, frankly. So as we replace those with that bachelor in general studies degree there will be similar tracks in social science, math, science, things like this. There’s a lot less substitution and fewer barriers.”
Another challenge of a distributed degree is the greater amount of credits required makes it difficult to graduate within a regular four-year period. Having a bachelor of general studies degree program should remedy this.
Students with distributed degrees can review and comment on the elimination proposal. Sullivan thinks this student input is valuable whether or not the distributed degree program goes away.
“Our job is to solve problems for students and to make sure we are continuing to be as student-centered as possible in all that we do,” Sullivan said. “If for some reason there is a concern among students we would want to know that. In my opinion the bachelor of general studies is designed to meet the students needs and we would want perspective on both of those things.”
