Baker College to adopt semester format in 2017

Baker College officials have announced that the college will transition from a quarter format to a semester format beginning fall 2017.

A traditional academic year is a nine-month period composed of either quarter- or semester-based coursework. As a quarter-based institution, Baker College currently offers three quarters of coursework, each typically 10 to 12 weeks in duration, along with a summer session. The semester calendar will offer two 16-week semesters of coursework and a 12-week summer session.

“The trend in higher education is certainly a semester schedule, especially in Michigan,” said Bart Daig, Ph.D., Baker College System president and CEO. “Our students will gain many benefits when our schedule aligns with the majority of higher education institutions.”

He noted the following student benefits:

· Longer-term internships that will provide additional real-world training.

· Availability during traditional college breaks for summer and holiday employment.

· Entering the job market at the same time in the spring as most other college graduates.

· Greater ease of transferring credits and enrollment to and from other institutions of higher education.

The new schedule also better aligns with high school calendars. It allows for additional opportunities to collaborate with high schools and for enhanced support of Baker College’s many existing high school dual-enrollment, direct-credit and early middle college initiatives.

A transition committee has created a detailed implementation plan that provides a transparent and seamless process for students, faculty and staff.

“Of high importance in this transition is to not disrupt the academic progress of current students,” said Denise Bannan, Ph. D., Baker College System vice president for academics. “It will be cost- and time-neutral for them. Advisors will ensure that this will not increase the cost to complete a program nor will it increase a student’s time to graduation. Annual tuition fees and financial aid on the semester calendar will remain comparable to those on our present quarter calendar.”

For more information about the transition from quarters to semesters at Baker College, visit http://baker.edu/semesterconversion.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 23,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker College grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 100 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker College graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker College is a pioneer in distance education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.