Why does a bachelor's degree require 120 credits? And what happens when an institution asks whether those credits actually represent the learning students need?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Brian Ashton and Boyd Baggett, we examine the development of the three-year, 90-credit bachelor's degree offered through BYU-Idaho and BYU-Pathway Worldwide.

Boyd takes us behind the scenes of a process that began years before approval: changes in accreditation standards, a growing emphasis on student learning outcomes, collaboration with the College in 3 movement, and a willingness to question assumptions built into the traditional credit-hour model.

But shortening a degree isn't simply a matter of removing 30 credits. Brian and Boyd explain what had to remain, what students may give up, why the model isn't right for everyone, and why clearly defined and assessed learning outcomes are essential to maintaining quality.

The conversation then turns toward institutional mission, values, AI, rapid change, and what higher education leaders will need to navigate the future.

In this episode:

• Why BYU-Idaho pursued a 90-credit bachelor's degree
• How accreditation standards created an opening for innovation
• Why the Carnegie credit hour was never designed as a measure of student learning
• Building support for the three-year degree
• The enrollment response after the new degree was announced
• Why a shorter degree cannot simply mean cutting 30 credits
• Which students benefit most—and which may not
• What students give up in a more prescriptive degree pathway
• Employer and graduate-school response to the three-year degree
• Preserving institutional mission while redesigning curriculum
• Navigating AI, changing values, and a rapidly changing world
• Brian and Boyd's advice for engaging learners more effectively

The three-year degree raises a larger question for higher education: If students can demonstrate the learning they need in less time and at lower cost, what assumptions are we willing to reconsider?

Guests: Brian Ashton, President, BYU-Pathway Worldwide; Boyd Baggett, Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum, BYU-Idaho

Hosts: Michael Cottam and Vernon Smith, Engaged by Design

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education