An increased number of adult students are seeking enrollment in the University's Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program than in the past, BIS Student Services Coordinator Barbara Bragg said.
"The program is growing by leaps and bounds," she said.
Bragg said there currently are 150 students in the BIS program, adding that adult students are attracted to the educational atmosphere at the University.
"It's U.Va, it's quality," she said. "They have the full privileges that a regular student would have and can do this when they have the time and opportunity."
BIS students are transfer students who already have 60 transferable credits from accredited colleges or universities.
BIS Director Donna Plasket said the program has been successful because it allows for flexibility in its programs.
"A real need has been identified and the program responded to that need," Plasket said. "They are perfectly capable of being a student at U.Va. but they cannot do it during the day."
Bragg said BIS students come to the University from Charlottesville as well as other areas in the Commonwealth such as Lynchburg and Culpeper.
Plasket said 22 percent of BIS students are University employees.
"People who love this University now can participate in it," Plasket said.
The BIS program began in the fall of 1999 as an effort to fulfill a need in the community for people who could not complete a traditional undergraduate program, Bragg said.
Plasket said the recent increase in enrollment is significant because BIS is in its infant stages, so community members still are becoming aware of the program's opportunities.
"When I first became involved in BIS, people were surprised that U.Va. had this program," Plasket said. "It is not something people are expecting."
BIS classes are offered at night, which better fits the needs of adult students, Bragg said. University professors teach the classes and the caliber of the classes is the same as it is for traditional undergraduates.
"It is not a watered-down program," Bragg said. "The classes are really intense."
The BIS degree offers concentrations in the humanities, social sciences, business and individualized concentrations in education.
"The degree offers all aspects of the liberal arts," Bragg said.
Admissions are rolling, and Bragg said she and her coworkers hope to increase enrollment to 200.
In the future, Plasket said she would like to expand the BIS program to other areas within the Commonwealth. She added that she would also like to create additional programs in the curriculum. The University's support of the BIS program will allow for this growth.
"We are a college within the University, so we can only be successful with other support services," Plasket said. "I am so grateful about how positive the University has been about that."
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