By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In June 2022, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a program to create a common general education package of courses that makes transferring credits from colleges to universities easier. The program is slated to be implemented in the fall 2024 semester.
Another statewide initiative set to launch next fall is to make the process of becoming an elementary school teacher easier. The degree plan will allow students’ courses completed at a junior college transfer and apply toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree at all six state universities and Washburn University.
Barton Community College Vice President of Instruction Elaine Simmons said this is a popular idea with KBOR as she discussed the initiative with Barton Trustees member Gary Burke.
"This will not be the only degree that comes to us this way, I promise you," said Simmons. "There are more coming."
"I think that is a good idea," said Burke. "This should eliminate some of the hassles that parents have with their kids getting 60 hours and only 40 of them transferring."
Simmons assumed KBOR is starting with the seamless transition for elementary education degrees based on the need of those teachers throughout the state.
Barton Vice President of Student Services Angie Maddy said there will be one version of the associate degree, so it will no longer matter which university the student is attending after completing their time at Barton.
"It would matter in advisement if someone came and said they wanted to graduate from Barton, do elementary education and transfer to Kansas State University as opposed to Wichita State University or Fort Hays State University," said Maddy. "I had an advisee that the whole time she was going to school at Barton she planned on going to Fort Hays later. In her last semester, she decided to go to K-State. If she were in elementary education under this new system, that exact same preparation would prepare her for entering K-State the same way."
Barton would be required to submit a written commitment to offer the degree, submit a degree check sheet for approval, develop new courses and add a new program in the KBOR inventory system.