Dual Enrollment Programs and Courses

Purpose:

To provide policy for the offering of dual enrollment programs and courses to students in participating high schools.

Definitions:

Advance College Academy: a high school-based dual enrollment program pathway that provides qualified high school students the opportunity to earn an associate degree by completing college courses that also satisfy the requirements for a high school diploma.

Concurrent enrollment: high school students who take college courses that do not count for high school graduation requirements. NOTE: It is possible for concurrent enrollment courses to also count for dual credit with approval of the high school principal.

Dual enrollment: community college coursework taken by high school students pursuant to a written contract and/or memorandum of understanding between a public school division, an individual public high school or technical education center, or an individual private school and Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) wherein the college-level coursework, upon successful completion, earns both college credits and high school credits applicable to eligibility for a high school diploma.

Dual enrollment partnerships: agreements governed by an annually renewable contract between a school or public school division and Reynolds to allow academically qualified high school juniors and seniors to enroll in college courses.

Early College Academy: a dual enrollment program pathway in partnership with Richmond Public Schools, offered on the college campus, which provides qualified high school students the opportunity to earn an associate degree by completing college courses that may be substituted for the requirements for a high school diploma.

Policy:

1. Student eligibility

   1. The Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8 VAC 20-131), adopted by the Virginia Board of Education, governs and encourages student participation in dual enrollment arrangements under the following specified conditions:

      • written approval of the high school principal or designee prior to participation in dual enrollment must be obtained;
      • the college must accept the high school student for admission to the course or courses; and
      • the course or courses must be offered by the college for college-level credits (no remedial courses shall be offered).

   2. Reynolds may offer admission to public and private high school juniors and seniors and home school students studying at the high school junior and senior levels, provided they are college-ready according to Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Policy 6.6 - Dual Enrollment for High School Students.

   3. As admitting freshmen and sophomores is considered exceptional, the college-ready status of each prospective freshmen and sophomore student shall be treated on a case-by-case basis. Formal approval by the college president (or designee) is required for admitting a ninth or tenth grade high school student.

   4. Documentation of parental or legal guardian permission is required for all dual enrollment students.

   5. All dual enrollment students must demonstrate readiness as articulated by VCCS Policy 6.6.3 - Criteria for Participation in Dual Enrollment. Students enrolling in a dual enrollment course must meet all course prerequisites as established by the college. Reynolds shall assume responsibility, either on campus or at another location approved by the college, for administrative oversight of placement testing and registering students.

2. Admissions and enrollment

   1. High school students seeking to participate in dual enrollment should first meet with their high school counselor to discuss the opportunities available, eligibility requirements and other criteria. Homeschooled students wishing to participate in dual enrollment should contact the Reynolds Office of Admissions.

   2. Refer to Reynolds Policy 1-11, Admissions, for information on admission criteria.

3. Contractual agreements

   1. Dual enrollment partnerships between Reynolds and a public school division, an individual public high school or technical education center, or an individual private school shall be governed by contractual agreements developed and executed annually at the local level between the college and each respective dual enrollment partner.

   2. All contractual agreements, the plans for implementation, and the specific dual enrollment options and pathways provided to students shall comply with the “Governing Principles for Dual Enrollment between Virginia Public Schools and the Virginia Community College System” (hereinafter “Governing Principles for Dual Enrollment”) and, in accordance with the Code of Virginia, shall be submitted by the institutions to the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System and the Superintendent of Public Instruction annually.

4. Tuition billing

   1. Net tuition and fees due will be paid to Reynolds for each student in every dual enrollment course.

5. Faculty qualifications

   1. Faculty shall be approved by Reynolds and shall meet the faculty qualification guidelines established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and VCCS policies.

6. Faculty responsibility

   1. Dual enrollment faculty shall adhere to all responsibilities as outlined in the DE Faculty Handbook.

   2. In accordance with Reynolds Policy 1-03, Student Attendance, faculty members are expected to keep a daily record of attendance and reconcile their Reynolds class roster weekly through the first 15 percent of their course. In the case where a student is present in the class and not on an official Reynolds class roster, the faculty member must notify the appropriate high school counselor, the career coach, or the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment to resolve the matter. The one exception is for career and technical education (CTE) taught at the high school as this type of course is allowed to have dual enrollment and non-dual enrollment students in the same section if approved by the college president.

   3. Dual enrollment instructors are expected to notify the appropriate high school counselor, the career coach, and the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment in the event that a dual enrollment student stops attending the dual enrollment course at any point during the semester.

   4. For high school-based dual enrollment programs and courses, instructors are not responsible for complying with Attendance Certification reporting requirements as specified in Reynolds Policy 1-03, Student Attendance.

