Courtesy KRWG
During their regular meeting Tuesday, the New Mexico State University Board of Regents approved changing the number of credits required for a bachelor’s degree from the university from 128 to 120. The move better aligns NMSU with other universities across the country.
According to NMSU Executive Vice President and Provost Dan Howard, the vast majority of universities across the country now require just 120 credits for a bachelor’s degree. NMSU students will still need to take between 38 and 45 general education courses as part of their degree. The reduced requirements will mostly affect general elective courses for students.
Individual NMSU departments will still have the freedom to keep 128-credit requirements for bachelor’s degrees if they are required for accreditation purposes or if faculty members believe it is needed. The NMSU Faculty Senate approved the changes earlier this year and will continue to review course requirements for degrees offered at the university.
Regents also approved revisions to NMSU’s strategic plan, Vision 2020, during the meeting. During the past year, university leaders met with groups around campus to gain feedback on the plan. The plan focuses on academics and graduation, diversity and internationalization, research and creative activity, economic development and community engagement, and resource stewardship.
A proposed policy to establish walk-only zones along portions of NMSU’s International Mall was sent back to the Associated Students of NMSU for review. Concerns included the speed of wheeled vehicles, including bikes and skateboards, in areas with large numbers of pedestrians.
Regents read a resolution for Dean Michael Morehead of the College of Education. He retired at the end of June following a 23-year career at the university. He had served as dean of the college since 2010 and as interim dean twice previous to that.
