UMSL Advanced Credit Program Policies
UMSL
Advanced Credit Program Policies
(June 2000)
Advanced Credit Program Policies
- Mission Statement
- Policy on Student Eligibility
- Policy on Student Enrollment (Program Structure and Administration)
- Policy for Qualifying Instructors
- Policy on Assessment of Student Performance
- Policy on Transferability of Credit (UM Policy 12/20/99)
The mission of the Advanced Credit (Dual Credit) Program in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis is to enable high-performing high school students an opportunity to take high-quality lower-division college courses on their high school campus.
High school juniors and seniors with a 3.0 or higher GPA (on a 4.0 scale) are eligible to enroll in Advanced Credit courses. The signature of a high school counselor or teacher will be required on the Advanced Credit Application form in order to verify eligibility (class year and GPA).
High school sophomores who meet either of the following criteria are eligible to enroll in the Advanced Credit foreign language sequence:
High school sophomores who score at the 90th percentile or above on the PSAT, PLAN, SAT, or ACT test. Sophomores must test and have scores reported prior to registration in Advanced Credit courses.
High school sophomores who have an overall GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and a GPA of 3.5 in the foreign language sequence taken prior to enrollment in high school courses with the UMSL designation French 001, German 001, or Spanish 001.
The signature of a high school counselor or the principal will be required on the Advanced Credit Application form in order to verify eligibility of sophomores.
For fall 2000, students who began the foreign language sequence in fall 1999 are eligible to take the next level foreign language course if they have a 2.5 GPA overall (on a 4.0 scale) and a 3.0 GPA or higher in the foreign language course taken during the 1999/2000 academic year.
High school freshmen are not eligible to enroll in Advanced Credit courses.
In the Advanced Credit Program, course content and course requirements in the high school will be comparable to those utilized in the equivalent on-campus courses with the same titles.
Advanced Credit courses may enroll a mixed population (students taking the course for dual credit ñ that is, both college-level and high school credit - and students taking the course for high school credit only). However, course requirements will be the same for all students. Students taking the course for dual credit must meet eligibility requirements as described above.
Students in Advanced Credit courses must adhere to dates comparable to those specified on campus for registration, drop, withdrawal, fee payment and refund. A schedule of dates will be distributed prior to registration.
Dropping/Adding Courses: Students who do not pay fees by the specified dates will be dropped. The drop date will appear on the schedule of dates. Students may not enter (add) courses after the first two weeks following registration.
Withdrawal after Classes Begin: After classes begin, registered students may withdraw from an Advanced Credit course by completing the drop form and returning it to the Advanced Credit Program office at UMSL. Students who registered and paid fees prior to withdrawal are eligible for an assessed refund, which will vary in accordance with the date of withdrawal. The refund schedule will appear on the schedule of dates.
Student Records/Transcript: The registrar will furnish transcripts of credit to a student upon written request. There is a charge per transcript. Transcripts are not issued to or for students who have financial obligations to the university until those obligations are paid in full.
Student Support Service: Students in the Advanced Credit Program are issued temporary UMSL student identification cards, which are valid while they are enrolled in an Advanced Credit course. The identification cards may be used to access library resources at UM-St.Louis.
Policy for Qualifying Instructors
1. In order to teach an Advanced Credit Program Course with UMSL, a UMSL department head will confirm that the high school teacher has met the minimum qualifications required of adjunct instructors at UMSL. (A master’s degree in the discipline or a master’s in a related area and a minimum of 18 graduate hours in the discipline are the required credentials for onsite and concurrent enrollment instruction.)
2. High school faculty will provide the ACP office with the following materials:
a. Resume/curriculum vitae
b. College transcripts
c. Copy of the current course syllabi
3. ACP will then forward the documentation to the approving and hiring authority, the academic department head or their designee for review and appropriate action.
4. If an instructor has been approved, the school district and teacher will be notified. If denied, the school district and teacher will be sent a denial letter outlining the requirements necessary for approval.
5. All new instructors attend an orientation session on the UMSL campus prior to offering their first ACP course.
6. Instructors are notified of their ACP Faculty Liaison assigned to them and sent a Faculty Handbook, which includes training materials and requirements.
7. All ACP high school instructors receive continuous communication via site visits, campus visits, e-mail, mail and phoning for ongoing processes, professional development, campus news, dates and deadlines, academic content, instruction materials, etc. This communication ensures that ACP courses administered through the University of Missouri-St. Louis reflect the pedagogical, theoretical, and philosophical orientation of each academic department. It is expected that all high school ACP instructors participate in professional development offered through UMSL on a yearly basis.
8. Ongoing collaboration between UMSL faculty liaisons and high school ACP instructors is ensured via campus visits, site visits, and communication in general. Each school year each course can expect at least one site visit. Site visits include general academic communication, student Q and A, academic content, pedagogical collaboration, including assessment and outcomes in addition to the general collegiate environment tasks of admission, registration, scholarships, transcript information, etc.
Policy on Assessment of Student Performance
Comparable methods of student assessment and testing procedures will be used in the Advanced Credit Program and the equivalent on-campus course. The responsibility for the approval or development of assessment and evaluation measures to assure quality and comparability of dual credit courses resides with the on-campus faculty in the appropriate academic discipline.
Policy on Transferability of Credit (UM Policy 12/20/99)
The University of Missouri assures the transfer of five courses taken as dual credit in high school delivered by institutions that are listed by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE) as being in compliance with the dual credit policy. Dual credit courses are defined as courses taken for both college and high school credit that were delivered in high school by a high school teacher. The transferability of dual credit courses greater than five will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. There will be no limit on the number of courses that are accepted in transfer. This is consistent with the policy of CBHE, stated in the Credit Transfer: Guidelines for Student Transfer and Articulation Among Missouri Colleges and Universities, for students who request to transfer credit without completing a two-year degree or being certified as completing a general education curriculum.