ASCRC Minutes 2/17/15
GBB 205, 2:10 p.m.
Call to Order
Members Present: M. Boller, C. Chestnut, D. Coffin J. Deboer, A. Lawrence, T. Thibeau,
E. Uchimoto, N. Vonessen, G.G. Weix
Ex-Officio Present: B. Howard, M. Filer, N. Lindsay
Members Excused: L. Gillison, J. Hickman, B. Hillman, B. Hollzworth, T. Manuel, C.
Meixner
Minutes: The minutes from 2/10/15 were approved.
Communication

Professor Michelle Boller was welcomed to the Committee.

ASCRC should consider weighing in on the proposed MUS New Proposal
Guidelines. The draft was introduced at the Faculty Senate by Deputy
Commissioner Neil Moisey. The goal is for the process to be more transparent
and allow for consideration of duplication and collaboration across the system
earlier in the process. Chair DeBoer asked members to review the document and
send any concerns / suggested revisions. In particular ASCRC should consider
the practical application issues with 4, 5 and 6 in Step 2. The document will be
discussed further at the next meeting.
Business Items

The draft Dual Enrollment Policy was further discussed. Several changes were
made. The draft appended was approved. Chair DeBoer will meet with ECOS to
discuss the best place for the document to be posted – ASCRC policies or
University policies.

The proposed revision to Policy 201.60, Effective Date of Approved Curriculum
Forms was considered. ASCRC was inclined to allow the exception for
certificates but not the other items given students can register for spring courses in
October. It is an issue of equal access and integrity for new general education
designations. The item will be discussed again at the next meeting.

ASCRC considered and approved the revision (section below) to Policy 201.00,
Curriculum Review Overview. It will be sent to Graduate Council for
consideration.
Review Steps….
(2) Internal Faculty Review: Before a curriculum proposal can be submitted
to the department chair for approval, a faculty curriculum committee must
(1) carefully review it, (2) if necessary or appropriate, revise it, and (3)
approve it. A department may have more than one faculty curriculum
committee, and may require that proposals also be approved at a faculty
meeting. A faculty curriculum committee can be created as an ad hoc
committee to consider a specific curriculum proposal. The department
chair’s approval indicates that the proposal has been approved by the
relevant faculty curriculum committee(s). The majority of the members of
a faculty curriculum committee must be tenure-track faculty; but if
appropriate, the committee can also include lecturers, adjunct faculty or
professional advisors. Only tenure-track faculty can vote on graduate
curriculum proposals.

Chair DeBoer is working on a document to clarify some items with regard to
Graduation Appeals.

The incomplete grade policy needs to be updated given the final grade report no
longer exists. Draft language will be circulated for consideration before the next
meeting.

