Pitt State plans first ceremony for Associate of Arts initiative 

A milestone moment at Pittsburg State University will occur on Feb. 26 when students gather at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts to celebrate being awarded an Associate of Arts in General Studies degree. 

A short program will begin at 4:30 p.m. for students who would like to participate. Employees also have been invited to attend and celebrate. The program will be followed by a reception in the lobby, and students will be given an honor cord to add to their commencement regalia when they reach their Bachelor’s milestone. The program will be live streamed at pittstate.tv 

The AA initiative was authorized in 2023 by the Kansas Board of Regents and Pitt State will be the first university in Kansas to automatically confer the degree as students earn it. 

“We are designing a culture of success for students that values their achievements and experiences. Students come first at Pitt State — full stop,” said President Dan Shipp, who lobbied for the initiative’s approval. “This is a major milestone in the design work that will help motivate students to persist in their education. Also, it adds a lot of context and value to their overall college experience." 

Later this Spring, AA degrees will be awarded to former students who stopped out short of earning a Bachelor’s but who met the requirements for an AA degree. 

At a time when retention is challenging at universities across the nation, it’s thought to be a strategy that will improve persistence.   

“This, along with other stackable credentials we’re planning, will mean students get two degrees and limitless opportunity for the price of one bachelor’s degree at Pitt State,” said Shipp. “Our intent is for our students at Pitt State to have the most valuable higher education experience in the country.”  

The Pitt State Registrar’s Office evaluates student transcripts at the end of each semester for eligibility. Each student must meet the following requirements: 

• • seeking their first Bachelor’s degree without an existing Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree. 
• • have at least 60 credit hours completed (developmental credit hours are not included). 
• • have at least 15 credit hours completed in residence (courses taken from PSU). 
• • have completed the General Education program applicable to their University Catalog. 
• • have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. 
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Eligible students are contacted by the Registrar’s Office within three weeks after the conclusion of the semester.

Eligible students are given the option to opt out of receiving the AA degree.