What could UMPI do better?

[ashkir]

Just a heads up folks, the current leadership for the YourPace program, as far as I'm aware doesn't read DegreeForum anymore. The person who was the Director moved on from UMPI.

[Mom5]

RA institutions regularly allow students to take an incomplete - it can be done.

[Holmes]

What do you think UMPI YourPace could do to be a better program?

In Liberal Studies degree, I think that allowing students to define their major (or concentration, or area of study) AND to have that major listed in the diploma (and the transcript of course) will be a huge improvement. Imagine if you can design your own Math degree. Of course this has to be after getting the permission of UMPI academic advisor, but it will be extremely helpful if such opportunity is possible.

From what I can tell on these forums so far:
1) Add a Computer Science or a Technical degree.

I disagree on using "or" here. Computer Science degree will be much better and will have a greater impact. We already have a competancy-based IT degrees (nau, umassglobal, purdueglobal). The missing degree is Computer Science, especially for non-U.S. students.

[jsd]

The missing degree is Computer Science, especially for non-U.S. students.

True we don't have one for non-US, but for US we have the WGU CBE CompSci degree.

[ss20ts]

What do you think UMPI YourPace could do to be a better program?

In Liberal Studies degree, I think that allowing students to define their major (or concentration, or area of study) AND to have that major listed in the diploma (and the transcript of course) will be a huge improvement. Imagine if you can design your own Math degree. Of course this has to be after getting the permission of UMPI academic advisor, but it will be extremely helpful if such opportunity is possible.

From what I can tell on these forums so far:
1) Add a Computer Science or a Technical degree.

I disagree on using "or" here. Computer Science degree will be much better and will have a greater impact. We already have a competancy-based IT degrees (nau, umassglobal, purdueglobal). The missing degree is Computer Science, especially for non-U.S. students.

The BLS diploma lists your minors. There are no majors in the BLS only minors. And they are printed right on the diploma and transcripts. You can't create a major because that's not how colleges work. They have to follow regulations set forth by their accreditation agency. Also YourPace is very limited in the courses they offer. It's not a full university program like on campus. 

Don't expect any sort of IT degrees anytime soon. There hasn't been enough demand for it. They only added an on campus program in January through a federal grant program. There's 1 professor for the degree program. UMPI's focus is not on international students or online students. It's on Maine residents.

[Holmes]

The BLS diploma lists your minors. There are no majors in the BLS only minors. And they are printed right on the diploma and transcripts. You can't create a major because that's not how colleges work. They have to follow regulations set forth by their accreditation agency.

Well, there are accredited colleges which do just that. Even Excelsior had a very similar concept not so long ago. CharterOak too still has a similar concept with their Individuals Studies iirc.

Don't expect any sort of IT degrees anytime soon. There hasn't been enough demand for it. They only added an on campus program in January through a federal grant program. There's 1 professor for the degree program. UMPI's focus is not on international students or online students. It's on Maine residents.

I hope they are not thinking like that to be honest! And there are some signs that indicate that they will inroduce the CS degree. I'm sure you know the other thread on this matter (and it has some responses from UMPI officials emails too).

Anyways, @ashkir asked what could they do better, and I was just expressing my view.

[ss20ts]

The BLS diploma lists your minors. There are no majors in the BLS only minors. And they are printed right on the diploma and transcripts. You can't create a major because that's not how colleges work. They have to follow regulations set forth by their accreditation agency.

Well, there are accredited colleges which do just that. Even Excelsior had a very similar concept not so long ago. CharterOak too still has a similar concept with their Individuals Studies iirc.

Don't expect any sort of IT degrees anytime soon. There hasn't been enough demand for it. They only added an on campus program in January through a federal grant program. There's 1 professor for the degree program. UMPI's focus is not on international students or online students. It's on Maine residents.

I hope they are not thinking like that to be honest! And there are some signs that indicate that they will inroduce the CS degree. I'm sure you know the other thread on this matter (and it has some responses from UMPI officials emails too).

Anyways, @ashkir asked what could they do better, and I was just expressing my view.

Individual studies isn't as free as it sounds usually. I know because I have a degree in Individual Studies. You have to fulfill requirements in a variety of subject areas. UMPI's BLS is pretty similar. 

I know for a fact that UMPI will not be adding a YourPace IT program soon. The president of the university has stated so. He's the one who said the demand isn't there. UMPI needs to have people ask them directly for it. They can't go by chatter on a forum. They are also restricted by the University of Maine system. They're not a private university who has far more freedom than a state university. From what I know directly from the staff at UMPI, the post on here about them offering an IT degree was full of presumptions. They're offering one now on campus. On campus programs are and will always be their focus.

You're free to state your opinions. I'm just giving you some background info. I'm an alumni and currently completing my second degree at UMPI so I'm touch with the YourPace staff all the time. I've asked about some of the things posted on here and been told what's happening by the Director of YourPace and the support staff.