Kent State will award more associate’s degrees

Staff report

WARREN

Kent State University’s seven regional campuses will begin automatically awarding associate degrees to bachelor’s degree-seeking students who have completed all requirements for either an associate of arts or an associate of science degree.

To qualify, a regional campus student must be currently enrolled, be taking at least one class this semester at a regional campus, have completed or be currently enrolled in courses that meet the requirements of an associate of arts or associate of science degree, and have not already been awarded an associate degree elsewhere.

So far, more than 1,600 students have been identified as possibly meeting the criteria. The records of these students are now being reviewed.

Those who have met the requirements for an associate degree soon will receive both an email and a letter letting them know of their accomplishment and that they will be awarded the degree this semester.

Students attending the university’s Kent campus are not included in this automatic award initiative at this time.

According to 2013 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, workers with an associate degree earn, on average, $126 more per week than a worker with a high-school diploma and $50 more per week than a worker with some college credit but no degree.

This associate degree-awarding initiative is consistent with best practices recommended by the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Research funded by the Lumina Foundation showed that students who earn an associate degree are 30 percent more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The hope for local students is that the excitement and sense of achievement from earning an associate degree will encourage them to continue on their path to earning a bachelor’s degree.

Regional campus students with questions about the degree award should contact their academic advisors and visit their regional campus Web page for more information.