Why Dual Credit?
The Dual Credit program provides an opportunity for high school students to take college-level courses that will count towards both high school and college graduation, thereby potentially saving families thousands of dollars. Taking college courses while in high school can also provide a student with more options in the future such as graduating college early, adding a second major or minor, taking fewer hours per semester in college to prevent being overloaded, or studying abroad while in college.
Why Friends University?
Friends University works with many high schools to provide dual credit courses in a manner convenient to students. Our goal is to serve the students and families of Kansas, enabling all students to achieve their educational goals. Friends University is also accredited through the Higher Learning Commission. Credits earned at Friends University are easily transferred to other Kansas 2-year and 4-year colleges and technical institutes as well as most schools nationally.
Benefits for Teachers
Faculty teaching in higher education institutions should have completed a program of study in the discipline or subfield (as applicable) in which they teach, and/or for which they develop curricula, with coursework at least one level above that of the courses being taught or developed. Completion of a degree in a specific field enhances an instructor’s depth of subject matter knowledge and is easily identifiable. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline other than that in which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which he or she is teaching. Friends University is happy to offer 12 credit hours in math through our Teacher Education Workshops that would apply to this requirement. The schedule and pricing for these workshops can be found on the Teacher Education Workshops page.
An added benefit to teaching at Friends University is our Falcon Discount Program. The Falcon Discount Program provides discounts at local area businesses such as Wichita Art Museum, Delano BBQ, Museum of World Treasures and more! View the full list by clicking the button below:
How to get started?
Friends University faculty review high school course materials and qualifications of the high school faculty member to determine if college credit may be awarded. Typically, dual credit courses are high school honors or advanced placement courses. High school faculty must meet Friends University adjunct faculty qualification requirements, specifically those designated by the College of Business, Arts, Sciences and Education. Friends University faculty determine the corresponding college course for which credit will be awarded. The High School Dual Credit Application and Agreement Form for participation must be completed annually.
Any dual credit courses that were previously approved must be re-approved annually. No new documents are required unless the course information was altered or a new faculty member is teaching the course.
Any course taught at the high school that meets the following requirements would be considered for dual credit.
- The instructor must meet Friends University adjunct faculty qualification requirements, specifically those designated by the College of Business, Arts, Sciences and Education.
- H.S. instructor should submit credentials, which include a resume and a copy of the graduate academic transcript(s).
- The instructor should submit the course syllabus and the name of the textbook to be used for the course. The Friends faculty member may request additional materials.
- The course can be a semester or year in length.
- Please contact contact Mackenzie Underwood, Director of Dual Credit, at 316-295-5104 or Mackenzie_Underwood@friends.edu for additional information.
Teacher requirements
Friends University will adhere to the following Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Guidelines as found in Determining Qualified Faculty through HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices (March 2016).
- Faculty teaching in higher education institutions should have completed a program of study in the discipline or subfield (as applicable) in which they teach, and/or for which they develop curricula, with coursework at least one level above that of the courses being taught or developed. Completion of a degree in a specific field enhances an instructor’s depth of subject matter knowledge and is easily identifiable.
- With the exception noted in the bullet immediately following, faculty teaching in undergraduate programs should hold a degree at least one level above that of the program in which they are teaching. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline other than that in which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which he or she is teaching. If an individual faculty member has not achieved 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which he or she teaches, the institution should be able to explain and justify its decision to assign the individual to the courses taught. These decisions should be supported by policy and procedure that are acceptable to the professional judgment of HLC peer reviewers.
- Tested experience may substitute for an earned credential or portions thereof. This experience should be tested experience in that it includes a breadth and depth of experience outside of the classroom in real-world situations relevant to the discipline in which the faculty member would be teaching. (Note: Tested experience is typically not based exclusively on years of teaching experience, although other experiential factors as noted below may be considered on a case-by-case basis.)
- The attainment of a Master of Education degree does not demonstrate a qualification to teach dual credit courses in a particular discipline unless it is demonstrated that the content of that faculty member’s Master of Education degree is sufficiently related to the discipline of the dual credit course.
Dual Credit Compensation for HS instructors
- High School teachers who teach approved dual credit courses will be given a $20 per student payment upon completion of the course and grades awarded.
- At the beginning of the instruction period (semester or year), the high school teacher will complete compensation documentation and submit to Friends University Director of Admissions. At the end of the instruction period (semester or year), the teacher will complete final grade report and submit to the University Registrar.
Required Documentation
- A W9 (Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification) form must be completed by the high school teacher. Form will be supplied by the University or can be found at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf. The high school teacher will only need to do this one time.
- A Professional Services Agreement form (supplied by University) must be completed and signed by the high school teacher. Completed form will be submitted to the Director of Admissions.