Beginning this fall, Iowa State freshmen will get the chance to “make a deal” with ISU officials.

The deal, between students and the university, is a contract in which students claim they will finish their college educations in four years.

ISU unveiled the plan this past summer at freshmen orientations. It will be offered to those who have the necessary academic preparation to begin with course work in their chosen major, said Edwin Lewis, associate provost.

“Many Iowa State students already graduate in four years,” Lewis said. “Many, such as those who work their way through school or undertake internships or opt for a smaller course load, take longer. There are as many ways to get a good education and plan for the future as there are students.”

Lewis said those students who sign the contract will work closely with their advisers to map out a course of study that can be completed in eight semesters. Students will need to take 15-18 credits a semester to stay on track.

All majors, except architecture, landscape architecture and liberal studies qualify for the plan. However, Lewis said, some majors require courses to be taken in sequence.

Lewis said ISU intends to insure those students willing to keep on schedule that the classes they need will be available.

For the university’s part of the contract, it promises to provide students in the program with experienced academic advisers who can help them develop their plans and guide them through college.

If students are unable to get into the classes they need to graduate, university officials say they will try to substitute equivalent courses or independent study assignments. Some requirements may also be waived if classes aren’t available.

“The university guarantees that students who fulfill their contracts will be able to graduate in the prescribed four years,” Lewis said. “There is no penalty for students who sign up for the four-year plan and later change their minds.”

ISU’s four-year plan is the outcome of recent efforts by the state Board of Regents to make it easier for students at the three state universities (ISU, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa) to graduate in four years.

Lewis said the Regents initiated the four-year push so students could save money and get out into the working world sooner.