SQL Alter Column for Numeric Fields

I am attempting to alter the width of a numeric field using an SQL Alter command. Here is an example of what I am trying to accomplish:

alter table SOME_SCHEMA.SOME_TABLE alter column SOME_NUM_FIELD set PRO_SQL_WIDTH 8,0

I see from this post that this is possible, but this syntax only works for character fields:

http://communities.progress.com/pcom/message/123310;jsessionid=4D83F043929561D1161A02BE219E38CC

I've also seen documentation here that says this type of altering is not available for numeric fields:

http://knowledgebase.progress.com/articles/Article/P128368

Does this functionality really not exist for numeric fields? Every other database I've worked with previously has always allowed me to alter both numeric and character fields.

Is my only alternative for altering numeric fields through a native utility?

Rick