Board of Regents Policy CSCU Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Policy

The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) have a strong tradition of providing dual/concurrent enrollment programs statewide. These programs are designed to help students accelerate their degree completion, gain advanced career training, and reduce educational costs for both students and their families. By participating in these programs, high school students can earn college credits and access career-focused training before graduating. This policy sets a unified framework for dual/concurrent enrollment programs offered by CSCU institutions, ensuring consistent implementation across campuses and equitable access for all students, with a particular focus on those historically underrepresented in higher education and dual/concurrent enrollment opportunities.

This policy sets forth core principles and baseline standards for CSCU dual/concurrent enrollment programs, in alignment with the recommendations and accreditation standards from the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE) and the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP). The primary objectives of this policy are to:

• Ensure high standards, equitable access, and the sustainability of CSCU dual/concurrent enrollment programs.
• Create consistency in programming and structure across CSCU institutions.
• Allow institutional autonomy within a unified framework, supporting the diversity of program types, modalities, and structures.
• Develop systemwide pricing models to ensure equitable access to programs.

Dual Enrollment Courses: refers to a postsecondary education course in any academic subject or career-orientated pathway that is delivered by an institution of higher education through which a high school student is simultaneously enrolled in [an] such institution of higher education and is taught by a faculty member of such institution of higher education.

Concurrent Enrollment Courses: refers to when a high school student is simultaneously enrolled in an institution of higher education (IHE), taking a college course taught by a certified high school teacher approved by the institution of higher education to offer the course at the high school site. These courses can be in traditional academic areas or in a career-oriented pathways.

Early College: refers to a partnership between at least one institution of higher education and a school district where they have aligned the use of dual and/or concurrent enrollment courses to be offered to students beginning as early as 9th grade to provide a specific courses aligned to a college program of study, resulting in ability to simultaneously earn up to a college certificate or degree while dually enrolled in high school.

Middle College: refers to a partnership located on a college campus between at least one institution of higher education and a school district where they have aligned the use of dual and concurrent enrollment courses to be offered to students beginning as early as 11th grade to provide a specific sequence of courses aligned to a college program of study, resulting in ability to simultaneously earn up to a college certificate or degree while dually enrolled in high school.

College and Career Pathways: (CCP) is a specific concurrent enrollment program that allows high school students the opportunity to build a portfolio of college courses at CT State in a technical pathway, resulting in a certificate or degree. CCP is a federal Perkins V-funded program, making it free for students in a partnership. While funding streams may differ, CT State administers and advertises the program along with all dual and concurrent enrollment programs.

Student Admissions Requirements

Each CSCU institution offering dual/concurrent enrollment programs must establish and publish clear student admission requirements, including necessary forms and documentation for enrollment. Dual/concurrent enrollment programs students are classified as non-degree-seeking students and should not be subject to additional admission requirements beyond those specified in this policy. Admission requirements should include multiple pathways for entry, such as GPA thresholds, course prerequisites, or/and test scores. Early or Middle College programs will follow their own published admission requirements.

Student Access to Resources and Services

Dual/concurrent enrollment program students are entitled to access all academic resources and services provided to fully matriculated CSCU students. These resources include, but are not limited to, library access, advising services, accessibility and disability services, and tutoring. Families and students must be informed of the benefits and implications of dual credit courses through public materials and/or orientation programs.

Academic Advising

CSCU institutions offering dual/concurrent enrollment programs must provide academic advising materials and annual professional development for high school counselors to support dual/concurrent enrollment program students. Advising resources may include written guides, pathway crosswalks, videos, and in-person training to help students understand how dual/concurrent programs courses fulfill general education, major prerequisites, or certificate requirements. Students taking courses on a CSCU campus may access additional advising resources as available.

Teacher Credentialing

Each CSCU institution is responsible for establishing and publishing certification criteria for high school teachers participating in concurrent enrollment programs, ensuring compliance with CSCU's minimum hiring standards. In accordance with NECHE standards and NACEP guidelines, the IHE certifies and approves instructor credentials for concurrent and dual enrollment courses. To teach an IHE curriculum, a K-12 instructor must hold a master's degree in the field, a master's in education with 18 credits in the field, or, in cases where no master's degree is available in the field, the terminal degree in that discipline or industry certification.