The third paragraph in the class attendance / absence policy was discussed. It was
revised as follows for clarification.
Class Attendance/Absence Policy
….(third paragraph)
In addition to the attendance expectation described above, instructors may
establish absence policies to conform to the educational goals and requirements of
their courses. Such policies shall will ordinarily be set out in the course syllabus.
Customarily, Course syllabi shall describe the procedures for giving timely notice
of absences, explain how work missed because of an excused absence may be
made up, and stipulate any penalty to be assessed for absences.
Good and Welfare
ASCRC will not meet next week. Members were encouraged to bring any catalog
language that needed to be clarified forward for consideration.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.
Dual Enrollment Guidelines
for
Missoula College and the University of Montana
Preface: Dual Enrollment is a cooperative program offered through the Montana
Board of Public Education and the Montana Board of Regents. A dual-credit
course awards both high school credit and college credit for a college course
taken by the high school student, provided the course, student and faculty meet
the Dual Enrollment standards (select link for summary).
The dual enrollment courses are offered by the institutions of the Montana
University System (MUS) with oversight by the Montana Board of Regents
(Board), where constitutional authority over the courses is vested. The Board, in
consultation with K-12 educators has developed extensive guidelines for dual
enrollment, available at:
http://www.mus.edu/2yr/COLLEGEnow/assets/DualEnrollmentGuidelines.pdf
The purpose of the specific University of Montana (University) guidelines here is
to serve as a dual enrollment resource for Missoula College, including the
Bitterroot College campus, and the University of Montana. This relationship is
unique because Missoula College is “embedded” within the University of
Montana. Missoula College is not an independent 2-year campus, but rather a
division of the University where Missoula College serves as the dual enrollment
“regional hub” as defined by the Board serving faculty, administrators, students
and the general public. The Board’s guidelines have been specifically applied
here to best serve our unique circumstances.
These dual enrollment guidelines must be consistent with Board’s policies. They
may apply to a concurrent enrollment class taught by qualified high-school
teachers in university facilities, typically a high school, that has chosen to
participate in the dual enrollment program. Distinct from a concurrent enrollment
class is a standard university college-credit only class where a high school
student must be admitted to the university and then choose to enroll in an
existing course offered in the current institutional course catalog (delivered online
or otherwise). A model does exist where the Board of Public Education could
elect to accept a college-credit only class for high school credit.
There are three sections in this document: 1. Academic standards and quality for
dual enrollment courses, 2. Dual enrollment operations and management, and; 3.
Dual Enrollment information as a resource.
I. Principles of Quality:
Academic standards and quality are the purview of the University of Montana
Faculty Senate according to institutional (University and Missoula College)
collective bargaining agreements and policies. Therefore, the University of
Montana Faculty Senate (with Missoula College representation) has established
the following academic standards for dual enrollment courses:
A. Dual Enrollment Courses
1. Each Dual Enrollment course has a counterpart or parent course that has
been reviewed and approved by the Faculty Senate and subsequently
listed in the institutional (University or Missoula College) 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 Board
common course numbering practices, they shall have the same rubric,
number, name, description, credits, department and content as the parent
course listed in the institutional course catalog. Dual enrollment faculty
may not alter these characteristics without following proper procedures
that may require approval by the UM Academic Standards and Curriculum
Review Committee (ASCRC).
2. Academic standards for dual enrollment courses, whether they are
concurrent enrollment or college-credit only should be equivalent to one
another, and subsequently equivalent to the parent course listed in the
institutional course catalog. Dual enrollment courses shall meet or exceed
NACEP (National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership)
standards consistent with Board policies.
3. A complete dual enrollment course syllabus, that is at least equivalent to
the related parent course syllabus, shall be provided to all prospective
dual enrollment students in a timely manner prior to registration. The
syllabus shall contain the fore mentioned course information (section
I.A.1) but it must also include the instructor’s name, authorized
department, required textbook(s), course content/topics, a class schedule,
learning objectives, assessment/grading policies and any necessary
resources or required materials. All university policies governing a course
syllabus are applicable to all dual enrollment courses.
4. 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.
5. Technology used in the dual enrollment course should enrich instruction,
foster learning and be equivalent to the counterpart university course.
6. Student support (e.g. advisement, counseling and tutors) should be
available for dual enrollment students to ensure successful outcomes.
7. Dual enrollment courses are subject to the accessibility standards set forth
by the American’s with Disabilities Act, the Montana Human Rights Act,
and applicable UM policies. The courses will be designed and taught
following the aforementioned guidelines. Students with disabilities seeking
modifications for Dual Enrollment Courses should contact the University
Disability Services for Students Office at 243.2243 or dss@umontana.edu.
Family Educational Rights Policy Act (FERPA) policies apply to all
students in dual enrollment programs.
8. 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.
9. Dual enrollment courses are separate and distinct from college credit high
school courses such as Advanced Placement and START.
10. Bitterroot College is encouraged to participate in dual enrollment. Upon
initiation of a Dual Enrollment course, Bitterroot College shall inform the
