Approved November 19, 2020

This procedure was collaborative effort by representatives from MSU Billings Academic Senate, City College, and the Dual Enrollment program. It follows established MUS Dual enrollment guidelines and are specifically adapted to the Academic Standards of MSU Billings and City College. The guidelines have been established to help consistency across the various disciplines that are included in the dual enrollment program. These guidelines are intended to serve as a resource for supervisors, faculty and students participating in the dual enrollment program.

Preface: The following guidelines are to serve as a dual enrollment resource for MSU Billings and City College. City College serves as the 鈥渞egional hub鈥� for dual enrollment at 麻豆官网首页入口免费. Montana University System guidelines have been specifically applied to best serve our unique circumstances while remaining consistent with MUS policies. The following is adapted from page 4 of

Dual enrollment is the broad term for various types of opportunities for high school students to take college coursework while they are enrolled in high school. Dual enrollment models for awarding of credit include:

  1. Dual-credit course: awards both high school credit and college credit for a college course taken by the high school student.
  2. College-credit-only course: awards college credit, but not high school credit, for a college course taken by the high school student.

Dual Enrollment delivery models specific to City College and MSU Billings include:

  1. High School Connections: These classes are the true definition of dual credit courses. These classes are taught on our partner high school campuses, by a college-approved, state-licensed high school teacher that has met or exceed the qualifications established by the Board of Regents (BOR) Policy 730 (See Appendix A).
  2. University Connections: These classes are offered to high school students directly through MSU Billings and City College. Students enroll directly through the Dual Enrollment and University Advising office. These are college-credit-only courses, unless a high school student works directly with their school district to arrange for the college course to count towards their high school course requirements.

Principles of Quality: Academic standards and quality are the purview of the MSU Billings Faculty Senate according to institutional collective bargaining agreements and policies (MSU Billings & City College) Therefore, the Faculty Senate has established the following academic standards for dual enrollment courses.

Dual Enrollment Courses: Each Dual Enrollment course has a parent course that has been approved by the department in which the parent course is listed in the course catalog, and offered by an authorized academic unit. Dual enrollment courses are all at the 100 and 200 levels (lower division) and, consistent with Montana University System two-year campuses, two-year programs, community colleges and tribal colleges. Courses shall have the same rubric, number, name, description, credits, department and content as the parent course.

  1. Academic standards for dual enrollment courses must be equivalent to the parent course. Dual enrollment courses shall meet or exceed (National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership) standards consistent with MUS & OCHE policies.
  2. A complete dual enrollment course syllabus, equivalent to the related parent course syllabus, shall be provided to all prospective dual enrollment students. The syllabus shall contain course information, as well as the instructor鈥檚 name, authorized department, required textbook(s), course content/topics, a class schedule, learning objectives, assessment/grading policies and any necessary resources or required materials.
    1. General Education Objective; Each General Education course syllabus must include the following purpose statement:

"General education at MSU Billings is designed to initiate students as participants in the ongoing accumulation of human knowledge and understanding. General education courses promote the development of respect for diversity, along with skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and communication necessary for students to become productive and responsible members of their communities."

    1. Further, because each general education course is in a category, and each category has learning outcomes specific to that category, each syllabus must contain the learning outcomes for that category.  In addition to the General Education purpose statement and category outcomes, syllabi will also include course-specific outcomes (Adopted by Academic Senate, April 11, 2019).
  1. All participants in the dual enrollment programs recognize that effective faculty-student interaction and meaningful student cooperation are essential to student motivation, intellectual commitment, and personal development. The dual enrollment course shall be academically rigorous and require a firm commitment by all parties.
  2. Technology used in the dual enrollment course should enrich instruction, foster learning and be equivalent to the counterpart university course.
  3. Student support (e.g. advisement, counseling and tutors) must be available for dual enrollment students to ensure successful outcomes.
  4. Dual enrollment courses are subject to the accessibility standards set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Montana Human Rights Act, and applicable MSU Billings policies. The courses will be designed and taught following the aforementioned guidelines. Students with disabilities seeking modifications for Dual Enrollment Courses should contact Greg Gerard with Disability Support Services at 406.247.3029 or gerard@msubillings.edu. Family Educational Rights Policy Act (FERPA) policies apply to all students in dual enrollment programs.
  5. Students shall not be coerced or required to take dual enrollment courses. Dual enrollment courses cannot be the sole source for required high school courses or credits, in accordance with Board of Public Education policies and Board of Regents dual enrollment guidelines.
  6. Dual enrollment courses are separate and distinct from college credit high school courses such as Advanced Placement.

