Students currently in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may be finding it hard to “Soar in Four,” but future students in the college could find it easier — by four and a half credits.

The LAS Representative Assembly, made up of one faculty representative from each department in the college, voted in favor of lowering the minimum amount of credits required for a student to earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree by four and a half credits, from 124.5 to 120.

The reduction came as a recommendation from the LAS Curriculum Committee.

Zora Zimmerman, LAS associate dean, said this change should appear in the 2005—07 ISU Bulletin.

The new catalog, including this change and any other alterations from the previous bulletin, will be submitted to the Board of Regents for approval in January 2005.

“Students graduating in December of 2005 will be the first students to take advantage of the lower minimum requirement,” said William David, chairman of the LAS Curriculum Committee.

The proposed reduction would not affect the total number of credits required for all majors and minors in LAS or LAS general education requirements. It would, however, lessen the number of elective credits required for graduation.

“Overall degree requirements will not be changing; this doesn’t affect the requirements for majors or for general education.

Students will simply earn 4.5 fewer credits overall toward graduation,” Zimmerman said.

According to the proposal by the LAS Curriculum Committee, 120 graduation hours is more similar to that required of Iowa’s other regent universities, Iowa State’s peer institutions and other prestigious Midwestern Research I universities for bachelor’s of arts and bachelor’s of science degrees in liberal arts and sciences.

David said the college has required 124.5 credits for graduation since Iowa State switched from the quarter to the semester system in the 1970s.

“There has been pressure from the Board of Regents to make a four-year graduation plan more accessible and doable for students.

Many students seem to have to take an extra semester to finish their last few credits,” David said.

Cutting out a semester would also provide undergraduate students applying to Iowa State with financial savings, committee members said.

The proposal states: “At a time of steep increases in tuition, this seems particularly appropriate.”

“Although we plan to see some financial savings for students and the college, this change was primarily educationally based, not financially based,” David said.

It should also now be easier for students to outline four-year plans for graduation. Now students need to only take 12 to 15 credits per semester to successfully graduate in four years.

Lisa Hodges, senior in communication studies, said the reduction is a positive change students in liberal arts and sciences.

“If those 4.5 credits weren’t needed under my catalog, I could have saved time and money by eliminating a summer of taking classes,” Hodges said.

David Breutzmann, GSB liberal arts and sciences senator and senior in computer science, said he thinks the move will benefit students.

“A whole 4.5 elective credits shouldn’t hold back a student who has met all the other requirements of the college,” Breutzmann said.