PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PETITION IS ONLY FOR STEVENS STUDENTS AND ALUMNI. PLEASE USE YOUR CURRENT OR PREVIOUS STEVENS EMAIL WHEN SIGNING THE PETITION.

The Stevens administration has proposed to reduce the maximum number of credits that students are allowed to take in any one semester to 18 (from 20) for any degree programs started in the Fall of 2026 (while tuition continues to rise). This will not only impact the class of 2030, but current students who require flexibility in their degree programs. They have also proposed to reduce the total credits that a student needs to take to fulfill their education requirements. However, the main ask of this petition is to ask Stevens to increase the limit of credits that Students can take back to 20.

Stevens' mission statement is to inspire, nurture, and educate leaders in tomorrow's technology-centric environment while contributing to the solution of the most challenging problems of our time. Stevens is known for producing well rounded leaders which requires flexibility in academic planning so they can take classes of their interests. 

While we support efforts to modernize the curriculum, the current policy change creates serious and measurable harm to students without sufficient justification. The administration has cited three reasons for the change: modernization, reducing freshman overload, and alignment with peer institutions:

• Modernization has reduced flexibility, not improved it. Degree requirements were only minimally reduced, while the semester cap dropped by two credits, making it harder for students to complete programs on time.
• Freshmen are not protected by this policy.  First-year students normally carry the heaviest course loads due to required core classes. Lowering the cap forces these requirements into later semesters, increasing stress and potentially delaying graduation.
• Peer institution comparisons are inaccurate. Most comparable universities allow 19–22 credits per semester or provide flexible overload options, making Stevens an outlier at 18 credits.
• This cap makes it more challenging for students to complete their degrees on time if they participate in the following academic opportunities:
  • change degree programs after they begin
  • add on a minor
  • add on a concentration
  • add a double major
  • add on a grad certificate
  • participate in accelerated master's program (AMP)
  • research for credit hours

This will NOT only impact the class of 2030, but any current students who change or add onto their degree program in the Fall of 2026 will also face these restrictions.

The impact on students is significant. Many common academic paths will now require overload fees, summer courses, or extended time to graduate. This effectively turns core academic opportunities that Stevens has pioneered into additional costs.

We are also concerned that this policy may be driven by financial motivations, specifically increased revenue from overload fees, rather than academic necessity. If so, students deserve transparency.

We are asking the administration to:

• Reinstate the 20-credit semester cap starting Fall 2026
• Submit the 18-credit policy to a formal faculty–student review process with transparency and data
• Publicly release the data used to justify this change

Stevens has built its reputation on rigor, flexibility, and opportunity. This policy undermines all three.

Sign this petition to protect student choice, affordability, and the academic experience at Stevens.

In your signature please be sure to include your current or old Stevens email for verification or else it will not count!

---

Current Suggested Credit Reductions:

The average engineering degree at Stevens has a credit count of 133-136.

Under the new course scheduling, engineering students would have taken 123-127.