The CSCU institution and/or department are required to make periodic evaluations of the course, program, and professional development. CSCU institutions must develop and execute MOUs with high school partners to ensure that concurrent enrollment instructors maintain their professional credentials, attendance at required meetings, and connection to the CSCU program.

Institutions must provide onboarding and annual discipline-specific professional development for high school instructors to maintain course comparability and foster partnerships. CSCU’s standards for teacher credentialing must be publicly available and shared with high school partners.

Consistent and Sustainable Pricing Model

CSCU institutions offering dual/concurrent enrollment programs must collaborate to create and publish a consistent, sustainable pricing model (excluding the federally funded CCP program). This model should aim to ensure equitable access across Connecticut and prevent confusion among high school partners, students and families.

The cost of concurrent credit courses will not exceed $50.00 per credit. Revenue from enrollments should fund program operations, faculty stipends, and program investments. Fee waivers may be provided for students in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program and for students at Title I high schools to support equitable access. CSCU institutions will work with high school partners to ensure fee waivers are appropriately managed.

Systemwide pricing models will require Board of Regents (BOR) approval and annual reporting to the BOR Finance Committee.

CSCU Dual Credit Advisory Body Establishment

Within six months of this policy’s adoption, CSCU through nominations of the provost of each institution, will establish a Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Body. The CSCU Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Body is a collaborative team composed of representatives from each CSCU institution. Its primary mission is to ensure institutional compliance with the CSCU Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Policy and to provide regular updates to the CSCU Academic and Student Affairs Office. The Advisory Body is responsible for submitting reports each semester, with a comprehensive annual report due at the end of the spring semester. To facilitate consistency in reporting, the CSCU Academic and Student Affairs Office will create a standardized report template, including identified metrics for evaluation.

The Advisory Body includes one representative from each CSCU institution and meets regularly to maintain alignment across CSCU dual credit programs. Its role extends beyond compliance oversight to include problem-solving and program improvement. This includes reviewing institutional websites, identifying inconsistencies, and working to develop unified systems for student registration and data tracking.

To foster shared leadership and diverse perspectives, the Advisory Body will elect a chair and a secretary, with these roles rotating on a set schedule. Term limits will be established, and elections for these positions will be conducted by the Advisory Body, with final approval by the CSCU Chief Academic Affairs officer or their designee.

The chair and secretary are responsible for compiling and submitting an annual report to the Chief Academic Affairs Officer or their designee by June 1st of each year. This report will summarize the Advisory Body’s activities, highlight achievements, address challenges, and propose recommendations to enhance the effectiveness and alignment of dual/concurrent enrollment programs across CSCU institutions.

Standard Responsibilities

All CSCU institutions are responsible for developing institutional procedures to implement, monitor, and ensure compliance with the standards outlined in this policy. Institutional and system leadership will oversee the evaluation and continuous improvement of these procedures.

Course offerings, pricing, eligibility criteria and program requirements will be posted on the CSCU dual credit website and on each campus website.

Standardized registration forms and processes will be created and implemented.

A unified procedure for how dual/concurrent enrollment credentialling will appear on CSCU transcripts.

Coding of dual/concurrent enrollment offerings within Bannerweb will be established.

Each CSCU institution offering dual enrollment courses will submit a report to the Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board annually, using the Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Report Template found on the CSCU webpage.

Enforcement

All CSCU administrators, faculty, and staff involved in dual/concurrent enrollment programs must adhere to the requirements of this policy. Non-compliance could:

• Lead to inconsistent standards and perceived variations in program quality among CSCU institutions.
• Create a perception of superiority or inferiority between institutions in the eyes of stakeholders, affecting program reputation.
• Damage CSCU's brand, potentially influencing future decisions made by state leaders, high school staff, students, and families.