[Oacrao-l] Policy Clarrification - Adjunct Faculty and Concurrent Enrollment

[Dela Cruz, Jr., Jose]

OACRAO members:

The purpose of this correspondence is to provide clarification regarding the conversation at February's OACRAO conference, which centered on the collegiate experience for concurrent enrollment and adjunct faculty.  As you all are aware, concurrent enrollment must include opportunities for high school students to achieve college credit through a collegiate experience. The collegiate experience is evidenced by the rigor of the course, the qualifications of the personnel delivering the course, and the student's readiness for college. The collegiate experience is present in four environments:

A.      High school students enrolled on a college or university campus in a course with collegiate students enrolled.  [NOTE:  Can be either adjunct or regular faculty - the collegiate experience is expected on a college campus].
B.       High school students enrolled at an off-campus site in a course that originates on campus with collegiate students enrolled. [NOTE:  The intent of this collegiate experience section is if the course is broadcasted via interactive video from the institution to the high school, 'that originates on campus with other collegiate students enrolled'].
C.      High school students enrolled in a course with collegiate students enrolled at an established off-campus site with a regular program of study (defined as at least one certificate, associate in arts, associate in science, associate in applied science or baccalaureate degree). [NOTE:  The intent of this statement is that the collegiate experience is there for concurrent enrollment students taking college courses where there are administrative and collegiate personnel].
D.      High school students enrolled at other off-campus sites (including in the home and including the use of synchronous or asynchronous instruction) and taught by regular faculty whose primary educational employment is as a faculty member at the institution delivering the course. Exceptions may be made upon request to the Chancellor. Regular faculty is defined as a person qualified for appointment to the full-time faculty of the institution proposing to award credit. All appointments must be recommended by the academic unit awarding the credit and approved through the established procedures for academic appointments. [NOTE:  This is the condition that an exception is needed if the course(s) are offered off-campus, in the home (asynchronous or synchronous instruction.  The intent is that a regular faculty member brings the rigor and qualifications to teach in an off-campus that includes high school students].

To clarify, institutions are not required to request an exception to policy for adjunct faculty teaching courses that may have concurrent students enrolled, provided that the collegiate experience is present as outlined in A through D above.

A request for an exception to policy is required for situations in which concurrent students are enrolled in courses that are not taught by regular faculty whose primary educational employment is as a faculty member at the institution delivering the course.  These situations may exist, but not limited to, when a high school teacher teaches a concurrent course at the high school or any other off-campus site.

If requests for exceptions are necessary, these can be made upon request from the president to the Chancellor. Regular faculty is defined as a person qualified for appointment to the full-time faculty of the institution proposing to award credit. The request for an exception to policy should confirm that the appointment is recommended by the academic unit awarding the credit and has been approved through the established procedures for academic appointments.  Additionally, the letter to the Chancellor should include the faculty credential assigned to teach the concurrent course along with the location if the course will be taught at an off-campus site.

While, through these methods, high school students may earn college credit in settings in which accredited colleges and universities ultimately award the college credit and for which they maintain responsibility, it is important to note that the HLC holds these colleges and universities accountable for the quality of these opportunities and programs.


I understand this may be a complex situation, so please let me know if you have any questions.



Cheers,
José



José Dela Cruz, M.Ed.
Coordinator -- Academic Affairs Projects
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.onenet.net/pipermail/oacrao-l/attachments/20130305/d9209a6e/attachment.html>