Dual Enrollment Faculty: To achieve the dual enrollment program goals and maintain academic standards, dual enrollment instructors shall at a minimum meet the standards of, but need not be appointed, university faculty affiliates in the University academic department of the parent course. They shall function similar to University faculty, where they are held to similar professional standards (although they technically remain under the employment contract of their school district and are subject to those provisions only).

  1. Each dual enrollment instructor must hold the appropriate degree and meet all dual enrollment qualifications per Board policy 730 prior for approval to teach the dual enrollment course. Prospective dual enrollment faculty may request, but are not entitled to, a waiver based on Board policy 730 (Appendix A).
  2. Dual enrollment faculty shall clearly hold the qualifications to teach the subject matter as outlined in the dual enrollment course description and syllabus to the same standards as other faculty in the university program and department.
  3. Dual enrollment instructors and courses, shall be approved and supervised by the department in which the instructor鈥檚 course is housed while following the proper procedures as defined in the MUS guidelines and the MSUB Dual Enrollment Faculty Liaison position description (Appendix B).
  4. Each dual enrollment instructor shall have a designated discipline-specific faculty liaison identified by the appropriate department, to ensure that the course reflects the university鈥檚 pedagogical, theoretical and philosophical orientation and adheres to the approved dual enrollment syllabus, academic standards and MOU. Dual enrollment faculty may not alter course characteristics without the approval of the supervising department.
  5. The Dual Enrollment Faculty Liaison program is designed to provide clear expectations for both the faculty liaison and the individual faculty that they are mentoring. Part of this program is to meet throughout the semester (depending on the number of times a course has ran) to ensure quality and that academic standards are being met.
  6. If the designated faculty liaison feels that a dual enrollment course is not meeting the standards set by the university, then the liaison shall notify the director of dual enrollment to discuss their concerns. If the issue(s) are not addressed the first time they are brought to the dual enrollment faculty鈥檚 attention, then a meeting between the faculty liaison, the department chair of the course鈥檚 subject, dual enrollment director and faculty member will take place to discuss the issues.
  7. If the dual enrollment director, faculty liaison and department chair all agree that the faculty member has failed to alleviate the issues discussed, this shall result in disqualification of instructor to teach future dual enrollment courses.

Dual Enrollment Students: Prospective dual enrollment students must demonstrate academic qualifications prior to enrollment, and then consistently meet both K-12 and higher education academic performance standards after dual enrollment course enrollment. Procedures for evaluating these qualifications are outlined in the under section IV: 鈥淒ual Enrollment Student Eligibility鈥� (p. 9-11)

  1. Students shall demonstrate the necessary maturity to maintain effective faculty-student interaction, cooperation, motivation, intellectual commitment, and personal development.
  2. Before dual enrollment registration, students must be: Fully enrolled in high school, successfully complete the required high school prerequisites, successfully complete the university program prerequisites and be on track for high school graduation.
    1. Without exception, all dual enrollment students must meet the same prerequisites as on-campus students for courses that require specific placement tests, standardized test scores, or prerequisite cou Students seeking placement in mathematics and composition courses, must meet the requirements of BOR Policy 301.17 (see Appendix C). Campuses must keep copies of official placement scores and/or prerequisite transcripts on file.
  3. Completion and transfer of a dual enrollment course shall not provide an exemption from the required entrance, placement or proficiency exams for admission to university academic programs. Scores from dual enrollment student placement and proficiency exams will be recorded and monitored as a means for dual enrollment academic quality assessment.