By Jenna Duncan, News Staff

The term middler may become less-used on campus this fall. Starting in September, students will have a new option of doing a pre-structured four-year program with two full co-ops.
Currently, only 17 percent of students graduate in four years.
‘There are a lot of details and specifics that will be worked out between now and September, but we wanted to announce this change now knowing there will be time for colleges and deans to develop [concrete plans],’ said Mike Armini, vice president for marketing and communication.
To be able to complete the program, online courses will be incorporated though their costs are unknown, he said.
‘NU’s already a leader in online education,’ he said, citing the College of Professional Studies program. ‘Every university’s going to be doing more online classes going forward. … It’s a matter of adding it to undergraduate curriculum.’
Using online courses wouldn’t affect the level of education students receive, Armini said, and the focus would still be in the classroom.
‘The online education would be a component, but it will be a mix of online and classroom instruction, but the bulk of the undergraduate experience will be in the classroom,’ he said. ‘Most of the students who do four years now do one co-op or no co-op. What we didn’t want was a lot of students getting through four years without benefiting from the full co-op experience.’
However, Kettil Cedercreutz, associate provost and director of co-op programs at the University of Cincinnati, the oldest co-op school in the country, told the Boston Globe that 18 months of co-op are necessary. According to studies by the school, students show the most growth in their final six months on the job.
‘Other universities can make their own choices, but Northeastern has always charted its own path,’ Armini said in response.
Making the four-year program a viable alternative has been in the works for years, he said.
‘It’s something that’s been discussed for years at Northeastern, and the process was that the university leadership worked with the deans and provost’s office to work out the academics first,’ he said.
The process included various members of the university, and since it has been ongoing it’s not shocking news, he said.
‘There was research, different faculty members and deans were consulted throughout the process,’ he said. ‘A lot of people on campus, particular people who are fairly observant, are not surprised about this.’
In an article in the Boston Globe yesterday, Northeastern President Joseph Aoun said he expects the program will catch on quickly.
‘In many ways, these things are viral,’ he said. ‘It’ll spread like wildfire.’
The College of Arts and Sciences doesn’t require any co-ops, except for two in the architecture program. The College of Business Administration requires two co-ops, while Bouv’eacute; College of Health Sciences requires one.
Some students said it would be a positive change to the university.
‘I think it’s good because from giving tours, parents and students are usually surprised or turned off by the five years,’ sophomore civil engineering major Ryan Gordon said. ‘It’s good for people who are looking to graduate in four years for graduate schools.’
Other students said they felt the four-year program wouldn’t make a difference.
‘I think a lot of programs are individual with how many years it takes to graduate, so it won’t matter,’ freshman math major Molly Bruckman said.
Though all programs are different, Armini said it was important for students to have another option.
‘Students need more flexibility,’ he said. ‘For some students, five years may be the right choice.’
‘-News Staff Sarah Dolan and Gal Tziperman Lotan contributed to this report.