Dual Credit

High school students can now take Brandon University courses that they can apply towards their high school graduation requirements and bank for use when they go on to university. A new program at Brandon University will allow high school students to take up to nine credit hours of courses; the tuition fees for the first three credit hours will be waived.

The following is selected text from the Brandon University Dual Credit Enrolment Program.

Introduction
Academic credits acquired from and applied towards studies at one institution that are also applicable towards the fulfillment of academic requirements at another institution are ‘dual credits.’ The Province of Manitoba now permits high school students to seek post-secondary and senior years dual credits by allowing successfully completed university-level courses to be counted towards senior four graduation requirements. Individual students, high schools, and school divisions are known to be interested in the potential of dual credit studies.

Ultimately, the awarding of senior years credit for university-level courses is a matter for high schools, and Brandon University’s existing no credit admissions regulation does provide an application avenue for secondary-level students to gain admission to Brandon University to take courses before they have acquired their high school diplomas. However, Brandon University can further accommodate students intent upon pursuing dual credit and ensure that their first experiences at Brandon University are rewarding and successful. These efforts will bring benefits for the students concerned and Brandon University.

Brandon University adopted the following policy to enable senior years students to earn dual credits through the successful completion of Brandon University courses (this statement and the attendant regulation changes were drafted in close consultation with the Brandon School Division (BSD) and the Brandon Adult Learning Centre. Schools from outside the BSD, the Manitoba Department of Education and Training, and Campus Manitoba also provided information to inform the proposed policy and regulation changes).

Policy Statement
Brandon University supports the principle of ‘dual credit’ that allows academic credit earned at Brandon University and applicable towards an academic program at Brandon University to be applied as credit towards the fulfillment of senior years graduation requirements. Brandon University’s participation in the provision of dual credits will be governed as follows:

Dual credit students may be admitted to Brandon University without meeting regular, mature or transfer admission, and without having to apply for no-credit admission, provided that they produce evidence of demonstrated academic capability and a letter of recommendation from their high school principal or designate.

The academic rigor of any courses available at Brandon University will not be compromised by dual credit enrolment. Students admitted to earn dual credits will only be able to enroll in Brandon University courses upon approval of the dean of the appropriate faculty/school. Brandon University’s dual credits offerings will exclude any 090 level courses.

Any credit earned by dual credit students will be banked at Brandon University until such time as the University’s criteria for regular, mature or transfer admission have been satisfied. When a student’s registration status changes from dual credit to regular, mature or transfer, then any credit earned at Brandon University will be available for application towards a Brandon University qualification (as appropriate) or for transfer elsewhere.

The awarding of secondary-level credit in recognition of learning demonstrated in a Brandon University course is a matter for secondary schools.

Brandon University will waive the tuition fees for a maximum of 3 credit hours of Brandon University coursework taken by dual credit students for whom Brandon University is designated as their home post-secondary institution. Dual credit students will be responsible for the payment of all other fees assessed students for the courses they enroll in. Dual credit students will enjoy full access to all the services, facilities and resources available to all other Brandon University students.

Students will be able to attempt a maximum of nine credit hours of coursework while holding dual credit registration status.

Rationale
A Dual Credit Program is warranted because:

• the best high school students are capable of benefiting from university courses;
• students, high schools and the Provincial Government asked Brandon University to provide dual credits;
• other institutions allow students to take dual credits (for example: University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, and Assiniboine Community College);
• early exposure to Brandon University will help the University recruit high academic achievers;
• Brandon University has a long history of treating students as individuals and delivering a higher education that meets unique needs; and
• the no-credit admissions category, which requires an appeal to the Curriculum and Academic Standards Committee, is available to a broad range of applicants who do not meet normal admissions criteria, and so is not well tailored to meet the needs of this new student group.