As some of you will remember, during the 2018 Biennial Meeting, members of the Redevelopment Task Force wore stickers that said "What do you think about RED?" Even at that time, we were aware that major changes were likely in the areas of Residency, Eligibility, and Duration. In the new Standards, these three issues emerge quite clearly:

Residency:

Schools with Commission approval for distance education can offer any degree other than the PhD/ThD in a fully online format, as long as it meets the Standards. In this way, we are focusing on quality regardless of modality, rather than modality itself [see especially new Standard 3.6].

Eligibility:

Admissions expectations are clearer, and no longer reply on "proxies" of quality, like the old 15% rule for non-BA admissions to MDiv and professional MA degrees, or the requirement of the MDiv or its equivalent for the DMin. Instead, the new Standards clearly articulate the ways in which a student should be prepared for graduate study, and simultaneously ask each school to be clear about the skills, knowledge, and background required for admissions to their degrees [see especially new Standard 5.3 and 7.4].

Duration:

Rather than talking about degree length in terms of years, the new Standards clearly identify the minimum number of credits required. In this way, we are attending to the different ways students engage our programs (including part-time study) and are being more transparent about the expectations of the Board of Commissioners [See new Standards 4 and 5].

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