REXBURG — More than 100 Brigham Young University-Idaho students received news this semester that the university would no longer offer its paramedic program.
The program has been offered at BYU-Idaho for more 25 years.
The cohort-based program served around 25 students per year, with all students in single cohort attending the same classes together. They worked toward a bachelor of paramedicine degree.
The program had been staffed by two full-time faculty members and six adjunct faculty. But this fall, the program found itself with only one full time faculty member, and the school was faced with the decision to make another full-time hire.
“We had been looking at the program for a while,” Agriculture and Life Sciences College Dean Van Christman said. “We didn’t feel like hiring a new faculty member when the program didn’t fit where we are going.”
Officials said the small number of students served by the program didn’t justify the continued expense.
“We need to serve more students and sustain long term growth,” Christman said, “The faculty-to-student resources were not sustainable.”
The program’s instructors will move to other areas in the health sciences, and resources will be used to serve more students. Students who are part of the current cohort will be the last to complete the program at BYU-Idaho, with no new students being allowed into the program.
On Jan. 13, the University Board of Trustees officially concluded the program. Students were notified the next day through an email written by Christman.
Christman said he has meet with nearly 30 students to help them adjust their plans and pursue their academic goals.
Emergency medical technician training is available at other local schools, such as Eastern Idaho Technical College, but none offer degrees in paramedicine like BYU-Idaho.
EITC offers a basic EMT training course and has plans to offer an advanced EMT training course or paramedic certification, but it’s not in place yet.
“For a long time we have been thinking about a certification or advanced course,” EMT instructor Mike Gardner told EastIdahoNews.com. “We are still looking into all the requirements and what the program would include.”
Other alternatives for students include online options or attending other universities in the area like Idaho State University’s Meridian campus or the College of Southern Idaho.
Photo courtesy of BYU-I Paramedic Program Facebook.
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