INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The leaders of at least three public universities have told state education officials that proposed changes to high school diplomas would not prepare Indiana students for college.

Letters obtained by News 8 show university leaders this month told state education officials the proposed GPS diploma should include additional coursework that would satisfy college admissions requirements even if a student does not plan to attend college.

Education officials are in the process of overhauling and consolidating Indiana’s high school diploma tracks. Beginning with the class of 2029, high school students would have a choice between the GPS diploma track and the GPS Plus diploma track. Both put a strong emphasis on work-based learning.

The starkest warning came from Purdue University President Mung Chiang. In a letter to Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner, Chiang explicitly said the GPS diploma would not satisfy Purdue’s admissions requirements. In order to attend Purdue, a high school student must graduate having completed eight credits each of English and math, six credits each of lab science and social studies, and four credits of foreign languages. The GPS diploma as currently proposed would satisfy the English requirement but would provide only six credits of math, five credits of lab science, four credits of social studies, and none at all for foreign languages.

“Because we know that success in college begins with rigor in the high school curriculum, we respectfully ask that you consider an enrollment seal aligned with the requirements for competitive applications to Indiana’s R1 institutions.”

Mung Chiang, Purdue University President

Education officials have proposed offering three diploma seals students could pursue in addition to their baseline diploma tracks. The enrollment seal would be designed for students looking to attend college, the employment seal would focus on job skills and the enlistment seal would prepare students for military service.

State Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, who serves on the Senate Education Committee, said he’s not surprised by Chiang’s comments. He said the Indiana Department of Education has not engaged enough with educators, parents or students in the GPS diploma development process. He said he’s extremely concerned by decisions to deemphasize traditional core subjects such as economics and calculus.

“The redesign seems to be more focused on connecting students to immediate jobs in the short term, which jeopardizes our state’s ability to invest in their critical thinking capability and to equip students with long-term skills that can be transferrable for an ever-changing job market,” he said. “These jobs that the diploma is connecting students to might not exist in 5 or 10 years.”

Several higher education leaders have said the diploma seals need work. Chiang said officials should consider two diploma seals, with one designed specifically to satisfy Purdue’s entrance requirements. IU President Pamela Whitten wrote she supports the enrollment seal but officials should consider adding college prep coursework for the employment seal as well. The current GPS diploma requirements would not meet IU’s entrance criteria, either.

“Many industry pathways circle back to postsecondary education, and/or individuals may wish to pursue postsecondary education as adults. In both cases, it is imperative that such individuals do not lack basic preparation for an onramp into higher education at a later point.”

IU President Pamela Whitten

Other university leaders criticized the diploma seals altogether. Officials with the University of Southern Indiana and Indiana State University said they feared the different high school tracks might confuse first-generation college students. In addition, USI officials said the diploma pathways put too much emphasis on workforce preparation and might end up restricting students’ ability to change careers later in life.

“Having students commit to a particular pathway appears to reduce opportunities and remove the flexibility sought in redesigning these diplomas. This may actually result in fewer successful outcomes. “

Aaron C. Trump University of Southern Indiana Vice President for Government Affairs and General Counsel

Officials with the Indiana Department of Education said the diploma and seal requirements are still in development and feedback from higher education officials will be incorporated into the final course design.

“As we review all of the feedback we have heard to date, the enrollment-ready seal will be key to ensuring every Hoosier student and their parents clearly understand the specific courses and experiences they need in high school in order to be successful in higher education. Continued partnership with higher education institutions, as well as the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, will be essential to this process.”

Indiana Department of Education

Qaddoura said he hopes education officials incorporate feedback into the diploma requirements. He said Democratic lawmakers will consider proposing legislative fixes if problems with the diploma requirements continue.

Education officials said they plan to release the final diploma requirements later this fall.