Student Guide EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM 2013-2015 a Bengal earlycollege.isu.edu 1
Introduction The Early College Program at Idaho State University offers students a chance to enroll in dual credit academic courses and earn both high school and college credit. The program is offered through the cooperation of the university and Idaho high schools. Teachers with advanced credentials are approved as ISU adjunct instructors and teach courses where the curriculum corresponds to courses offered on the college campus. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in college courses on the ISU Pocatello or Idaho Falls campus or via the web. This student guide is designed to provide information on applying, registering, and paying for courses as well as help answer questions about the program. For additional information please check with your dual credit instructor or contact the Early College Program Office. Students enrolled in a dual credit course are creating or adding to a college transcript. College-level courses require extra effort and personal responsibility. ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 Be 16 years old OR have completed half of their high school graduation requirements Recommendation of school counselor/school official Permission of a parent or guardian Students who do not meet these minimum requirements need special recommendation from a qualifying school official, verifying the student s readiness for college level coursework. TUITION For classes held in the high school: $65 per credit hour Classes held on an ISU campus or center: $269* per credit hour + class fees, if applicable Regular part-time cost for non-dual credit students: $317* per credit hour + class fees, if applicable *Tuition is for the 2013-2014 academic year. For current tuition cost, visit the Early College Program website at earlycollege.isu.edu. 2
Registration Students wishing to take dual credit courses through Idaho State University must be registered in the high school course. Students must be admitted to the university as an Early College Program (non-degree) student. The Early College Program has developed a 5-Step registration process for students to be fully registered for dual credit courses. A student only needs to apply and turn in a permission form the first time they take classes. FIVE STEP REGISTRATION PROCESS Admission Steps 1-3 Students can apply online at apply.isu.edu (step 1). After submitting an on-line application, they will be prompted to print out a High School Verification-Parent/Guardian Permission form. The form must be filled out and submitted to the Early College Program or Admissions Office (step 2). Once the completed application and permission form are received, the student will be admitted and mailed a username and password (step 3). Application instructions and permission forms are available at earlycollege.isu.edu. Note: If the student is not a US citizen and would like to take dual credit courses, they need to fill out the Early College Program Non-Citizen Application and High School Verification Parent/Guardian Permission form. Application is available on our website. Register for ISU Course(s) Step 4 An Early College Representative will visit each dual credit class toward the beginning of the course and distribute a Course Registration list for that particular semester/trimester and assist students with registering. The student will log into BengalWeb with their username and password and register for the appropriate course(s). If they had not received them in the mail and have turned in all the required documents to be admitted, they can call the IT Service Desk at 282-4357 to obtain their username and password. Pay for Course(s) Step 5 Students must pay for their dual credit courses by the appropriate deadlines in order to avoid a late fee. They can log into BengalWeb and pay via Cash-Net under the finances tab. Idaho State University will accept an electronic check or credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or Diner s Club). Note: payments made using a credit/debit card will incur an additional 2.75% convenience fee and can only be made online. Students can also mail a check or money order to Idaho State University s Cashier s Office, 921 S 8th Ave. Stop 8129, Pocatello, ID 83209 or pay in person at the Cashier s Office in Pocatello, Idaho Falls or Merdian. When 3
paying with a check, please indicate students name and ISU ID. Students are not dropped from the course for non-payment. PREREQUISITES AND COREQUISITES Courses showing the abbreviation PREREQ require the courses named as prerequisites to have been taken previously. Courses showing the abbreviation COREQ require simultaneous registration with each course named as a corequisite. The abbreviation PRE-or-COREQ means that each course named may have been taken prior to or may be taken concurrently with the course for which it is required. PLACEMENT SCORES Qualified students are eligible to enroll in courses for which they have the completed prerequisite courses. Students must have passing placement scores (COMPASS, SAT or ACT) if they enroll in math and/or English courses or science courses for which a certain math level is required. Students cannot register for courses until passing scores have been submitted to ISU. Course Successful ACT Score SAT Writing Score Compass Score Completion of ENGL 1101 18-24 450-560 68-94 ENGL 1102 ENGL 1101 25-30 570-690 95-99 MATH 1153 MATH 1108 23 540 47 College Algebra MATH 1170 MATH 1144 or 29 650 51 Trigonometry MATH 1147 CHEM 1111 MATH 1143 27 620 51 College Algebra PHYS 1111 MATH 1143 27 620 51 College Algebra REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT DEADLINES Fall semester classes in high school October 10 First trimester classes in high school October 10 Year-long courses in high school October 10 Second trimester in high school December 20 Spring semester in high school February 15 Third trimester classes in high school March 21 On-campus class deadlines - www.isu.edu/areg/acadclnd.shtml Payment of fees does not guarantee receipt of college credit. An official ISU transcript with a passing grade equates to college credit at our institution but does not guarantee the credit will be accepted at other institutions. If your tuition bill exceeds $300 for the term, you may request to use an 4
