Georgia students would be able to earn a college degree faster by taking more courses online and earning credit for work and life experiences under a proposal from the state's two public college systems.
The plan would make it easier for credits to transfer between the university system and technical college system so students won't waste time and money by paying to take the same courses twice.
Another goal calls for students to graduate high school better prepared for college and for colleges to graduate better trained teachers to work in the state's elementary, middle and high schools.
While big on ideas, the 30-page plan included few specifics on how to carry it out and no estimates for much this will cost. Details are expected over the next year as the systems implement the plan and colleges develops campus-specific goals and graduation targets.
Gov. Nathan Deal ordered the systems to develop the plan together as they work to improve graduation rates. The state Board of Regents approved it Wednesday and the Technical College System of Georgia board is scheduled to vote on it next month.
Deal and other leaders have said improving college graduation rates is key to Georgia's economic future. Projections show about 60 percent of all jobs will require education after high school by 2020, but currently only 42 percent of the Georgia's adults have post-secondary education.
Awarding credit for life experience would benefit older students as opposed to those enrolling in college right after high school. College leaders said they must help more adult students earn a degree if the state is to reach its goal of having a more educated workforce to attract and keep jobs in Georgia.
The governor also formed a commission that will spend the next year looking at how the state funds colleges so that more emphasis is placed on how students perform and how long it takes them to graduate. The current funding formula is based primarily on how many students colleges enroll.
Regents Chairman Ben Tarbutton described the plan as "a big deal" and stressed the increased collaboration between the university and technical college systems.
"We’ve got to do a better job in this state and this country on graduating students," he said after the vote.
There is a nationwide push to improve student success and the regents have put more pressure on colleges to improve students' retention, progression and graduation rates.
About 44 percent of university system students graduate within six years. Rates vary widely, with about 80 percent graduating within six years from the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, compared with less than one-third getting a degree on time from Augusta State and Clayton State universities.
To produce more graduates, the university and technical college systems will target everyone from traditional high school graduates to adults and those in the military, according to the plan. Colleges also want to provide more support to low-income and minority students, who historically have less success in college.
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