   5. For dual enrollment classes taught on the college campus or via distance learning, and for dual enrollment students taking classes with the general college population, faculty are required to certify attendance of students in their courses two times per semester in accordance with Reynolds Policy 1-03, Student Attendance.

   6. After the last day of classes, instructors must submit documentation of the daily attendance record to the office of the Reynolds academic school responsible for the course.

7. Faculty orientation

   1. Dual enrollment faculty shall receive orientation and ongoing instructional support for all courses they are assigned to teach from their academic school. This orientation shall be personalized to each new dual enrollment instructor according to the needs of the program in which individual courses are taught.

   2. The college shall provide the following resources to new dual enrollment faculty: web access to all appropriate databases, college email, and electronic course management platforms; the Reynolds Dual Enrollment Faculty Handbook; desk-copies of the textbooks for assigned classes; sample syllabi; and templates for other required documents.

8. Faculty evaluation

   1. The college shall conduct evaluations of dual enrollment faculty members using the college guidelines and procedures established for all adjunct or full-time faculty.

   2. High school faculty or adjunct faculty teaching a dual enrollment course shall be evaluated in accordance with the college’s adjunct faculty evaluation process.

   3. Full-time community college faculty teaching a dual enrollment course shall be evaluated in accordance with the college’s full-time faculty evaluation process.

9. Program and course offerings

   1. Courses offered for dual enrollment credit have the same departmental course prefixes, course numbers, course titles, course descriptions, and course credits as listed in the college catalog.

   2. Dual enrollment courses reflect the learning objectives as well as the pedagogical, theoretical, and philosophical orientation of the respective college discipline.

10. Quality assurance

    Dual enrollment courses and programs must adhere to applicable policies and standards prescribed by SACSCOC, and VCCS Policy 6.7 - Concurrent Enrollment Quality Standards.

11. Satisfactory academic performance and continuing eligibility

    1. Dual enrollment students must demonstrate satisfactory academic performance in dual enrollment courses in order to retain eligibility to continue to participate in dual enrollment.

    2. Students in an Advance College Academy or an Early College Academy must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.5 (with a minimum of 6 credits taken) in order to demonstrate satisfactory academic performance and remain in the program.

    3. Students who do not maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 shall be required to complete an agreement setting academic performance expectations for the subsequent academic term signed by the student, approved by the Director of Dual Enrollment, the appropriate Reynolds Career Coach, and lodged with the appropriate representative(s) of the secondary school division partner.

    4. Students who fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 shall be removed from the ACA/ECA program.

    5. Any high school student who has been removed from an ACA or ECA program for failing to maintain the minimum college GPA requirement of 2.5 will be prohibited from enrolling in more than 9 credits per semester (including retaking any failed course) in additional dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment classes.

    6. All other dual enrollment students must earn a grade of “C” or better in each dual enrollment course and satisfy any additional academic requirements of the college program(s) associated with those courses to demonstrate satisfactory academic performance. Students who fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 shall not be permitted to enroll in additional dual enrollment courses.

12. Disability services

    1. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA AA), Reynolds shall provide academic and other accommodations to students who disclose that they have a disability.

    2. For students who take classes on Reynolds campus, disclosure must be made to the Office of Student Accessibility in accordance with Reynolds Policy No. 1-15, Eligibility of Students with Disabilities to Receive Accommodations.

    3. Students who are enrolled in dual enrollment courses on the high school campus must have their high school counselor work with Reynolds Office of Student Accessibility to determine a reasonable accommodation for the activities related to the course(s).

    4. All requests must be made in advance and are not retroactive.

13. Student conduct and threat assessment

    1. All students enrolled in dual enrollment classes are subject to all Reynolds policies and procedures.

    2. Student conduct that poses a threat or that is not in the best interest of the college shall be subject to the policies above, as applicable, and that student may be removed from participation in the dual enrollment course or program.

    3. For students enrolled in high school-based dual enrollment classes, the Reynolds Dean of Students shall coordinate enforcement of college and high school student conduct policies and procedures with the appropriate high school officials.

Procedures:

Procedure for Reynolds Policy 2-09, Dual Enrollment Programs and Courses

Other Information:

VCCS Policy 6.6, Dual Enrollment for High School Students

VCCS Policy 6.7, Concurrent Enrollment Quality Standards

Reynolds Policy No. 1-03, Student Attendance

Reynolds Policy No. 1-11, Admissions

Reynolds Policy No. 1-15, Eligibility of Students with Disabilities to Receive Accommodations

Reynolds Policy No. 1-22, Behavioral Intervention

Reynolds Policy No. 1-35, Student Conduct

Reynolds Policy No. 2-07, Academic Integrity

Reynolds Policy No. 4-17, Title IX – Sexual Misconduct

Reynolds Dual Enrollment Faculty Handbook

Governing Principles for Dual Enrollment