installment plan (online application can be found in BengalWeb under the finance tab). A 25% down payment and $30 processing fee is required. TAKING COURSES ON AN ISU CAMPUS Once a student has been admitted to the Early College Program, they have the option to take courses on an ISU campus in Pocatello or Idaho Falls. Students will need to meet all course prerequisites, pay class fees, purchase required textbooks, and are subject to on campus deadlines. In order to register for an on-campus course the student will need to submit an Early College Program On-Campus Registration form to the Early College Program Office prior to the start of the course. DROPPING A COURSE After registering for a course the student has the option to drop the course before the payment deadline. The student will need to log into BengalWeb in order to drop the course. They will click add/drop classes under the Academic Tools tab, find the course to drop and choose web drop in the course action. Students are responsible for adding and dropping their courses before the payment deadline. If the student misses the drop deadline it is considered a withdrawal. 5
WITHDRAWING FROM A COURSE To withdraw from an ECP course the student MUST log into BengalWeb, click add/drop classes under the Academic Tools tab, find the course and choose web withdraw in the course action. A student s transcript will display a W grade for withdrawal. A W does not count toward the GPA. There is no refund given for tuition paid when a student withdraws from a course since the student paid reduced fees. If a student transfers out of a high school class where they have registered for college credit, an ISU withdrawal is not automatic. The student will need to log into BengalWeb and withdraw from the course. If they fail to do so, they will be given an X grade for the course, which is equivalent to an F. Responsibility lies with the student to initiate the drop/withdrawal from a college credit course. Students should remain aware of their anticipated final grade and keep the withdrawal deadline in mind. Withdrawal deadlines are strictly enforced. Please remember you must keep a 67% or higher completion rate to qualify for Financial Aid in the future. If you have questions or problems with the withdrawal process, please contact the Early College Program office. WITHDRAWAL DEADLINES Withdrawal deadlines differ each year and are different for courses taught at the high school and on the college campus. Please check the Early College Program website at earlycollege.isu.edu for a list of withdrawal deadlines. SCHOLARSHIPS There are a few need-based scholarships available for dual credit courses. In some districts, either a district foundation or a community organization may have set up a scholarship for dual credit students in their local high school(s). You may check with your dual credit instructor, high school counselor, or the Early College Program staff to learn more. You may also check the Scholarship link on the Early College Program website. STUDENT STATUS Students who enroll in a dual credit course are officially registered as non-degree-seeking Early College Program students of Idaho State University. They are subject to ISU regulations and withdrawal deadlines. To become a degree-seeking student, they must apply for regular admission, preferably before the scholarship deadline of February 15 of their senior year. When they attend college after high school graduation, they will be considered a first-time freshman. 6
TRANSFERRING FROM ONE DUAL CREDIT COURSE TO ANOTHER If a student is enrolled in an Advanced Placement only or non-isu dual credit course and he/she transfers into a school offering an ISU dual credit course with the same curriculum, registration is NOT permitted for the ISU course. The only exception to the no-transfer rule is if a student in School A taking an ISU dual credit course transfers to School B with identical ISU dual credit course. The instructors must be at approximately the same point in the course when the transfer takes place. The student must contact the Early College Program and make arrangements for the transfer into the new course. Permission by both instructors and the Chair of the Department overseeing the course must be granted. FERPA The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants privacy rights to any student enrolled in a college-level course even if they are not yet eighteen years old. Please refer to the FERPA link on the Early College web site under the Current Student Rights and Privacy section. ISU shall obtain written consent from students before disclosing any non-directory information from their educational records. Students wishing to restrict release of that information should submit a Non-Disclosure Declaration. 7
Information Idaho State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The University is accredited or approved for specific programs by a number of organizations. Please refer to the current catalog for a list of the various commissions and associations. ISU GRADING SYSTEM Students who register for dual credit courses receive both high school and college credit for each course. The instructor will submit grades for the high school and college transcripts. Idaho State University uses a graduated letter grading system with the four (4) point maximum to indicate the instructor s evaluations of a student s performance. The grade of A is the highest possible grade and a grade of F is considered failing. Other options for grades include I - Incomplete (a contract between student and teacher is required), W Withdrawal, S or U Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory performance and X for no basis for grade. Please refer to the current ISU course catalog for additional information on grading. Students can review their registration (current and history), payments, and grades in BengalWeb. Posting of final grades may take approximately 3-4 weeks after the course has ended. Any questions about final grades should be resolved as soon as possible. Students should check with their instructor regarding grades. BENGAL CARD After fees are paid, students may obtain a Bengal Student ID card. The card may be used to gain access to limited ISU privileges including free tutoring services in the Student Success Center, access to library services and student discounts at the Games Center in Pocatello, and free admission is available to the Bengal Theater in the Pond Student Union in Pocatello. Bengal Cards can be obtained at the Student Union information desk in Pocatello, Idaho Falls, or Meridian or by sending a picture and student ID number to photoid@isu.edu. The first Bengal card is free. Replacement cards cost $15. Dual Credit students may purchase a membership for the Student Recreation Center in Pocatello for $40 per ISU semester. Students must be registered and have paid for a dual credit class to be eligible for membership during a particular ISU semester. 8
