FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — Colleges across the country are looking at ways to shorten the path to a bachelor’s degree, but one university president says schools need to be careful not to sacrifice the purpose of a college education in the process.

Dr. Steven M. Corey, president of The University of Olivet, is weighing in on the growing push for three-year bachelor’s degrees following changes by the Higher Learning Commission that allow reduced-credit degree pathways in a dozen states.

The idea is intended to give students a faster and potentially less expensive way to earn a bachelor’s degree. But Corey argues that simply removing about 30 credits from a traditional four-year program could leave students with a credential that does not provide the same educational value.

Instead, he says colleges should redesign programs around the goal of completing a degree in three years while maintaining the depth and purpose of the education.

Corey points to three-year programs at Davenport University, Manchester University and the University of Minnesota Rochester as examples of schools taking that approach.

The debate comes as colleges face pressure to make higher education more affordable and help students enter the workforce sooner.

Corey outlined his position in an article titled “Three-Year Bachelor’s Degrees: Why Higher Education Should Shorten the Path, Not the Purpose,” which can be read on The University of Olivet’s website.v