Students declare a major so they can focus on a specific field and follow a degree plan that will guide them toward the career they desire.
The proposed generic associate degree defeats that purpose.
The new initiative means students will receive a generic Associate of Arts or Associate of Science without noting a specific major or concentration.
Students spend hours in classes learning and growing into their careers.
It would make sense for students to receive a degree that reflects the hard work they have completed, instead of a generic piece of paper.
Students are individuals; their degrees should be also.
Quotas should be dealt with backstage, not while crossing the stage. The chancellor often refers to back-end operations. Well, let them stay in the background.
If the idea of awarding the same diploma to all students is so important, then why did the district put so much emphasis on having students pick a major?
What will be the motivation for students to pick a field of study if they are all to receive copies of the same piece of paper? What will set them apart?
The given reasoning for the new initiative is so students can transition into a four-year university without having credits rejected.
To paraphrase Gertrude Stein, “An associate is an associate is an associate.”
Besides, with the requirements of the associate met, transfer of credit was already state-ensured.
Maybe instead of messing around with something that doesn’t need changing, district officials could concentrate on any one of a number of real student concerns.
