Dual Enrollment Policy

Purpose

Dual enrollment refers to courses taught to high school students for which the students receive both high school credit and college credit, regardless of location or mode of delivery. This policy serves to ensure that dual enrollment efforts align with the mission of McNeese State University and that the academic rigor of such courses matches the quality of other McNeese coursework. Dual enrollment courses are McNeese State University-catalogued courses with the same departmental designations, course descriptions, numbers, titles, and credits. This policy complies with Board of Regents Academic Affairs Policy 2.22.

Memorandum of Understanding

McNeese and school districts that participate in dual enrollment must sign a Memorandum of Understanding each academic year that describes the guidelines all parties must follow, including guidelines for student and faculty participation, safe and secure facilities, and comparable access for dual enrollment participants to all student and academic support services available at McNeese.

Faculty Standards and Expectations

All dual enrollment faculty possess credentials required for SACSCOC compliance and must submit original transcripts to McNeese State University. Dual enrollment faculty who are not full-time faculty at McNeese must be approved through the normal visiting lecturer (VL) hiring process. Faculty approvals begin at the academic department and go through the college, the chief institutional effectiveness officer, and the provost and vice president for academic affairs. Complete personnel files are kept and readily accessible by the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment. See the Faculty Appointment and Credentialing Policy for information about qualifications.

Dual enrollment instructors participate in faculty development and other collegial interactions at McNeese State University. Academic departments provide dual enrollment instructors with course-specific training in course philosophy, curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and other responsibilities prior to the instructor teaching the course. Dual enrollment instructors use the McNeese State University learning management system (LMS), email, and all other associated technologies for their courses. Dual enrollment instructors are informed of and adhere to McNeese State University policies and procedures.

McNeese State University ensures that dual enrollment courses reflect the learning objectives and the pedagogical, theoretical, philosophical orientation, and academic rigor of the academic department, its college, and the University. Dual enrollment students achieve the student learning outcomes of their courses using comparable grading standards and assessment methods to on-campus sections. Textbooks, student learning objectives (SLOs), instructional materials, and assessments used in dual enrollment courses must be the same as those used in on-campus courses.

Faculty teaching dual enrollment courses that are part of the general education curriculum must conduct appropriate course assessments and submit required assessment data and student artifacts to the academic department at the end of each semester.

McNeese State University conducts regular student evaluations of instruction for each dual enrollment course to provide instructors and academic departments with feedback regarding course instruction and learning experiences. Other dual enrollment course evaluations may include grade distributions, DFW rates, general education assessment, adherence to administrative expectations, and other expectations as required by the academic department. McNeese full-time faculty liaisons are responsible for course content to ensure that dual enrollment courses are equivalent to their counterpart courses delivered on the McNeese State University campus. Instructors who receive unsatisfactory evaluations will be subject to remediation or non-reappointment as described in the Faculty Annual Performance Review (APR) and Evaluation Policy.

Student Standards and Expectations

Dual enrollment students must the minimum eligibility requirements as state in the McNeese Academic Catalog. Dual enrollment students should refer to McNeese’s academic calendar for academic deadlines and registration/enrollment dates. A dual enrollment student may earn a maximum of 27 credit hours at a single off-campus location through McNeese’s dual enrollment program. A dual enrollment student may earn additional credits by taking courses online, on the University’s campus, or at a different off-campus location.

Dual enrollment students are advised about the benefits and implications of taking college courses. As a dual enrollment student, it is important to understand the policies and expectations of McNeese State University, particularly those involving course loads, class attendance policies, adding or withdrawing from courses, and grading regulations.

McNeese State University, in conjunction with secondary school partners, provides dual enrollment students with suitable access to library and learning resources and student support services. McNeese State University complies with all state and federal laws regarding protection of students’ personally identifiable information.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.