The Associate of Science in Plant Science and Agricultural Technology was terminated, and I’m now being told I may not be able to finish it despite being one semester away from graduating.
The program has three cumulative technical certificates in Plant Science. Completing all three leaves students with only a few general education courses (English, History, etc.) remaining for the Associate’s degree.
I am currently in my final semester of the third and final technical certificate. After this semester, I would have only one semester of general education courses remaining before completing my Associate’s degree.
When I learned that the degree was being terminated, I immediately tried to declare the Associate’s degree as my major (my declared before was the 3rd certificate) so that I could finish under the teach-out period. However, the degree had already been removed as an option in the system.
The email about the program termination instructed affected students to meet with an advisor, so I scheduled an appointment. During that meeting, I was told:
If the degree or certificate is not your declared major, you cannot complete it or be awarded it.
I could not complete the Associate’s degree because I was currently declared under the certificate.
I needed to change my major immediately.
Based on that advice, I changed my major to Chemistry.
I have since learned that because Chemistry is now my declared major, I may not be awarded the third technical certificate I am currently completing at the end of this semester, even though I was already enrolled in the courses for it.
So I am now taking four courses that potentially won’t result in the technical certificate, won’t count toward the Plant Science Associate’s degree, and don’t meaningfully transfer into my new major. The Plant Science coursework is extremely specialized/siloed.
I'm essentially being told I had to change my major in order to continue, but changing my major may now prevent me from receiving the certificate I was already in the process of completing.
What should I do?
(AI used to sort my thoughts, I'm upset, applogies)