Credit Colleges and universities measure academic work with the credit hour. Credits are also referred to as semester credits or semester hours. One credit is defined to require fifty minutes in a class weekly for one semester. Credits for college courses will range from one to five hours. Your college education will include a certain number of general education credits, a sufficient number of required courses, and electives and for the major you choose. At ISU, bachelor degrees consist of a minimum of 120 credit hours. TRANSFERRING ISU CREDITS If a student enrolls at a college or university other than ISU after high school graduation, they need to transfer their ISU credits. A student will need to submit a request and pay a transcript fee to the registrar s office to have their transcript sent to the college or university they plan to attend. Students who are taking on-campus classes toward high school graduation requirements will also need to send a transcript to their high school. Transcripts can be requested through BengalWeb under student records in the Academic Tools tab. Please check to make sure all grades are posted before requesting a transcript. The institution where a student may attend makes the final decision about acceptance of courses. Acceptance of any or all courses can vary and may be dependent upon the grade earned and the policy of the institution. We recommend that students retain their course syllabus (with course description) and save major class assignments in case they need to meet with someone at their intended college or university concerning the transferring of credits. If your college is reluctant to give recognition for your ISU courses, contact the ISU Early College Program Office. Although we cannot dictate whether they accept ISU credit, we can write letters and/or make phone calls on your behalf. Dual credit coursework may be recognized elsewhere in a number of ways. Based on the student s transcript, institutions can transfer the credit hours into a student s program of study, reducing the number of courses the student has to complete to graduate. They may offer students the option of using transferred courses for exemption from specific course requirements. These might include courses that fulfill general education requirements, introductory courses, and courses required within a major or minor course of study. Colleges and universities may allow the student to use dual credit courses to fulfill prerequisite course requirements. All of these forms of recognition may or may not be granted individually or in combination at the discretion of the institution. 9
Academics ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Academic integrity is expected of all individuals in academe. Behavior beyond reproach must be the norm. Academic dishonesty in any form is unacceptable. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating and plagiarism. 1) CHEATING is defined as using or attempting to use materials, information, or study aids that are not permitted by the instructor in examinations or other academic work. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to: a) Obtaining, providing, or using unauthorized materials for an examination or assignment, whether verbally, visually, electronically, or by notes, books, or other means. b) Acquiring examinations or other course materials, possessing them, or providing them to others without permission of the instructor. This includes providing any information about an examination in advance of the examination. c) Taking an examination for another person or arranging for someone else to take an examination in one s place. d) Submitting the same work or substantial portions of the same work in two different classes without prior approval of the instructor. e) Fabricating information for any report or other academic exercise with- out permission of the instructor. 2) PLAGIARISM is defined as representing another person s words, ideas, data, or work as one s own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the exact duplication of another s work and the incorporation of a substantial or essential portion thereof without appropriate citation. Other examples of plagiarism are the acts of appropriating creative works or substantial portions thereof in such fields as art, music, and technology and presenting them as one s own. The guiding principle is that all work submitted must properly credit sources of information. In written work, direct quotations, statements that are paraphrased, summaries of the work of another, and other information that is not considered common knowledge must be cited or acknowledged. Quotation marks or a proper form of identification shall be used to indicate direct quotations. As long as a student adequately acknowledges sources of information, plagiarism is not present. However, students should be aware that most instructors require certain forms of acknowledgment or references and may evaluate a project on the basis of form, penalizing the student in the grade assigned if citation of sources is improper. 10
Resources EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM OFFICE (208) 282-6067 OR -2633 Chelsie Rauh-Director (208) 282-2633 Suzanne Peck-Admin. Asst. (208) 282-6067 Fax number (208) 282-4511 Website earlycollege.isu.edu Mailing Address 921 S. 8th Ave., Stop 8057 Pocatello, ID 83209-8057 POCATELLO RESOURCES Admissions Visitor Center (208) 282-2123 Admissions (208) 282-2475 Bengal Card Service Center (208) 282-3618 Cashier s Office (208) 282-2900 Counseling and Testing Center (208) 282-2130 Eli M. Oboler Library (208) 282-3248 Registrar s Office (208) 282-2661 Student Success Center (208) 282-3662 IT Service Desk (208) 282-HELP (4357) IDAHO FALLS RESOURCES Student Services (208)282-7800 Bengal Card Services (208) 282-7811 Cashier s Office (208) 282-7878 Counseling and Testing Center (208) 282-7750 Student Success Center (208) 282-7925 University Library Center (208) 282-7906 MERIDIAN RESOURCES Bengal Card Services/Student Information (208) 373-1700 IT Service Desk (208) 373-1709 11
a Bengal Student Guide EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM (208) 282-6067 earlycollege.isu.edu 921 S. 8th Ave., Stop 8057 Pocatello, ID 83209-8057 12