Cut short
The Academic Senate's decision last week to allow elementary education students the option to graduate in four years isn't a good idea.
We understand the university wants students to graduate in four years - it makes the CMU Promise look better every time a student does.
But allowing students going into a field that demands a wide realm of knowledge to get done more quickly is not the way to do it.
It's understandable for students in other courses of study to question additional degree requirements. Someone going into sports studies, for example, could care less about chemistry
But elementary education is different. Elementary teachers have to know every subject out there. They are responsible for setting our youths on the right path to college.
Allowing students to get out of school with fewer classes than those in the past will only hurt them.
Graduating in four years almost is a taboo expression - it rarely happens anymore.
With college costing so much, many students couldn't graduate in four years even if they wanted because they have to get jobs.
For example, the majority of editors at this newspaper work more than 40 hours a week during the school year. Time is money, and trying to juggle a full-time job with full-time college can get pretty tough.
The same can be said for elementary ed students. If they take this new plan, they most likely would need a minimum of 15 credits each semester. And unless they all have rich parents, the majority of them are going to struggle.
In a perfect world, everyone would graduate in four years with the best education.
But things are a lot more expensive in the real world.
