Eastern Illinois University is exploring a proposal to add an associate of arts in general studies degree.
The initiative targets “stop-out” students, which are individuals who earned significant credit hours but left without a degree.
From 2009 to 2024, over 7,300 students left the university without a credential, and nearly 3,000 of them with more than 60 credit hours, according to Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Suzie Park.
“The newly proposed Associate of Arts in General Studies degree at EIU is a much-needed option to complete a credential for the very large number of students who have, for one reason or another, left college,” Park said.
The program would allow students who have completed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum, earned at least 60 credit hours and taken at least 15 credits at EIU to qualify for an associate’s degree.
The implementation of the degree wouldn’t be to compete with community colleges, which commonly offer associate’s degrees, either.
“This degree is not intended to compete with any of our community college neighbors and is fully intended to serve as a stackable credential along the way to a bachelor’s degree,” former Vice President of Academic Affairs Ryan Hendrickson said through email according to the April 22 Faculty Senate meeting minutes written by assistant professor Nichole Mulvey.
Hendrickson said the university’s focus will remain on bachelor’s and master’s degree completion, and it currently does not envision specific recruitment for associate’s degree candidates.
The concept of a stackable credential, which allows students to build toward a bachelor’s degree over time, is becoming increasingly popular across the nation.
According to a 2023 RAND Corporation report, such pathways help underserved learners gain momentum toward degree attainment and better career outcomes.
“The lack of equity in accessing education and in accruing significant debt, especially for historically underserved students (including low-income and adult learners), is simply unacceptable,” Park said.
EIU’s proposed model would tie directly into the state-mandated GECC curriculum, which is recognized across Illinois public institutions.
Completion of the associate’s degree would grant students guaranteed GECC transfer benefits under Illinois law, which are advantages not available to students who have some college but no degree.
According to the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s A Thriving Illinois 2023 report, over 1.7 million adults have some college but no degree.
Beyond improving educational equity, the degree could boost earning potential for students.
According to Indeed, on average, employees with an associate’s degree make 8% more per year than someone with some college.
“The associates degree provides the student with an academic credential that is oftentimes associated with job placement and career advancement,” Hendrickson said.
One department at EIU is already working to help students who leave just shy of a bachelor’s degree, and adding an associate’s degree would allow them to assist even more.
“The English Department is already actively working to help students who leave Eastern a few courses short of their bachelor’s degree,” English Department chair Angela Vietto said. “Being able to offer an associate’s degree to those who stopped earlier would expand the number of students we could help to receive a degree in exchange for the work they did here.”
If the proposal is approved, EIU would join a growing list of four-year institutions, including Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Loyola University Chicago, that offer associate degrees.
Hendrickson said that the school believes it would be able to implement an associate’s degree without many logistical roadblocks.
“In terms of the approval process, it is rather late in the academic year,” President Jay Gatrell said. “For that reason, the proposal will not be moving forward until next fall. As with all curriculum proposals, shared governance is essential and I look forward to having more formal discussions across campus in the fall.”
