In the high school junior or senior years, you may find your son or daughter wanting to take college courses. These are not courses designed to help the student be prepared for college, but college-level course work resulting in college credit. There are two common ways that such courses are offered while the student remains in the high school setting.
Advanced Placement (AP)
The first is the AP option. This requires the student to study a particular curriculum and take a test at the end of the year (May). The score determines whether the student will receive college credit. Many colleges require a 4 or 5 on the examination for college credit to be awarded when the student matriculates into college. The AP program is designed and administered by the College Board, which also offers SAT.
Dual Credit or Concurrent Enrollment
In contrast to the AP option is the dual credit or concurrent enrollment option. High school instructors, who have been approved by a university in a manner similar to hiring adjunct instructors to teach on the university campus, teach the course in the high school. The course in the high school is equivalent to the course on the university campus. In the high schools, these are advanced courses and the student may choose to take them for only high school credit or for both high school and college credit. The Advanced College Credit Program (ACCP) is a dual credit option through Rockhurst University. Each high school instructor is partnered with a Rockhurst faculty member to ensure the course meets the standards of the course on the university campus.
Students choosing the dual credit option, register for the class with a representative of Rockhurst University and pay a reduced per credit hour tuition fee. Student grades are maintained on a regular Rockhurst University transcript. Students may request that the transcript be sent to any college/university.
Differences between high school courses and dual credit courses
Study Time
Courses taken for dual credit require an advanced level of study in contrast to high school courses, even college preparatory courses. Therefore, your son or daughter may find that the course requires more study time.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Following FERPA, the ACCP Coordinator will address all mailings to the student, including bills and ACCP correspondence. The Coordinator marks the front of these envelopes as "ACCP Information Enclosed" to assist students in distinguishing them from other information sent by the university. Also, the Office of the Registrar sends grade reports directly to the student.
Correspondence
It is important your son or daughter carefully read any material received as part of enrollment in a dual credit course. Some of the material may require action on the part of the student to continue enrollment.
Grades
Though you are likely to attend a parent-teacher conference and discuss your son's or daughter's grades with the high school instructor, Rockhurst University officials can not discuss coursework and grades with you, without the student's written approval (this is required by FERPA).
Course Withdrawals
If the student wants to withdraw from the college credit option, the student must contact RU to receive and complete the required paperwork. Withdrawals can not be done over the phone. At the time of registration, students are encouraged to monitor their grades. If they are not maintaining a C average, they are strongly encouraged to contact RU for the necessary withdrawal paperwork. A parent or high school instructor can not withdraw the student from the college credit course. Withdrawing from the college credit with RU does not affect the student's high school enrollment.
Enrollment
A minimum enrollment of five students is required for RU to offer the dual credit course in the high school. With insufficient enrollment, the college credit option for the course may be canceled.
Course Length
Dual credit courses vary in length. Classes in English, History, Modern Languages, Political Science and Psychology are offered on a semester basis. RU registration for each semester is held at the high school. The dual credit offerings in Mathematics and Science are year-long courses. Students only register for these in the fall and they do not receive a grade on the RU transcript until the end of the academic year in May.
Additional Information
Tuition
A one-time matriculation fee of $60 is required the first time the student enrolls in an ACCP course with RU. Tuition is $89 per credit hour. Courses are typically 3 or 4 credit hours. If tuition is not fully paid at registration, bills are mailed to the student. If payment is not completed by the deadline indicated on the ACCP academic calendar, the RU registration is canceled and the student does not receive college credit.
Transfer Credit
At the time of ACCP registration, students are encouraged to inquire with any colleges they are considering about the policy for transfer credit and dual credit coursework. If a student has been accepted by a college/university and there are questions about granting credit for a dual credit course, the student may ask the ACCP Coordinator to contact the college/university about the course.
College Grade Point Average
Your student must understand that a dual credit course is the beginning of a college transcript. Each college/university has a policy on whether transfer credit (credit earned in a high school dual credit course would be considered transfer credit) is calculated into the college grade point average (GPA).
For more information:
Contact the ACCP Coordinator at 816-501-4000 or accp@rockhurst.edu.