








2. According to one study, 93 percent of employers believe that critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills are more important than a job candidate’s undergraduate field of study. Most students would be better served with a curriculum that helps them become innovative, problem-solving thinkers who can communicate with fellow workers effectively. Rethinking the college curriculum to refocus it on qualitative and/or quantitative skills could allow students to finish their degrees sooner and move on to graduate school or the workforce.

3. Early evidence suggests that online learning is not a solution for rising college tuition and costs. A survey conducted by the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies found that most colleges charge students the same or more to study online. And, when additional fees are included, more than half of online students pay more than do those in brick-and-mortar classrooms.

Weinstein offers a number of strategies to help institutions design successful three-year degree programs.

1. Cut the course fat: The modern curriculum has become oversaturated with unnecessary electives and general education requirements. While a good liberal arts foundation has its place, it shouldn’t take up more than the first year of coursework.

2. Go abroad on your own time: At today’s prices, a year of study abroad is an expensive way to discover what it’s like to live overseas. There are lots of cheaper ways to go abroad than pay your college to send you.

3. Declare early: British students are generally required to declare an intended concentration before they are admitted to a university, which encourages an atmosphere of focus. U.S. students should be required to do the same, with the choice to change their major after the first year.

4. Make sure colleges give credit for advanced study in high school: In recent years, institutions have become more restrictive in granting course credit for AP and IB work done in high school.

5. Tie financial aid to three-year degrees: Congress should set a transitional period after which federal financial aid will be limited to students who are in a three-year degree program in order to ensure that the many benefits of a three-year bachelor’s degree become widely available.

6. Cut the cost of tuition and fees by 25 percent: Some existing three-year programs already do this, but other three-year programs only offer a portion of that amount.

About the Author:

Laura Ascione


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