In March 2021, Temple’s Bachelor of General Studies degree was still nearly half a year away from its official launch during the fall 2021 semester. Fast forward to May 2026 and the fifth cohort of Bachelor of General Studies graduates are about to cross the finish line on a journey that for many of them was years in the making.
“The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) offered by University College was developed specifically for adult learners, giving them the opportunity to complete their degree. The hard work and commitment of the team that has made the BGS program such a success has already made a profound impact on the lives of countless learners,” said Dr. Vicki Lewis McGarvey, Vice Provost for University College and Director of Temple University Ambler. “Life happens and sometimes external or internal forces prevent students from finishing their goal of graduating. This program is that last step to making that dream become reality.”
Barbara Bond, who is about to graduate with her Bachelor of General Studies degree, knows all too well how life can take an unexpected and exceedingly challenging turn.
After attending Temple and majoring in biology and criminal justice, Bond took time off to have her daughter Madison, always with the intention of returning to finish what she started, “but things just kept getting crazy and I never felt I had enough to devote to classes — life just kept happening,” she said. After having her son, Quincy, she and her family moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands to fulfill a dream of her mother Cleo’s who had recently passed. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria hit the island chain with full force, altering Bond’s life forever.
“The ceiling collapsed. I lost an eye — I’ve had 14 surgeries and I have number 15 scheduled. We essentially lost everything,” she said. “We returned to the states so I could get treatment, picked up the pieces and continued on, because that is what you have to do.”
Having been given the opportunity to substitute teach at Delaware Valley Friends School and discovering a renewed passion for teaching from that experience, “I knew I had to get my bachelor’s degree if I wanted to become a lead teacher.”
“My kids are getting older, my daughter is off to college, and my son is graduating high school this year. I knew it was time for me to go back and finish what I had started,” she said. “In speaking with several advisors, I soon discovered that the BGS program was the best program for me — it was literally the degree I needed to pursue my goals. It’s been a long journey to get here, but I’m finally here and it feels wonderful — I’m a first-generation college graduate! If you can go back to just better your life in some way, you make time for it.”
According to Rachel Hanson, Faculty Director of the Bachelor of General Studies Program and Assistant Teaching Professor of English, having the BGS program graduate its fifth cohort this year “signals that there is a demand and a need for this kind of program.”
“Temple and University College recognized that need and developed this program to answer it. The program has continued to grow, which reflects that there are a lot of students for whom this degree helps fulfill an important milestone,” she said. “For a student that has been away for 5, 10, 15 or more years, they might be hesitant to come back because the requirements for a degree might have changed or there might be entirely new requirements. The great thing about the Bachelor of General Studies is that we offer a program that allows students to get their degrees without having to redo a lot of the work they have already completed — most, if not all, of their previous credits will be accepted. It provides more flexibility, which I think is very appealing to students.”
The Bachelor of General Studies degree is designed for adult learners with prior college and at least 60 transferable credits who are ready to complete their undergraduate degree. The 120-credit bachelor’s program focuses on creating a solid foundation for a wide variety of careers and allows students the opportunity to customize their degree path.
According to Hanson, students in the BGS program are comprised of both “students who have been away from the classroom for a while,” and students that are “shifting from one Temple program into the BGS program to complete their degree.”
“The program attracts a broad diversity of students. This year we have not just first-generation college students, but first-generation high school and even middle school,” she said. “We have students who are raising families, students who are already in their career — the program allows students working full-time a clear path toward completing their degree. We also have several change-of-program students. It’s a wonderful, eclectic mix where the students learn almost as much from each other as they do in their courses.”
The outcomes for the students — their hopes and aspirations beyond graduation day — speak for themselves, Hanson said.
“We have students that are prepping for the LSAT and another student who I believe has been accepted into law school. We have students that have gone on to a master’s in fine art and other graduate degree programs,” she said. “Other students have been able to move forward where they work or moved upward in their chosen field. They are reaching this milestone, degree in hand, but that’s not the end of the story — for many of them it’s the beginning of a new chapter or even an entirely new story.”
