DUAL CREDIT STUDENT MANUAL Policies & Procedures
Ellsworth Community College Marshalltown Community College 2008-09
Table of Contents
Introduction Dual Credit: Earn College Credit While in High School Career Academy Student Shared Credit Student PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Option) Student AP (Advanced Placement) Student CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) Credit FAQs Campus Resources MCC Campus Map
Introduction Welcome to Iowa Valley Community College District! The purpose of this manual is to familiarize you with the policies and procedures at both of IVCCD‟s two colleges, Ellsworth Community College and Marshalltown Community College. The idea for this manual came from previous dual credit students and their suggestions to improve the process and our communication with you. We recognize that for some of you this is your first dual credit course, while others may have previous experience. We hope this manual will serve as a reference, providing helpful information to make your experience at ECC and MCC very positive. We encourage you to particularly focus on the FAQs and Campus Resources sections. Many of your questions may be answered there but, if not, please be sure to seek out the answers you need. Your success is our goal!
Dual Credit: Earn College Credit While in High School Students may earn college credit while in high school, saving the cost of tuition and saving time by getting ahead in college credits. The classes are FREE to students. The high school pays the tuition, fees, and textbook costs. Taking college classes while in high school allows students to explore an academic or career field, as well as, get an idea of what college coursework entails. Planning ahead as a high school freshman, will allow the optimum scheduling options. In some cases students can earn up to a full year or more of college credit while in high school, allowing them to enter college as a sophomore! Generally if a student has taken all available, related coursework the high school will allow him/her to enroll in a dual credit course. The student must be a junior or senior. Also a high school will often approve a college course not offered by the high school. There are four ways students may earn free college credit: Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO), Shared Credit, Career Academies and Advanced Placement (AP). To earn college credit while still in high school, contact your high school guidance counselor for more information and enrollment forms. You may also contact the ECC Admissions Office at (641) 648-4611 or the MCC Admissions Office at (641) 844-5710.
Career Academy Student Definition - High school juniors and seniors enroll in college courses within the career and technical field. Career Academies are beneficial to students who are interested in the vocational field and want to begin college coursework while in high school. Courses are offered in one or two hour blocks of time. Current fields of study offered through ECC are: Agriculture/Swine Management Biotechnology Business and Information Systems Construction Technology Criminal Justice Health Occupations
Current fields of study offered through MCC are:
Broadcasting Computer Network Management Construction Technology Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurial & Diversified Agriculture Health Occupations Mechanical Design Retail Management Tool and Die
Current fields of study offered through Iowa Valley Grinnell: Agriculture Business Broadcasting Business Administration Entrepreneurship Health Occupations Industrial Maintenance Dual Credit - Students earn both college credit and high school credit. Cost - The high school pays the tuition, fees, and textbook costs per course. Reminder: Your effort to withdraw early, if necessary, is greatly appreciated by both your high school and the college. Career Academy Class Schedule - Check with your high school guidance counselor for a brochure with a list of specific classes and a timeline of when they are offered. Course Enrollment - If interested contact your high school guidance counselor to
enroll. You will also complete an Application for Admission/Contracted Class form that will be returned to the MCC or ECC Admissions Offices. Books – The required course textbook(s) will be available at your high school guidance office. The books for career academy courses are the property of your school district and should be returned at the end of the class.
Contracted/Shared Credit Student Definition – Courses are taught at the high school, by a qualified instructor, and at ECC or MCC. Course opportunities are available when enough high school juniors or seniors enroll to constitute a class and there is a qualified instructor to teach on location. Dual credit - Students earn both college credit and high school credit. Cost - The high school pays the tuition, fees, and textbook costs per course. Reminder: Your effort to withdraw early, if necessary, is greatly appreciated by both your high school and the college. Class Schedule - Check with your high school guidance counselor for a list of classes. In some high schools, for example, one year of Honors Chemistry may transfer to ECC or MCC as General Chemistry I. The student will get one high school credit and four college credits. Or one year of Senior English may transfer as English Composition I and II. One high school credit is earned while five college credits are given for this course. Course Enrollment - If interested contact your high school guidance counselor to enroll. You will also complete an Application for Admission/Contracted Class form that will be returned to the ECC or MCC Admissions Offices. Some courses do have a cut score requirement. Books – If the course is held at your high school, the required course textbook(s) will be provided by your course instructor. The books for courses taught at ECC and MCC are available at the bookstore. All materials must be returned to your high school at the end of the class.
PSEO Student Definition – High school juniors and seniors enroll part-time in college courses taken at Ellsworth Community College, Marshalltown Community College or Iowa Valley Grinnell. Students enroll in the class on their own as a part-time college student. Dual Credit - Students earn both college credit and high school credit. Cost - The high school pays the tuition, fees, and textbook costs up to $250 per student per class. Reminder: Your high school pays up to $250.00 per course towards tuition and books. Most of the time, the course and books exceed this amount and the additional cost is absorbed by ECC and MCC. Therefore, your efforts to find used books and withdraw early, if necessary, are greatly appreciated by both your high school and the college. PSEO Class Schedule - Check with your high school guidance counselor to request a list of approved PSEO classes for your school. Common courses include: General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Calculus, Human Growth & Development, and Photography. Course Enrollment - PSEO Enrollment forms are available in high school guidance counselors‟ offices or at the ECC, MCC and Iowa Valley Grinnell Admissions Offices. Some courses do have a cut score requirement. Books - The required course textbook(s) will be available at your high school guidance office. Whether you finish the course or not, your school must return the book(s) to the Cashier‟s Office by the end of Final Exam week, or you will be billed for the full amount of the book(s).
