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Special Interest

AIMS COLLEGE

Agreement

The Aims Community College Advanced Studies Program provides high school students with the opportunity to take higher education courses in their home school to ease the transition from K- 12 to college. The college course and prefix numbers will be recorded on the college transcript. Credit may be given in both the high school and college. Any course may be considered for this program as long as the following provisions are met:

  1. The high school course will meet content, standards, and evaluation criteria of the college course.
  2. Placement in an Advanced Studies course requires that the student meet college department criteria.
  3. The Aims Academic Dean and Department Chair must agree to participate and must approve the offering prior to any publication of the offering.
  4. The course will be offered during regular school hours.
  5. Problems or concerns will be handled by a designated representative of the district and the appropriate department chair or director representing Aims Community College.
  6. Departments at the college reserve the right to deny credit if course criteria have not been met.
  7. Course evaluations will be conducted in a manner consistent with Aims Community College requirements.
  8. The district agrees to assist in collection of data and qualitative information to conduct program evaluation.
  9. Courses will be advertised and open to the public as any other offering at Aims.
  10. Advanced Studies high school students will pay regular in-district tuition and fees.
  11. The school district will be compensated by the College for the high school teachers' participation at the minimum adjunct faculty rate.
  12. Both parties, high school and Aims, agree to follow Advanced Studies procedures.

Procedures

The Aims Community College Advanced Studies Program provides high school students with the opportunity to take higher education courses in their home school to ease the transition from K-12 to college. The college course and prefix numbers will be recorded on the college transcript. Credit may be given in both the high school and college. The following procedures are designed to ease the process of establishing and carrying out an advanced studies program:

  1. Instructor
    The instructor of a dual credit class may be an Aims faculty member or a high school teacher.
    1. The high school teacher must meet adjunct faculty requirements to teach the class as determined through a formal application process.
    2. The high school teacher must have an Aims employment application on file in Human Resources.
    3. The high school teacher will meet departmental teaching requirements to include but not limited to the following:
      1. The high school teacher will monitor students' progress continuously.
      2. The high school teacher will conduct course evaluations in a manner consistent with Aims Community College course requirements.
      3. The high school teacher will participate in Aims grading criteria work sessions or other required department work sessions.
  2. Students
    The Advanced Studies program is designed for high school seniors.
    1. Any student below high school senior level must be approved by the Aims Academic Dean for the course area.
    2. No high school student 21 years old or older will be eligible for the Advanced Studies Program.
  3. Assessment
    1. An Aims Community College approved placement test will be required for dual credit students when it is required for Aims native students.
    2. The preferred test is the Computer Placement Test (CPT). The use of any other placement test must be approved by the Aims Academic Dean of the content area.
    3. The use of the minimum, cut-off score for admittance in to the course will be at the discretion of the Aims Academic Dean and Department Chair.
    4. Aims Assessment Center personnel will load the CPT on the high school computers with the assistance of a designated computer support person from the high school OR provide test booklets, answer sheets, and any other testing materials necessary.
    5. Students may also take the designated test at any Aims campus.
    6. Only students intending to register for the course may take the test.
    7. The high school will ensure that all appropriate sections of the approved placement test be taken before registration in the high school course.
    8. Students will be allowed to retake an assessment test one time for initial placement into classes. A third attempt at a test must be authorized by the appropriate college academic department.
    9. Security measures (passwords) to access the CPT must not be shared with students. Passwords will be changed periodically by the Aims Program Director of Assessment. Test booklets must be kept in locked storage.
    10. Student access to the test must be supervised by authorized high school staff at all times.
    11. High school staff are not to alter the configuration of the test and/or standard zest delivery without expressed authorization from the Program Director of Assessment at Aims.
    12. Calculators, books or notes, interpreters, or other test-taking aids other than scratch paper and pencil are forbidden while taking the test. Scratch paper must be collected at the end of the test session and turned in with the used test booklets.
    13. Accommodations for special needs students must be dealt with on an individual basis in discussion with the high school liaison and the Aims Program Director of Assessment.
    14. The high school will forward all test results to the Aims Assessment Center for recording tabulations and analysis.
    15. All testing materials, used and unused, must be returned to Aims once testing is completed. If the CPT is used, the Aims Program Director of Assessment will uninstall the software with the help of the high school computer support person.
  4. Registration and Reporting
    1. The high school liaison will provide one copy of the annual high school calendar showing beginning and ending dates of terms to the Associate VP for Academic Affairs. The Associate VP for Academic Affairs will provide the high school liaison with a copy of the college's annual calendar. College class scheduling staff will determine the college term during which the class will start and end so as to set processing deadline dates.
    2. Academic department scheduling staff will set up the course and relay course details to the Aims Outreach registration staff of courses for which to expect registrations. There will be one course section for each teacher.
    3. It is encouraged that registration be completed by the student at the nearest Aims campus. If the high school decides to conduct the registration, the following procedures must be used:
      1. The high school liaison will contact Aims Outreach to arrange for handling of registration materials. Outreach may pick up and deliver materials or the high school liaison may do so, or the tasks may be shared as determined by arrangement between them.
      2. The high school liaison will follow registration guidelines provided by Outreach. The high school liaison should identify the course prefix, number, section (if known), and dates of the course.
    4. The registration is at the start of class, no later than the point marking 15 percent of course meeting times.
    5. No refunds of tuition and fees will be granted to students dropping/withdrawing from the class after the point marking 15 percent of meeting times. To drop a student from class (for a refund) the high school liaison must notify Alms Outreach within two days after the 15 percent point if the student has gone through Outreach registration. If the student has registered themselves at an Aims campus, they may drop as any other student. To withdraw (no refund, W on student's permanent college record), the high school teacher may assign a final grade of W.
    6. The college department offering the course will forward final grade rosters to the high school teacher with instructions for deadlines by which the roster must be returned to the department. The high school teacher and the academic department will arrange between them methods of delivery of rosters to the high school and back to the college keeping in mind that these are confidential, permanent source documents.
  5. Student Surveys
    Student surveys designed to provide information for program evaluation will be conducted periodically.
  6. Student Services
    1. For students with disabilities requiring accommodation, requests should be made one term prior to enrolling.
    2. Tutoring for qualified students is available on site at the three Aims campuses.
  7. Text
    1. The textbook must be approved by the College department chair.
    2. The textbook will be provided by the high school or purchased by the student. Return to top

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