Valuable Learning or “Spinning Their Wheels”? Understanding Excess Credits Earned by Community College Associate Degree Completers

Abstract

Objective: Excess credits earned by college students, over and above those required to complete their programs of study, have become increasingly a subject of interest and concern. There has been almost no research on the extent of these credits. This study focuses on all of the associate degree programs within one state's community college system and measures the extent of excess credits within each program. Method: I created a measure of the number of excess credits earned relative to all credits earned and measured the extent to which colleges and programs vary in the levels of excess credits. Within particular academic programs, such as business, nursing, and general studies, I generated measures of the extent to which programrelated and general education courses create excess credits. I examined the transcripts of some students who have earned excess credits, to see specifically what they did. Results: I take no normative position on the usefulness or harm of excess credits, but instead explore some of the factors that may generate them. Contribution: I suggest some policies that might be implemented to reduce excess credits, if desired.

Investigating Ten‐year Trends of Learning Outcomes at Community Colleges

“…For the 13 community colleges in this study, approximately 7% of the students were entering freshmen and therefore had zero credits, 2% had less than 30 credits, 53% had 30-60 credits, 32% had 61-90 credits, and 7% had greater than 90 credits. It is important to note that although most community college degrees only require around 60 credits, it is common for students to have excess credits (Zeidenberg, 2012). A number of factors may explain students' excess credits, including changing majors, transferring in credits, retaking a course for GPA improvement, and a desire for more knowledge through additional coursework (Zeidenberg, 2012).…”

“…It is important to note that although most community college degrees only require around 60 credits, it is common for students to have excess credits (Zeidenberg, 2012). A number of factors may explain students' excess credits, including changing majors, transferring in credits, retaking a course for GPA improvement, and a desire for more knowledge through additional coursework (Zeidenberg, 2012). Also, some institutions classified as community colleges may still offer bachelor's degrees, thus requiring additional credits.…”

The Costs and Consequences of Excess Credit Hours Policies

“…Given that each credit completed is subsidized either through state appropriations or institutional grants and aid, the costs directly to the student are only a fraction of the total cost as they do not include the public subsidies provided (Bowen et al, 2009). One study of an unnamed state's community college system estimated the costs of ECHs to be at least US$6 million per year, not including failed and dropped credits (Zeidenberg, 2015). Bound and Turner (2007) found that the supply of higher education is relatively inelastic; demand shocks produced by an increase in the college-age population lead to a lower rate of completion.…”

Isaac Newton and Student College Completion

“…Many others change their majors, sometimes several times, over the course of their enrollment (Gordon & Steele, 2003). The result is not only that many students earn more college credits than needed for their degrees, but also that more than a few leave without ever earning enough credits for a degree in a particular program of study (Lewallen, 1993;Zeidenberg, 2012). This is but one reason for the growing emphasis on intrusive first-year advising and career counseling as a strategy to decrease time-to-degree (Jenkins & Cho, 2012).…”

“…Lacking any clear curricular structure, students tend to wander through the curriculum in ways that undermine their ability to make timely progress. Some leave in frustration and others amass more credits than they need for program completion, that is, if they are ever able to do so (Zeidenberg, 2012). In other cases, courses required for degree completion are not offered in sufficient frequency or with enough sections to enable students to complete their degrees in a timely fashion.…”