Modest Proposal For An Alternative to the Classic Four-Year Degree

Most non-professional bachelor degrees are typically structured around a strong liberal art component and include a modest collection of courses aimed at developing a basis for skills that might be needed upon entering the job market. For instance, in a 120-hour degree program, nearly 50% of the credits are devoted to general education credits of which the majority are liberal arts courses. Then the balance of the courses is allocated between a common core of credits for the major and specific credits for a particular concentration. A typical example would look like the following:

• General Education: 58 credits 47% of the total credits
• Major Core: 42 credits 34% of the total credits
• Concentration: 24 credits 19% of the total credits

Total Credits: 124 credits

According to College Board data for 2009-10, the average total tuition charge for these 124 credits is $109,172 with a net tuition charge after financial aid of $63,172. While the total amount seems to be modest, the balance is often paid from a family’s discretionary income and/or by taking loans. Since discretionary income has not kept pace with the rise in tuition rates, students are taking on ever larger amounts of debt to finance their degree.

The question that many parents, students, and government agencies are now asking is how colleges can reduce the cost of instruction while providing graduates with skills needed for a career that will repay their investment in higher education. If we focus solely on those students who seek a degree so that they can immediately go to work, the financial goal should be for a student to purchase a degree that incurs the smallest debt load and debt service on future income. This question is particularly acute for first generation students who are going to college on a shoe string budget.

The Alternative Model

Conditions:

• The alternative must pass muster with employers’ expectation of skill levels.
• Entanglements imposed by accreditation and state licensure must be avoided.
• Faculty should not force the program into the mold of a standard bachelor degree.
• Human capital principles merit that certification skills have more value to employers than a degree.

Model Principles:

• The model must be designed around the skills required for a specific career.
• Performance must be assessed in terms of performance objectives.
• Faculty must have experience in the field rather than pure academic experience.
• Curriculum should include a mix of courses, simulations, and internships.
• Support services should include internship and student performance coordinators and counselors.
• Program courses should be designed around intensive work on developing technical skills that fit the requirements of a particular career set.
• English courses should focus on writing skills based on the requirements of a particular career set.
• Math courses should focus on developing strong math skills based on the requirements of a particular career set. (If the career set depends on strong arithmetic and basic algebra skills this should be the focus of the math courses. If the career set does not employ advanced math such as calculus, these skills would not be included in the math courses.)
• A program should be completed with the equivalent of thirty courses or ninety credits of courses that could be completed upon an accelerated schedule.
• The program will accept transfer credits and work experience subject to these credits meeting specific course skill objectives of the program.
• Businesses and nonprofit organizations will sign-off on accepting students for employment who have completed the program.
• Financing of the model will be a combination of direct costs, direct support costs, subsidy by third parties (no traditional financial aid), and a limited assignment of institutional costs (general administration, registration, etc).
• Assessment will be continuous at the level of student skills, program objectives, and post graduation (the latter would inform the program of the strengths, weaknesses, and changes in skill requirements).

Curriculum General Model

• Goal: Provide a three-year program for career path development
• Objectives:
  • Student mastery of skills as defined by the curriculum and developed by the faculty
  • 100% of graduates are hired within six months with median compensation for the position
  • Employers rate at least 90% of the graduates as above average in skills
• Curriculum Structure
  • English and Writing Skills: 3 courses at 3 credits per course; total 9 credits
    • Basic grammar skills
    • Paragraph and short paper writing skills
    • Memoranda and report writing
  • Math Skills: 4 courses at 3 credits per course; total 12 credits
    • Basic math skills
    • Tables and charts
    • Descriptive statistics and basic algebraic operations
    • Math skills for career path
  • Computer Skills: 4 courses at 3 credits per course; total 12 credits
    • Word – Microsoft
    • Excel and Access– Microsoft
    • PowerPoint – Microsoft
    • Purchasing office technology
  • Public and Group Facilitations: 3 courses at 3 credits per course; total 9 credits
    • Public speaking
    • PowerPoint Presentation
    • Group facilitation
  • Management Skills: 3 courses at 3 credits per course; total 9 credits
    • Basic management and business law
    • Goals, objectives, plans, and evaluation
    • Markets and advertising
  • Financial Skills: 3 courses at 3 credits per course; total 9 credits
    • Basic accounting
    • Understanding and preparing financial reports
    • Budgets and basic financial management
  • General Required Courses: 2 courses at 3 credits per course; total 6 credits
    • Microeconomics – survey
    • Human resources
  • Career Program Skills: 8 courses at 3 credits per course; total 24 credits
    • Career program skills training
    • Simulations
    • Short-term internships
  • Curriculum Summary Table

• Major Challenges:
  • State Licensure
  • Regional accreditation
  • Recognition of credit
  • Acceptance of graduates
  • Marketing
  • The type of document to be issued and its acceptance
  • Whether faculty without a masters degree could be used to teach the program
  • Percentage of courses that could be taught by adjuncts
• Plan for Implementation
• Advantages and Disadvantages:
  • Advantages –
    • Shorter period to completion
    • Lower costs
  • Disadvantages –
    • The question of whether employers would accept the graduates
    • An uncertainty as to whether students would be willing to take a risk with an unusual program
    • The investment needed to get the program started

Originally Published StevensStrategy.com in 2011