Viking_Yearbook_95

January 6, 1995 Daily Vanguard Jeff Link Required Credits T he faculty senate lowered the min­ imum number of credits required for graduation from 186 to 180 in early December 1994. The Academic Re­ quirements Committee, the Curriculum Committee and the University Plan­ ning Committee reviewed the proposal indepen­ dently and approved the reduction in the number of required credits at the last faculty senate. Beatrice Oshika, chair of the faculty senate, attri­ butes the lower minimum number of credits to the elimination of writing and health and physical edu­ cation requirements. “Because the total number of required hours were reduced, it seems reasonable to us to reduce the total minimum num­ ber of hours required for graduation," said Sandra Rosengrant, professor of Russian. Rosengrant said the total number of hours for required graduation re­ mains within national norms. Confused students went to the Information and Academic Support Center with questions concerning how the reduction in the minimum required credits affects the timely com­ pletion of their degrees. “They're wondering where those six credits are coming from," said Craig Wellman, of the lASC. “The credits come from the lower-division credits. All the other requirements are the same," Wellman said. Wellman, also a senior in general studies, said that he intends to graduate next winter instead of next spring. “It's a term 1 don't have to pay tuition and buy books. It will open up some options," Wellman said. The reduction of the minimum number of credits will be put into immediate effect for all catalogs, said Robert Tufts, registrar. “Five students grad­ uated Fall term because they had 180 credits," Tufts said. Tufts said that letters informing students of the change were sent out to all degree can­ didates. 96