A resident of
Bortolazzo said she knows that finishing college in three years won’t work for most students and that many are not rushing to graduate into a depressed economy. But she recommends a fast track “”to anybody who is really motivated, feels they have the time to commit to it and really wants to get out in the job market.””
Students like Bortolazzo are drawing attention these days as families look to reduce tuition bills and colleges try to stretch limited budgets and classroom space. About a dozen, mostly small, U.S. colleges and universities now offer formal routes to earning a degree in three years instead of the usual four or five. And many others, including the
“”It’s really indefensible in the current environment for universities not to be exploring more efficient use of their facilities and how to save students time and money,”” said Sen.
Not everyone agrees. Some educators worry that academic quality could suffer in three-year programs, which usually waive some requirements or push students to take very heavy course loads. Others say that most college students just need the extra year to grow up — and to explore.
Hurley, the association’s director of state relations and policy analysis, also said it was unrealistic to assume that most students start with the fixed major and career choices that a three-year degree requires. “”Many students change majors, and thank God we did. Otherwise we would be miserable and underemployed,”” he said.
Nevertheless, the number of such programs is growing, experts say. Among schools that offer or will soon launch three-year degree programs are
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“”In times of declining resources and a difficult economy, we need to look at the most efficiencies possible without diminishing the quality of education provided by the UC system,”” said
Some students have always managed to graduate in three years, often by earning college credits in high school by taking Advanced Placement courses and attending summer school. UC reports that 2.9 percent of its students do so and the U.S. Department of Education says the national figure is 2.3 percent at four-year schools. (About 59 percent of
The formal three-year paths typically promise priority registration for classes and special counseling to get past bureaucratic roadblocks.
Such a leg-up could appeal to UC students who complain that budget-related course reductions have made it difficult to enroll in the classes they need to graduate in four years.
“”The university would have to provide access to the right courses at the right time and better advising so you don’t get detoured along the way,”” said
And even if many students want to stay in college’s warm cocoon as long as possible during the recession, the hard economic times are encouraging others to reduce tuition spending, administrators say.
“”We believe it’s our responsibility as educators to help families find a way to keep an independent college education within their grasp,”” said
Under
Not all majors are eligible; some performance and arts departments say it takes four years to develop the necessary skills. As for criticism that students need time to grow up, Drugovich said: “”Not every student is the same. To say you have to stay a fourth year just for the purpose of maturing is wrong.””
The heavier class load is a bit stressful,
One of its goals, he said, is to “”attract higher-quality students.”” This year, about 40 of the university’s 4,400 undergraduates have signed up, a figure Bacon said is kept small by the reluctance of many first-year students to commit so quickly to a major.