Missoula College Dual Enrollment administrator and provide a copy of the
draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that shall include dual
enrollment faculty credentials. A copy shall also be provided for the
appropriate departmental chair and program director. The final MOU shall
be subject to Missoula College administrative approval. Approval of dual
enrollment faculty and selection of the appropriate discipline specific
supervisor shall be included in this process.
B. Dual Enrollment Faculty
1. 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
appropriate University academic department (per the course catalog,
section I.A.1). 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 legal employer and are
subject to those provisions only).
2. Dual enrollment faculty should clearly demonstrate mastery of, and 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. 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, section A.1 (see appendix).
4. Dual enrollment instructors shall, at a minimum, have successfully
completed (with a grade of B- or better) the proposed dual enrollment
course, an acceptable equivalent or greater, as a qualification PRIOR to
acceptance for teaching the proposed dual enrollment course.
5. Each dual enrollment instructor shall have a designated discipline specific
supervisor to ensure that the course reflects the university’s pedagogical,
theoretical and philosophical orientation and adheres to the approved dual
enrollment syllabus, academic standards and MOU.
6. Dual enrollment instructors shall be approved, supervised and evaluated
according to proper procedures as defined in the Board guidelines and the
Dual Enrollment Administration Recommendations section (II) of this
document.
7. Failure to maintain dual enrollment academic standards or sustain
qualifications may result in disqualification of instructors to teach future
dual enrollment courses.
C. Dual Enrollment Students
1. All students in a dual enrollment course must take the course for college
credit, with the following exceptions:
a. High school honors courses. The course is in a core discipline
(communication arts, mathematics, social studies, or science), the
course is designated “honors,” and the district has demonstrated to
the credit-granting college that all students in the class have the
appropriate academic preparation for the course.
b. Differentiated instruction courses. When the college course is not
available for dual credit online or on a nearby campus of the
Montana University System, an equivalent AP or C/T START
course is not available locally or through the Montana Digital
Academy and the number of potential students seeking the course
is too small to justify an “honors” course or a separate college-level
class, the college may agree to oversee the differentiation of
instruction in a high school class for students seeking college
credit. The college must ensure that the differentiated course
content, instruction, and assessment create college-level
expectations and outcomes for students seeking college credit.
2. Students shall demonstrate the necessary maturity to maintain effective
faculty-student interaction, cooperation, motivation, intellectual
commitment, and personal development.
3. 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 Administration section (II) of this
document and the Board’s Dual Enrollment Guidelines.
4. 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.
5. Dual enrollment students must meet the same university admission
standards as on-campus students (Policies 301 and 301.1), except for
a possession of a high school diploma.
6. 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.
II. Dual Enrollment Program Administration at Missoula College
Administration and management of all dual enrollment programs is the purview of
the Montana University System Board of Regents and their designees or
employees. This is not a charge for the UM Faculty Senate, ASCRC or Missoula
College faculty. However, the following recommendations are proposed for dual
enrollment programs to properly support and sustain academic quality.
A. Dual Enrollment Students Shall:
1. Meet the academic standards listed in section I.C of this document;
2. Be enrolled in a high school that has a current inter-local Dual Enrollment
Agreement with Missoula College;
3. Be at least 16 years of age or a high school junior;
4. Meet prerequisites for the course including placement tests or proficiency
scores for math and writing (Policies 301.1 and 301.7) or pass credit-byexam assessments (e.g. CLEP);
o Credit-by-exam assessments must be administered by university
faculty;
o Students must pass credit-by-exam assessments with a grade of
“C-“ or better; that shall be transcripted as “CR”, credit for passing
credit-by-exam.
5. Have approval signatures from a parent or guardian (if under 18 yrs of age
or unemancipated), the appropriate high school official, and designated
college official;
6. For students who do not meet one or more of the dual enrollment eligibility
requirements, an exceptional circumstance request must be initiated and
recommended by the high school’s designated official in writing and
include appropriate reasons for the exception. The request and
accompanying documentation must be submitted to the Missoula College
Dual Enrollment Coordinator, the discipline specific academic supervisor
and the Dean of Missoula College for final, signed approval.
7. Tuition and fees for dual enrollment courses shall be determined by the
Board and university administration.
8. Information for financial aid or other support can be obtained from the
Missoula College Dual Enrollment Administrator.
9. Information for university admissions, registration, and related procedures
shall can consistent with current institutional practices. Specific
information can be obtained from the Missoula College Admissions or
Registrars office.
10. Subject to approval by the administration, dual enrollment students have
access to all academic resources, (e.g. libraries, math or language labs,
computer and IT resources) on the university campus that are required to
complete the assignments specified in the dual enrollment course
syllabus.
11. In addition to any applicable high school student conduct codes, dual
enrollment students are subject to the institutional student conduct code
and all relevant student policies including but not limited to academic
misconduct (e.g. cheating or plagiarism) and proper personal conduct.
Failure to adhere to the applicable university student conduct codes may
result in dismissal from the Dual enrollment course. Each student shall
