Posted February 27, 2018

Fly in 4 helps students fly in three

More than 100 students who have participated in the Fly in 4 program have graduated early.

A graduation cap that reads "time to fly"
Photography By: 
Ryan S. Brandenberg
Many students who enrolled in the Fly in 4 program at its start in 2014 have already graduated in less than four years.
Since its inception in 2014, Temple's Fly in 4 program, aimed at helping students graduate on time, has produced an even better result for some: More than 100 students in the program have graduated ahead of schedule.
 
Of participants in Fly in 4, 124 have graduated in less than four years. The first full Fly in 4 class will graduate this May.
 
Fly in 4 helped Grace Tang, CLA ’17, pave the way to kick-start her career as a graduate extern for gender and sexuality inclusion with Temple’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership (IDEAL). Tang is also continuing her studies in graduate school as a full merit scholar studying public history with a concentration in digital humanities and museum studies.
 
“I wanted to save money and was eager to start my graduate studies—I even managed to squeeze in two graduate-level courses, thanks to my Advanced Placement credits I received in high school,” Tang said. “The priority registration and advisor one-on-ones were instrumental in keeping me on track and graduating in less than four years.”
 
Currently, 93 percent of the most recent incoming class signed up for Fly in 4, up from 88 percent three years ago.
 
“We want our students to graduate in four years and remove all obstacles that would otherwise not allow them to accomplish that,” said Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Assessment and Institutional Research Jodi Levine Laufgraben, who was instrumental in implementing Fly in 4. “When students graduate on time, or in less than four years, it allows them to get a headstart in the workplace or graduate school.” 
 
Laufgraben added that some students who graduate early enroll at Temple with Advanced Placement or community college credits they earned before coming to Temple.
 
Tang has advice for fellow students who are enrolled in the program. “Try to plan out your schedule semester-by-semester as best you can. Get to know your academic advisors and build a relationship with them, as well as your fellow students,” she said. “Your cohort can act as a support system that keeps you on track and up to date with your checkpoints.”