Advanced Placement (AP) Student Definition – Designed for high school students who have demonstrated competence by achieving at a high level in college preparatory courses. AP courses provide an in-depth study that is accelerated above and beyond the work typically done in “regular” high school courses. Credit –To receive college credit, students must pass an Advanced Placement test after completing the course. The tests are administered at the high school, with results forwarded to one or more colleges as selected by the student. Depending on the test score, a student may or may not receive college credit for the AP course. Cost - The student must pay for the cost of the AP exam, administered at the high school. AP Classes Schedule – Contact your high school. Course options vary but typically include AP Psychology and AP Economics. Course Enrolment - Since the classes are a part of the regular high school curriculum, students must register during their regular high school registration. Contact your high school guidance counselor for more information.
CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) Credit Definition – Provides students the opportunity to receive college credit for knowledge they‟ve already acquired. Students must earn a qualifying score on any of the 34 examinations. Credit - IVCCD administers the CLEP exam. Students, who receive a qualifying score, earn college credit. A student who is very proficient within an academic area, for example Spanish, should consider the CLEP. Cost – The student pays $70 to CLEP for the cost of the exam and $15/credit hour earned to ECC or MCC. For example, a student who earns 3 credits for Psychology would pay $115 total. CLEP Exams - Contact Sandy.Supianoski@iavalley.edu at MCC for test options.
Frequently Asked Questions What services are available to me? As a high school student you have access to all campus resources and student services, including athletics and student activities. See the Resources section for more detailed information. How do I contact my instructor? Each instructor is available to answer student questions. They will often list office hours in a course syllabus or post them on their office door. E-mail is also an effective communication method. What about transportation to the college? Students are responsible, unless the high school has other arrangements. How do I check my grades? Grades are available online. Go to the MCC website www.marshalltowncommunitycollege.com or the ECC website www.ellsworthcollege.com. Click on „Student Records‟. Enter your ID number (ID number is located on student photo ID card) and PIN (your 9 digit social security number without spaces or dashes). Click „login‟ and then „my grades‟. Be sure to „logout‟ when finished. More information about your Iowa Valley Online account is available in the resources section. Is my grade permanent? Yes! It is very important to remember that these classes are dual credit: students receive high school and college credit. You are starting a college transcript. Take each class seriously, remembering that the grades will be permanently recorded to follow you throughout your college endeavors. Do you offer Internet classes? Internet classes are available as course options for PSEO students. May high school sophomores take college credit classes? Yes, in some cases, but special permission is needed from a high school guidance counselor. What about summer classes? Summer classes are available to high school students. Students are responsible for all costs during the summer terms. What if I need to withdraw from a course? Students must complete an add/drop slip to make changes to the class schedule and submit it to the Registrar‟s Office. Please check with Admissions before processing the drop/add form to make sure that the form has been signed by you, a parent, and a high school official. Note: Students who simply stop attending classes and don’t officially
withdraw are still liable for outstanding tuition payments. If withdrawal is necessary, try to do it early in the semester so that your school may be eligible for a partial tuition refund. If you withdraw after the first week, you will follow your school procedures and may need to reimburse your high school for the remaining amount of tuition not refunded by ECC or MCC. Fees (materials, etc.) are not refundable unless the college cancels classes or you withdraw prior to the start of classes. What if a student drops or fails a class? Each student must follow the individual procedures of his/her school. Most schools require that, in this situation, the student pays the cost of tuition and textbook(s). How do I transfer credits to colleges other than ECC, MCC or Iowa Valley Community College Grinnell? Students must complete a transcript request form and submit it to the ECC or MCC Registrar‟s Offices. There is a $5 minimal processing fee for transcripts. The high school does not pay this fee. If students are transferring the credit to Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, or the University of Northern Iowa they should check the university‟s website for information on transferring credit. For vocational credits, such as those awarded for participating in the Career Academies, a total of 16 credits can be transferred as electives to Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, or the University of Northern Iowa. What if I want to continue full-time after graduation as an ECC or MCC student? We hope you‟ll choose to continue your education with us! Each student must complete the admissions process in order to be accepted after high school. The three requirements include: 1.) complete an Application for Admission, 2.) send official high school transcripts, 3.) submit ACT or Compass test scores.
Campus Resources As a dual credit high school student, students have access to all campus resources and student services. Dual credit students receive the same services as our full-time college students. Student ID card This photo ID is taken at the Registrar‟s Office. The ID card has your student ID number and allows access to many resources; library check-out, MCC athletics, students events, etc. Student Handbook The Student Handbook is a planner that includes a calendar of events, game schedules, student activities, contact information, and other student related information. You may obtain a handbook at the Registrar‟s Office when you receive your Student ID card. Iowa Valley Online Your Iowa Valley Online student account provides lots of important information. To access your account, go to the MCC website www.marshalltowncommunitycollege.com. Click on „Student Records‟. Enter your ID number (ID number is located on student photo ID card) and PIN (your 9 digit social security number without spaces or dashes). Click „login‟. From this page you are able to access your class schedule, grades, faculty schedules, course schedules, and much more. Be sure to logout when finished. Support Services: Your success is our goal! The key to meeting college demands is being knowledgeable about and using the resources available to you. ECC and MCC have caring and helpful staffs within many service areas. Be sure to access assistance within the following areas: Academic Advising Career and Employment Services Library Services Students with Disabilities Success Center = FREE tutoring!
Tiger Athletics The athletic programs at both ECC and MCC are a vital and exciting part of the campus. Intercollegiate programs at ECC include: baseball, volleyball, softball, men and women‟s basketball, men and women‟s golf, wrestling and football. At MCC, programs are baseball, volleyball, softball, men and women‟s basketball, men and women‟s golf, and soccer. Using your Student ID card, you are admitted FREE to ECC and MCC athletic events. Student Activities Many student activities are planned throughout the school year. Refer to your Student Handbook for dates and locations of such events.
MCC Campus Map