Students at the University of New Mexico will begin to see new common course numbers beginning in the Fall 2019 semester.
The new mandated Common Course Numbering system (CCNs) is being implemented by the State of New Mexico’s Higher Education Department to standardize common courses among higher education institutions.
According to the Common Course Numbering Project on UNM’s Office of the Registrar page, New Mexico House Bill 282 requires that 100 and 200-level courses share the same CCNs to ease transfers between higher education schools and for higher degree completions.
In a CCN project training seminar held on Wednesday, Oct. 24, Dr. Pamela Cheek, Associate Provost for Curriculum and Assessment, said an old New Mexico law went through the house and was revised in the Spring of 2017 that required all institutions in the state to work collaboratively to create a matrix. This matrix shared 80 percent of student learning outcomes, and shared the same course number, subject code and title.
“The state goal is ease of transfer, and to a certain extent UNM had already accomplished that by having crosswalks and transfer matrices, so we had agreements with other institutions that allowed us to say, ‘okay this course is the same as this course,’ we just transferred in,” Cheek said.
The goal for the system is a seamless transfer between schools, such as from Central New Mexico Community College or Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, allowing more students to be educated with less friction, Cheek said.
UNM has been set apart and known for the research and technological opportunities, but Cheek said these courses are no different than courses offered by other institutions.
“So we’re in a very complex position of suddenly having to re-communicate in a more effective way, why somebody would pay a couple hundred bucks more or 50 bucks more?” Cheek said.
“Which matters to our student constituents, to take lower-division courses here as opposed to taking lower-division courses elsewhere.”
What can students expect?
Starting in the Spring 2019 semester, and through the 2020 and 2021 semesters, UNM will list its original three-digit course numbers alongside the new four-digit CCNs for adjustment to the new system.
Cheek said the change applies to undergraduate lower-division courses and in the future 1000 and 2000-level courses. Students will see slightly different titles, numbers and subject codes.
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For example, a subject code of PSY with the three-digit course number will become PSYC, for psychology, with the new four-digit course number. Lower division courses will have higher numbers than the upper division courses, Cheek said.
“I do think the first couple of years are going to be a little challenging for advisors in particular to get used to, but the goal is to make it a lot easier for students to be able to bring credits that they earned at one institution to UNM, without it being a difficult process at getting those credits accepted,” Cheek said.
Students will be referred to the same grade courses they have always encountered at UNM, but in a different way, Cheek said.
“We really look forward to serving students and the community in making it possible for students to have access to the great education that we provide at UNM and we think that this is a really wonderful opportunity to work with educators across the state to give everybody access,” Cheek said.
Alyssa Bitsie is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Albitsie.
