To: Fort Wayne Senate

From: Educational Policy Committee

Date: September 22, 1995

Subject: Dual-credit policy

Disposition: To the Presiding Officer for implementation

Resolved, That the Faculty approve the attached policy for "dual-credit courses"-courses for which IPFW credit is sought despite the courses' being taught by high-school teachers as part of a high school's curriculum.

As the need to pursue education beyond high school becomes more pressing, stronger links are being formed between secondary and postsecondary institutions. In Indiana, for example, several colleges and universities have begun to collaborate with local school corporations to offer courses for which students can earn both high-school and college credit.

For these dual-credit efforts to be successful, it is imperative that students who earn college credit while in high school study similar subject matter and achieve the same levels of proficiency expected of those who take these courses at a university. Because some students attending IPFW transfer among Indiana University and Purdue University campuses, and credit earned at one campus must be honored throughout these universities, it is important that the Faculty agree upon a common set of procedures for offering and granting credit for dual-credit courses. Therefore it is recommended that the following policy be established at IPFW:

Prior to granting IPFW credit for work completed in dual-credit courses that are taught by high-school teachers as part of a high school's curriculum, IPFW Faculty in the field of study in which the credit is to be given must verify that the material studied was essentially the same as that in a specific IPFW course and the student's level of mastery is acceptable. This must be done as follows:

IPFW Courses

If a course is to be taught in high school for IPFW credit, it must be approved by the sponsoring department at the university in the same manner as new courses are approved, and it must be offered in collaboration with an accredited high school. In addition, designated university Faculty must endorse and supervise the teacher as well as approve the syllabus, grading standards, and examinations.

Courses Offered by Other Colleges and Universities

For students to establish departmental credit or be granted transfer credit for dual-credit courses offered by other colleges or universities, designated IPFW Faculty from the field of study in which the course is offered must validate the student's level of mastery and the course content through one of the following means:

1. Verify that the student has earned a grade of at least C in a higher-level course taken at IPFW that has as a prerequisite the course for which departmental credit is being sought.
2. Certify that the student has performed satisfactorily on either an appropriate standardized achievement examination or IPFW departmental advanced-credit examination or has earned a grade of at least C on a current comprehensive final examination for the IPFW course in which the student wishes to establish credit.
3. Affirm that a dual-credit course offered at a specific high school by another postsecondary institution is essentially the same as a specific IPFW course by approving at least the syllabus and the examinations. In addition, confirm that the student earned a grade of at least C in the course.