During President Renu Khator’s time at the University, there has been a 21 percent increase in graduation rates. Established under Khator’s administration, UHin4 is an undergraduate success initiative that strives to continue increasing four-year graduation rates.
Available to eligible incoming freshmen and transfer students, UHin4 aims to help students navigate their academics to avoid prolonging their expected graduation date.
Students who opt-in to the program have access to priority enrollment for their classes, academic maps, course availability and the option for fixed-rate tuition.
Human development and family studies senior Amanda Caceres recommends UHin4 to incoming students so they can avoid any confusion about what classes they should take.
As someone who came into the University with college credits, Caceres credits the program and her adviser for helping her navigate which courses to enroll in.
“I would have to meet with my adviser and there was never any question about what classes I had to take,” Caceres said. “You also don’t really have to do it exactly like the plan they provide and it still works out.”
For biochemistry sophomore Bethany Burkhalter, UHin4 gives her a sense of security in the courses she’s taking and her academic path.
“I love UHin4,” Burkhalter said. “I like knowing that I have a solid plan that will set me up to graduate on time. I think if I wasn’t in UHin4 I would be more confused about how many hours to take every semester to stay on track.”
One of the program’s requirements is to complete 30 credit hours each academic year. For incoming freshmen participating in UHin4, they must enroll in at least 15 credit hours for the Fall 2020 semester. After their first semester, students can divide the 30 hours into summer sessions as well.
Burkhalter enjoys the priority enrollment that she receives through the UHin4 program. As classes start to fill up during enrollment periods, Burkhalter shares that having the ability to sign up for classes earlier than some others makes the process go smoothly.
“I also love that we get early admission for each semester, Burkhalter said. “I have friends who aren’t in the program, and every semester they have a difficult time reaching the amount of hours they need to take while also taking courses required for their degree.”
UHin4 is not inclusive to all majors and is only available for qualifying students. For example, students who are pursuing a bachelor’s in architecture are on a five-year graduation plan, therefore not eligible for UHin4.
Incoming transfer students can’t have over 30 transfer credit hours if they wish to opt-in to UHin4.
As Caceres approaches her final semesters at the University, she shares how UHin4 has allowed her upcoming schedule to be made up of mainly elective credits.
“I’m a senior and I’m taking basically all electives next semester because I decided to save them,” Caceres said. “It’s really nice and just kind of makes things easy.”