Hours change brings opportunity for students, professors

Change is never easy, but Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) is trying its best to make the new hour requirement change as easy a transition as possible. On June 1, 2021, OBU rearranged its academic structure in an effort to “provide cost savings, bring more faculty to the leadership table, facilitate better communication between the University’s academic divisions and create a more cost-effective structure to position OBU with a strong foundation for the future,” according to okbu.edu. In addition to the academic re-structure, OBU is changing its hour requirement from 128 hours to 120 hours. The hours change was not made frivolously but was a conscious decision to help its students succeed. Even though this change was made with good intentions, does it actually benefit the student as well as the university? “The change in hours will definitely make me rethink my courses, but so far it has only seemed positive since it will cut my required classes down,” sophomore, Brian Cunningham, said. Cunningham transferred to OBU this semester and was directly affected by the hours change. Focusing on shortening the required general education classes is seen as a benefit to him as he is scheduling his classes for the coming fall. “According to the admissions office, these changes should decrease the number of hours required for my major. I am hoping to be able to take less general education classes and focus more on major-specific courses,” Cunningham said. He is able to have more freedom and power over his schedule as well as what he wants to learn in his academic career. All of this considered, the communication about the new hours and its intentions has not been so easily seen by all students. “Maybe it would have been nice to have known from the start of my enrollment so I could have planned my classes better, but I am still definitely open to the change in hours,” Cunningham said. This is an exciting change for the university and students, but not all students like the new hour change. “The new hour change would not benefit me in the slightest. From what I can recall, the cut in hours that are needed for graduation come from cutting down the number of the general core classes. Since I have already completed all of the hours that were needed to fulfill the general core class requirement, the change in hours would not help me as I only have the major specific classes left,” junior, Chase Kirby, said. In this situation, cutting down on required hours is a double-edged sword. Some students are able to enjoy the flexibility they have over their schedule, while others are experiencing the drawbacks from the new hours.

“I don’t think it makes my academic planning more difficult, as it does not change the general core classes I have fulfilled. Cutting down the hours does not affect the completion of my hours, but rather would just give me extra fall through courses,” Kirby said. As a student, seeing fall through credits on your Degree Works is not something people look forward to. “I don’t know too much on the new graduation completion requirements, but from what I briefly read and understand about it, these changes in hours only help if you are a freshman or sophomore who have not yet completed their general core classes. If you have all of your core classes done and have moved on to your major specific classes, I don’t feel as though the change in hours to complete for graduation would help,” Kirby said. Changing the required graduation hours from 128 to 120 hours sounds like a great idea. For students like Cunningham, he is able to focus primarily on the classes in his major as well as the ones that peak his interest. Kirby does not have the luxury of being able to choose which classes she likes like Cunningham, but she is able to to give an unfiltered view of what the new hours change is like for some students who have finished their required general education classes. If you have any questions about the hours change and if it affects you, email your advisor during their office hours or check out okbu.edu.