Program to help organized undergrads ãFinish in Fourä sees some success

A program designed to help students who want to graduate in four years has had slight success recently, but more than half the students who signed up for the program still didnât graduate in four years.

Finish in Four provides students enrolled in the program a detailed outline to follow that suggests the number and type of classes that should be taken, as well as an academic advisor to track their progress.

After completing an average of 15 units per semester for four years, students are supposed to be ready to graduate.

Only 40 percent of students who entered the program in 1997 graduated in four years, according to reports released earlier this year.

But students in the Finish in Four program are still graduating faster than other UA undergrads, who graduate in four years at a rate of only 29 percent according to 2001 reports.

In addition, at least 60 percent of the students who enter the program graduated in five years.

Randy Richardson, the vice president for undergraduate administration, says that although the percentages may seem low, they are in fact higher than those of other public universities.

ãConsidering the national average for a college student to graduate is five years, we are doing pretty well,ä Richardson said.

Citing major cuts in educational funding this past year, Richardson acknowledges that Finish in Four isnât as strong an option as it once was. Students who wish to enroll must have a deeper commitment to taking the number of courses the program requires.

ãBasically, budget cuts may make it harder for students to get the classes they need, but I am not discouraging new students from entering,ä Richardson said.

Students who canât get the courses they need can be slowed in graduating.

Despite the loss in funding, there are other reasons a new student may not be able to complete their degree requirements in four years.

Among these is incompletion of the upper division writing proficiency exam (UDWPE), a test administered to every undergraduate before graduation.

One of the stipulations is that if a student does not satisfactorily pass the exam, they have to complete an English skill-building class the following semester, which delays graduation.

ãI know that I completely forgot about having to take the UPWPE and almost didnât get to graduate on time,ä said Scott Hulme, who graduated in May 2002 with a bachelorâs degree in health sciences. ãThey donât make it really clear what you have to finish by a certain time, which would have helped a lot.ä

Also, most students change their degree program at least once while attending UA, and such a change may possibly prohibit a student from graduating in four years.

ãIâm graduating in December of this year, but thatâs a semester late because I changed my degree my sophomore year,ä said Susan Gage, a senior studying psychology. ãIn fact, the only reason I can even graduate in December is because I took summer school to make up the classes I needed.ä

Students interested in Finish in Four can contact an advisor in their department for more information.

How to finish in four

So, you want to graduate in four years? Maybe you, or your Mom and Dad donât want to foot the bill after your senior year. Perhaps youâre raring to be done with grades, tests and papers, after already enduring 12 plus years of school before this.

In any case, here are some things you need to know if you want your diploma in hand by May 2006:

Choose a major that qualifies for the four-year plan. If you later decide to change your major, you may not meet the qualifications for the Finish in Four program.

Take all applicable placement exams (English composition, mathematics, foreign language) or their equivalents before classes begin your first semester and enroll in college-level composition (English 101 or higher) and college-level mathematics (Math 121 or higher).

Schedule and attend appointments with an advisor each semester to ensure that the courses you selected meet your majorâs requirements for graduating within a four-year period.

Register for classes each semester at your assigned RSVP time. Realize that specific courses may not be available at the time or the semester in which you wish to take them.

Depending on your degreeâs requirements, you must complete at least one quarter of the necessary material each semester (which may include summer and/or winter sessions) to make sure that you have enough units to graduate. Remember, some degrees require more units than others.

Make sure you are scheduling in the required number of upper-division courses.

Maintain the grade point average required to progress both within your major and in general education classes at UA. You must earn high enough grades to enroll in the next level of required courses; having to repeat courses will threaten completion of the Finish in Four program.

If you are considering whether to enroll in the ãFinish in Fourä program, consider the following:

You may have pre-college work to complete (courses below English 101 and Math 121) before you can begin college courses.

If you select a major requiring more than average number of units, such as architecture, or your degree requires you be separately admitted to your program, like pharmacy, it could slow graduation.

You may have family or work responsibilities that prevent you from completing the required courses and number of hours each year.

If you participate in internships or a cooperative education program in preparation for your future career, you may not be able to take summer classes necessary for graduation.

You may be required to take additional courses to meet admission requirements for graduate or professional school.

If you become involved in intensive research projects in preparation for graduate or professional school, taking 15 units per semester may be too time consuming.

Choosing to study abroad for a semester or year can be a great experience, but not all of your credits may transfer back to UA.

Becoming heavily involved in extra-curricular activities, student government or community volunteer work can enhance the resumŽ, but may not speed graduation.