Utah college students will soon need to take fewer general education classes in order to graduate.
This month, every public institution of higher education in the state is finalizing its plan to reduce the number of required general education credit hours to either 27 or 30 — and no higher.
That will mean a cut in hours needed for a degree at every public school across the state. The University of Utah had previously required the most general education coursework at 39 hours. Weber State University followed closely at 37 hours.
“I think the concern is that [general education] has always just been a check box,” said Ravi Krovi, senior vice president of academic affairs at Weber State University, who presented the school’s options to its board of trustees last week. “… But it should benefit the student.”
General education coursework is required for all college students, regardless of major, and is supposed to introduce them broadly to different subjects — from history to English to math. It also is meant to teach students the basics for academia and, generally, life: how to write, analyze texts, think critically, act ethically, collaborate and be informed citizens.
The move to reduce the number of required hours for these introductory classes was approved by the Utah Board of Higher Education — which oversees the eight public colleges and universities in the state — late last year. But schools had a year to put the changes into action.
The U. has already done so, with its changes applying to students who enrolled this fall.
But for most of the schools in the state, it will take effect largely for students who are enrolled for this coming spring 2025 semester and next fall. Those already in school will continue with the previous required hours that varied at each school.
Part of the push is to standardize general education across the eight public colleges and universities in the state to make it easier for students to transfer between schools.
The shift also comes as the Legislature has become increasingly focused on the “efficiency” of higher education, with a push to graduate students faster and cut programs that are not enrolling students or are not landing them in high-paying jobs.
“General education is a target that keeps coming up,” said Geoff Landward, the commissioner over higher education for the state, during the Weber meeting.
During last session, one controversial bill focused on the offerings at the University of Utah, which lawmakers have suggested has become too progressive. The measure — which ultimately failed — would have forced the school to establish an independent School of General Education to instruct all students for their required introductory coursework. It would later have been expanded for the full system of higher education in the state.
Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, who ran the legislation, outlined that he wanted the focus of general education on western civilization, mainly European communities, and to specifically include “the rise of Christianity.”
U. President Taylor Randall spoke out about the measure during the one committee hearing, where it didn’t move forward, saying 85% of what Johnson wanted was already included in the general education curriculum at the flagship school. And the Utah System of Higher Education issued a rare rebuke of the legislation, saying that lawmakers should work directly with university and college presidents to solve concerns.
Landward said last week that pressure on colleges though will continue this upcoming legislative session. That includes projected budget cuts.
“Conversations around legislative appropriations to higher education naturally will include general education,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune. “… It’s no secret that there’s scrutiny over what we’re offering, how much we’re offering.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Commissioner of Higher Education Geoffrey Landward speaks during a news conference in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.
That also came up in a recent audit that advised schools in the state to cut “inefficient” programs. And it jumpstarted fears that the focus would ultimately land on liberal arts — with programs in the humanities and behavioral sciences getting eliminated.
The discussion around trimming general education requirements came before that, but it overlaps and impacts the same fields.
The U., for instance, with its reductions to general education coursework, will now have students taking one fewer class each in humanities, fine arts and social and behavioral sciences.
Landward said he doesn’t want to see general education or liberal arts go away and can understand the fear. But, he said, he supports limiting the hours of introductory coursework so students can finish their degrees faster.
“Some schools were requiring too much,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune. “Those are critical, important classes, but we can reduce what’s required. … It’s not going to be popular, and I understand that.”
Taking out nine credit hours at the U. is equal to three classes — which is almost a semester worth of coursework, on average, for students.
“That’s another semester where they’re not out earning a living, and instead spending on tuition and fees,” Landward said.
Krovi at Weber State said the lower hours for general education will “hurt some faculty members,” who are required to teach 12 credit hours of classes a semester, with most teaching both general education classes and coursework for majors.
It will also “have a financial impact” on the university, he said, but that’s hard to measure at this point. Requiring fewer classes means student pay less overall.
Faculty at the Ogden school will take a final vote on Dec. 12 to decide whether to move forward with a 27-hour or 30-hour general education framework.
Weber State student body President Emily Sorenson said students want fewer required classes and are pushing for the 27-hour option. “That’s where the students are at,” she said.
One board member added that she doesn’t remember her general education classes and supported the move to reduce what’s required.
