Last year's announcement by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that Ricks College will become BYU-Idaho got a boost with the announcement Thursday that the school has met requirements to begin offering courses this fall that lead to four-year degrees.
Accreditation candidacy status was granted in a letter this week from the Commission on Colleges and Universities of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges after it reviewed the college's plan to introduce 46 bachelor's degree programs during the next five years. The group "strongly recommended Ricks officials hire professionally qualified faculty with primary commitment to the institution and representative of each field or program in which it offers major work as it fills 100 new teaching positions during the coming few years."
Ricks College president David Bednar made the announcement to faculty members at noon. He said the last Ricks College degrees will be conferred on students graduating in April and June, with summer being a transition period. Fall semester will mark the first time upper-division classes will be offered on the campus, with the name change to BYU-Idaho to become effective through a series of festivities marking the transition to four-year status, Bednar said.
He noted the accreditation process is ongoing and candidacy is not equivalent to full accreditation. "You always have to review programs, conduct visits with faculty, assessing whether we're producing what we say we'll produce. Well-established universities go through an ongoing accreditation process."
When asked if students could be assured they can count on the future accreditation of the school, he said, "There's no huge risk (that complications could arise) but is it a done deal? No. It's not a pro-forma kind of process." In June, the LDS Church, which owns Ricks, announced it had decided to expand its only junior college to a four-year institution to provide more in-depth education to a greater number of students.
The move to four-year status is "a very significant undertaking. We presently have a two-year institution with 122 associate degree programs. In the next five years, we'll be offering 46 baccalaureate degrees. The amount of work accomplished by our faculty and staff in the past nine months to put us on track for that is nothing short of miraculous."
According to a press release, the new university will offer both integrated and specialized bachelor's degrees. Integrated bachelor's degrees will require up to 45 hours in the principal area of study, while specialized bachelor's degrees will require up to approximately 70 hours. Integrated degrees will require students to study in multiple disciplines and will provide broad-based preparation for employment and life.
Beginning in 2001 the university anticipates offering upper-division classes leading to integrated bachelor's degrees in accounting, English, history and recreation education, along with specialized degrees in business management, elementary education, interior design and nursing. The university also expects to begin offering upper-division, secondary education programs in the areas of biology, earth/physical science, English, family and consumer education, health, history, math and social studies.
Other secondary education programs beginning in 2002 to 2004 include business, chemistry, music, physics and Spanish.
While the programs and time line are subject to change, in 2003 the university expects to offer upper-division classes leading to integrated bachelor's degrees in agronomy, animal science, applied math, art, biology, communications, landscape horticulture and information systems, along with specialized degrees in computer science, computer engineering, construction management and mechanical engineering.
In 2004 and 2005 upper-division classes leading to integrated bachelor's degrees will be offered in chemistry, economics, family science, geology, health science, integrated studies, physics, psychology, sociology and technology management, along with specialized degrees in early childhood/special education, and social work.
Bednar said recruiting faculty to Rexburg has not been a challenge. "We have 38 faculty openings for which we're recruiting, and we have 653 applicants of very high quality."
Student enrollment is projected to increase from the present 9,000 to 11,600 with the school's "track admission process, which allows some students to come in summer and fall, with time out in winter, and others to come winter and summer, with time out in the fall. That way we can increase the number of students each year to as many as about 15,000, but we don't have to increase facilities. We maximize the number of students that can attend, but we never have more than 11,600 on the campus at one time."
The move to four-year status does "introduce an element of uncertainty" among four-year state-funded universities like the University of Idaho, Idaho State University and Utah State University, where many of the school's current students have traditionally transferred to finish their four-year degrees, though Bednar said he believes it "also creates additional opportunities. At Idaho State, the possibility exists that many more graduate students will go from here to there."
Among Utah schools, the impact is expected to be felt most by USU. Ricks is the largest supplier of transfer students to USU with at least 2,000 students.
Not only does USU receive a lot of students from the Rexburg campus, they tend to be good students, said USU Provost Stan Albrecht.
"We can't see clearly what it means at this point, but it will have an effect," Albrecht said, noting that USU has been evaluating the impact of the eastern Idaho school shifting to four-year degrees for some time.
"We are surprised that it is happening so soon, and we didn't realize they would be bringing so many degrees on line so quickly," Albrecht said.
Implications of Ricks becoming a four-year campus will be monitored by the Utah System of Higher Education, said spokesman Dave Buhler. "We are very interested but don't believe there will be a significant impact beyond Utah State."
There could be some ripple effect in Utah County, where students who might not be able to attend BYU would consider BYU-Idaho. But with the accelerated growth of Utah Valley State College, that school will remain a viable option, Buhler said.
Contributing: James Thalman
E-MAIL: carrie@desnews.com