Volume 94 • Issue 4
FSUgatepost.com
October 10, 2025
University adopts 30-course minimum graduation requirement By Sophia Oppedisano Editor-in-Chief By Dylan Pichnarcik Associate Editor The minimum number of course requirements has been reduced from 32 to 30 credits for all enrolled undergraduate students effective immediately, according to an email sent to faculty and staff by Provost Kristen Porter-Utley on Oct. 1. An additional email was sent notifying students about the change by University Registrar Mark Powers on Oct. 8. President Nancy Niemi approved the change, which Porter-Utley wrote in her email “reflects our commitment to supporting every student’s path to timely degree completion.” The new minimum requirement will be automatically applied to students’ academic records, and they will be advised accordingly for the Spring 2026 semester, Porter-Utley wrote. “We’re trying to think about time to degree and time to graduation. What are the things that we should be thinking about in terms of our academic program to ensure that we’re offering a quality program that we need to offer? Are there ways in which we can assist with time to degree? That’s basically where we started in the conversation,” Porter-Utley said in an interview with The Gatepost. Niemi said in addition to helping students complete their degrees, “[We were] thinking about how we serve our students well particularly in the context of the state university system.” According to Niemi, every other institution in the Massachusetts state university system already follows a 30-credit minimum model. Both Niemi and Porter-Utley said they want to ensure students know 30 credits is now the minimum number of credits that must be taken to qualify for graduation. Some majors will require students to take more than 30 credits to complete a degree. See COURSE SYSTEM Page 4
The view of the sunset behind the McCarthy Center Sept. 29.
Interview with published author and FSU professor By Sarah Daponde Asst. Arts & Features Editor Author and Professor Jennifer De Leon held a discussion about her latest book, “White Space,” on Oct. 6 in the Heineman Ecumenical Center. Lisa Eck, English Department chair, introduced De Leon and Adam Stumacher, an author, visiting lecturer at Framingham State, and De Leon’s husband, who conducted the discussion in an interview fashion. “There’s so many ways for words to go to work in the world and the two authors we have here today write in multiple forms to many audiences,” added Eck. De Leon is the author of several published works, including young adult novels “Borderless” and “Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From,” as well as her new book of essays, “White Space,” Eck said.
De Leon is also a tenured professor of creative writing at Framingham State and is currently on sabbatical. “It feels kind of surreal because it’s been several months since I’ve been on campus,” said De Leon. De Leon began the discussion by reading an excerpt from “White Space” called “A Pink Dress,” a piece about her mother buying her a dress for college graduation. “My college graduation dress was as important to [my mother] as a wedding gown,” De Leon read. She said her mother, an immigrant from Guatemala, inspired her to write. “All of her stories really lit a match in me that made me want to write and write and write.”
See INTERVIEW Page 13
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
INSIDE: OP/ED 6 • SPORTS 9 • ARTS & FEATURES 12
News GPI pg. 2 BOOK STORE pg. 5
OP/ED WOMEN IN SPORTS pg. 6 BEST FRIEND pg. 7
Sports FOOTBALL pg. 10 FIELD HOCKEY pg. 11
Arts & Features BANNED BOOKS pg. 12 DEAF AND LATINA pg. 13
Rams raise awareness about breast cancer
The field hockey team getting ready to play in their annual “Stick It to Cancer” game Oct. 4.
Meg Dame / THE GATEPOST