Dual-enrollment class get students on right path
By: Kelley Holmberg
Issue date: 1/27/09 Section: News
Eastern New Mexico University is now offering more ways than ever for high school students across the state to get college credit before they even graduate.
The dual-enrollment classes aim to start students on the college path early, which, studies show, get more students to attend college after graduation, according to Rebbecca Gossett, ENMU's distance education assistant.
"The state noticed that … the number of students going to college after high school was very low," Gossett said. Students in dual-enrollment classes get the single credit required for high school graduation as well as three credits toward their college education. The classes offered are basic, introductory courses, which can transfer to other colleges.
"The whole idea is to reach students who are in areas where there's high poverty rates … and it inspires them to attend college," Gossett said.
Not only are the classes easily accessible, they're also free. ENMU President Steven Gamble said the tuition is waived for program participants and the books are paid for by the public school system, so the classes don't cost the students or the university anything at all.
According to an ENMU press release, 37 schools have entered into an agreement with ENMU to offer their students at least one of the 18 classes taught by either high school teachers or ENMU instructors.
New to the program this year is a video conference class taught by ENMU communication professor LaChrystal Ricke, Gossett said. The class is available only for Grants-Cibola county schools, according to the release.
Last semester 245 high school students took dual enrollment classes from ENMU, the release said. This semester, Gossett reported, 250 have enrolled so far. Not everyone is eligible,
Gossett said, like other college courses, these classes have prerequisites, and enrollment depends on the students' grades and if the counselors or teacher feels, they are capable of taking a course.
Gossett also explained that the high school students are counted in ENMU's enrollment, which may get the university more money from state funding.
More benefits for ENMU may not be immediate, but Gossett believes if students get their first few credits from ENMU they will likely continue their education here after graduation.
For Gossett, the best part about the program is to see students realize that college is "not that intimidating, that they can do it."
The dual-enrollment classes aim to start students on the college path early, which, studies show, get more students to attend college after graduation, according to Rebbecca Gossett, ENMU's distance education assistant.
"The state noticed that … the number of students going to college after high school was very low," Gossett said. Students in dual-enrollment classes get the single credit required for high school graduation as well as three credits toward their college education. The classes offered are basic, introductory courses, which can transfer to other colleges.
"The whole idea is to reach students who are in areas where there's high poverty rates … and it inspires them to attend college," Gossett said.
Not only are the classes easily accessible, they're also free. ENMU President Steven Gamble said the tuition is waived for program participants and the books are paid for by the public school system, so the classes don't cost the students or the university anything at all.
According to an ENMU press release, 37 schools have entered into an agreement with ENMU to offer their students at least one of the 18 classes taught by either high school teachers or ENMU instructors.
New to the program this year is a video conference class taught by ENMU communication professor LaChrystal Ricke, Gossett said. The class is available only for Grants-Cibola county schools, according to the release.
Last semester 245 high school students took dual enrollment classes from ENMU, the release said. This semester, Gossett reported, 250 have enrolled so far. Not everyone is eligible,
Gossett said, like other college courses, these classes have prerequisites, and enrollment depends on the students' grades and if the counselors or teacher feels, they are capable of taking a course.
Gossett also explained that the high school students are counted in ENMU's enrollment, which may get the university more money from state funding.
More benefits for ENMU may not be immediate, but Gossett believes if students get their first few credits from ENMU they will likely continue their education here after graduation.
For Gossett, the best part about the program is to see students realize that college is "not that intimidating, that they can do it."