sign an agreement to this effect for each Dual enrollment course enrolled.
12. The university administration shall monitor all dual enrollment students
both during and subsequent to dual enrollment participation to assess
their individual academic achievement on the university level and,
likewise, assess the success of dual enrollment programs and their
conformance with university dual enrollment policies. Assignment of
specific course section numbers e.g. “D” for this purpose should be
considered and should be consistent between programs.
B. Dual Enrollment Faculty:
1. Each dual enrollment instructor must meet the academic standards listed
in section IB of this document;
2. Signatories to the dual enrollment instructor application shall include: the
applicant and their appropriate employment supervisor (per their
employment contract) and/or the designated representative for the
participating high school (if applicable); the appropriate university
departmental chair and unit dean; and the university provost. By affixing a
signature to the application, the signatories certify that the applicant:
a. Meets the minimum qualifications for dual enrollment instructors
established by revised Board policy 730 including a master’s degree in
the teaching field or a closely related academic discipline with at least
nine (9) graduate-level semester credits in the academic discipline (or
qualifies for an exemption per 730.A.1); and
b. Meets departmental unit standards and college or school requirements
for instruction the appropriate university department (at a minimum);
c. Has been approved by the appropriate official at each subsequent step
of the application process (participating high school, university
department, school or college, etc.);
d. Have the required K-12 licensure (Class 1, 2, 4, or 8) if teaching a
dual-credit concurrent enrollment course;
3. Will follow all university academic program and course requirements.
Instructional performance shall be recognized as such within the university
unit and high school district and be subject to faculty evaluation per
university or K-12 polices and applicable collective bargaining
agreements. At each step of the dual enrollment instrcutor application
process the Missoula College administration shall route the application to
the proper designee specified in section II.B.2 of this document.
4. Subsequent to final approval of the dual enrollment instructor application,
the appropriate institutional departmental chair or unit dean shall assign a
discipline-specific faculty/coordinator from the appropriate university
department (per section I.A.1).
5. At the discretion of the discipline specific supervisor, Missoula College
shall monitor dual enrollment instructors to ensure that they are fully
capable to provide quality, college-level instruction per the course syllabus
and academic standards (Section I).
6. Compensation for dual enrollment instructors and other participants is
subject to relevant (K-12 or university) employment contracts, institutional
policies and collective bargaining agreements.
C. Dual Enrollment Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
1. Subsequent to final approval of the dual enrollment applicant for
instruction, but before the course instruction can begin, the dual
enrollment parties (section II.B.2) shall negotiate and sign a governing
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that specifies the particular
applications of this document and relevant Board of Regents and Board of
Public Education policies for each dual enrollment course (see sample in
appendix).
2. By affixing a signature to the MOU, the parties agree to abide with the
terms in this document relative to the university and comply with all
relevant Board and Board of Public Education policies and guidelines for
Dual Enrollment programs and instruction.
3. The parties agree that failure to abide with the MOU terms may result in
forfeiture of future participation in dual enrollment, including all rights or
privileges.
4. Per section I.A.9 The MOU shall clarify the status of AP and dual
enrollment courses.
5. The relationship between the dual enrollment instructor and the discipline
specific supervisor (section I.B.5) shall be clearly defined in the MOU.
6. The parties to the MOU mutually agree that dual enrollment students shall
be fully informed and that they fully understand all of their rights, privileges
and obligations as dual enrollment students in university programs.
7. The parties to the MOU should understand and must inform the student
and parents that the course content is governed by the MUS system and
not subject to supervision by local school officials or local school boards.
For example, a local school board cannot exclude or require objectionable
or controversial materials or content from the course. (See sample letter in
appendix).
III. Dual Enrollment Information:
The Missoula College of the University of Montana shall serve as the Board
designated regional hub for dual enrollment. Information about dual enrollment
courses and programs is best obtained by contacting Missoula College.
http://www.mc.umt.edu/dualenrollment/.
Call or contact:
Missoula College Program Director/Dual Credit & Big Sky Pathways
406-243-7902
Missoula College Registration & Dual Credit Specialist
406-243-7887
Missoula College Admissions
406-243-7882
mcadmissions@mso.umt.edu
Relevant dual enrollment documents and resources will be provided on a website
that will be posted and maintained through the Missoula College Dean’s Office. It
will contain basic dual enrollment facts and information and have links to more indepth resources including:

This document (The Dual Enrollment Guidelines)

Contact information for Dual Enrollment personnel at the university
campuses

The Board Dual Enrollment Guidelines

The Board Dual Enrollment web page (“one pager”)

Relevant forms for potential Dual Enrollment course specific supervisors
and faculty

Relevant forms for potential Dual Enrollment students
APPENDIX:

MC College Application for Dual Enrollment Students

MC College Application for Dual Enrollment Scholarships

Sample MOU for a Dual Enrollment course

Board Dual Enrollment “one pager”

Board policy 730

Draft sample student agreement to comply with university student conduct
codes (Section II.A.11).

Draft letter to MUS Commissioner requesting collective bargaining for DE
supervisor compensation (Missoula College faculty).

Draft letter to parents and students regarding governance of course
content by the MUS and notification that content may be objectionable