A Celebration of Perseverance
The University College Graduation Ceremony will be held in the Temple Performing Arts Center at Temple University Main Campus on Thursday, May 7.
The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be Ali Caccavella, Special Advisor and Liaison to the Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education and the State Board of Higher Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be asked to address this group. Our time and attention are our most precious resources,” she said. “To be asked to speak to these graduates who worked so hard to reach this benchmark, which too few across our state and our country have managed to achieve, is quite an honor.”
During her talk, Caccavella said, she wants to emphasize “that what they have accomplished is a remarkable achievement and that it really matters, more than ever, across our generational, economic and workforce landscape.”
The student speakers for the ceremony will be Peggy E. Moore, Administrative Specialist in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, and Nigel Lamar Davis. The alumni speaker with be Michael Perkins, who graduated from the BGS program in 2025 and is currently taking courses in Temple’s African American Studies master’s program.
Moore’s educational journey at Temple has been an odyssey all its own. The definition of a lifelong learner, in 44 years dedicated to Temple, she never lost sight of her goal to complete her degree. At 75 years young, she has now completed the Bachelor of General Studies program.
“Never give up; that’s the theme of my talk. You have to keep learning — you can always take what you know and use it to help other people. You can be a support person for the people coming behind you, for the next generation,” she said. “People ask me when am I going to retire but that’s not even in my thoughts. Why would I? Why would I want to be stagnant? Why wouldn’t I want to use what I have to help others?”
According to Davis, the gap between his first foray into higher education and reaching the finish line this time around in the BGS program included a whirlwind of jobs where he wore many hats. Many of his responsibilities, however, placed him front and center in the lives of at-risk youth and provided him with avenues to ensure the educational success of the students he worked with — a career path he’d like to continue with after graduation.
Ultimately, Davis said, “if you have a goal, you have to go for it.”
“There might be a lot of things that try to stop you but don’t let them. Some people will tell you don’t do that or ask why you’re doing it in the first place — if you start listening to those voices, you will never accomplish anything,” he said. “You fight through. I’m here at 36, a father to Miles Davis, a husband to Cecilia Ortiz-Davis, and a student working three jobs — I made it and I’m not done yet!”
At the time of his graduation, Perkins also emphasized that crossing one finish line wasn’t the end for him — “this degree is a comma, not a period.”
“I took too long to get here, but now that I’ve got the train running, I’m far from being done,” he said. “I’m at a point in my life that it’s no longer about a career or financial stability, it’s for the educational experience in a field of study I’m genuinely interested in. I’ve waited long enough — I’m doing this for me, I’m doing it for the ancestors, I’m doing it for those whose shoulders I stand on.”
There continues to be room for the BGS program to grow for its next five years and well beyond, according to Hanson, with “additional courses, online options and other opportunities.”
‘We want students to have the ability to create a program that suits their specific interests. The capstone, for example, which I teach, is designed to give students a chance to really dig in and research a topic they are truly passionate about,” she said. “Ultimately, I hope our graduates feel proud of what they have accomplished. I want them to feel emboldened in the job market. Every one of our students should be proud of the work they have done, about their place in the world and what they have to contribute — sharing that pride in their accomplishments, that knowledge, with others can be a truly beautiful thing.”
The Bachelor of General Studies degree combines major coursework (including two writing intensive courses), general education courses and electives. The curriculum is specifically tailored to enhance students’ critical thinking skills, effective communication abilities and interdisciplinary knowledge to achieve their personal and professional goals.
There is opportunity to earn academic credits for prior learning experiences that occurred outside the classroom setting, including employment, military and volunteer experiences. In addition, students can earn credit for internship and on-the-job learning experiences that provide them with an opportunity to enhance their skills, provide practical experience and establish contacts in their career field.
Students receive personalized guidance from the University College Academic and Student Services team to develop the curriculum that meets their needs. Students also have access to courses and resources available at any of Temple’s campuses, including Main Campus, Ambler Campus, Temple University Harrisburg and Temple University Center City. Learn more about the Bachelor of General Studies Program here.