Topeka ? It will be at least another month before future students know whether they’ll be required to complete a more difficult class load to graduate from state universities.

Members of the Kansas Board of Regents said Thursday they wanted more study on the issue before deciding if they’ll stick with a plan to increase the required number of junior- and senior-level hours to 54 from 40.

The state’s Council of Faculty Senate Presidents recommended the regents require 45 hours of upper-division courses, with 60 hours coming from a four-year university.

The faculty members said requiring 54 hours  which regents approved in November  would narrow the variety of classes students will take and require some to spend another semester or year at their university.

At KU, the change especially affects students receiving bachelor of arts degrees from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Fine Arts.

“Could we satisfy the rule? Certainly,” said Tom Beisecker, president of KU’s University Council. “Would it extend the stay of these students? Certainly.”

He said none of the CLAS bachelor of arts graduates who finished last year with 130 hours or fewer included 54 hours of upper-division work in their schedules.

Regent Deryl Wynn of Kansas City said he wanted more information about how requiring 45 hours would affect students before deciding if that would satisfy regents’ goal of improving the quality of a bachelor’s degree.

Jeri Carroll, Wichita State’s Faculty Senate president, was the lone faculty leader to support the 54-hour plan.