Summary
Week 5 of the Concurrent Enrollment Tool Kit is designed to introduce students to the resources available at colleges and universities. Since concurrent enrollment students are still considered students at the associated university or college, they can access resources like the school's library and writing center. Even though students might not visit the actual buildings, it can be helpful to introduce students to the online resources associated with a school’s library and writing center.
Discussion Objectives
Assist students in identifying resources available to them as concurrent enrollment students.
Help students in determining how available resources can provide extra support for school projects or career preparation.
Materials List
CE Tool Kit, Week 5 (attached)
Topic Focus
What are university resources and how are they accessed?
Students enrolled in concurrent enrollment courses are considered students of the related university or community college, but students might not know that this gives them access to university resources. To best help students make use of the proper resources, they should consider that:
Many university libraries have robust online selections, and they might even send books to a student.
University writing centers might be willing to have Zoom consultation meetings or provide online resources.
Many universities also have career centers to help students with resumes or cover letters.
Guiding Notes
Begin the meeting by greeting the student by name and inquiring about their classes and how they are going.
Ask the student if they are aware of any resources provided by the university or college at which they are taking their concurrent enrollment courses. Explain that there are resources available to them, even as a concurrent enrollment student. These resources include things career services, libraries, and writing centers. Discuss these resources and how they could be helpful when working on assignments or thinking about future career plans.
Consider facilitating these discussions based on the student’s unique areas of struggle. For example, if the student has been struggling with writing assignments, place extra emphasis on resources like the writing center.
Work with the student to find access to these resources. Many things like library collections can be accessed online using the student’s university/college credentials.
Before concluding the meeting, make sure the student does not have any outstanding questions.
Discussion Starters
Consider starting the discussion by asking:
Did you know that you can access university or community college resources as a concurrent enrollment student?
Have you explored any resources offered by the university or community college connected to your course?
Discussion Questions
To guide this week’s discussion, consider asking some of the following questions:
Have you looked at the university/college website to see which resources are available?
Have you looked at the university/college library website to see what is available?
Do you know if peer tutoring is available at the university/college connected to your course?
Next Steps
To prepare for next week, ask students to:
Explore whether the university/college has a writing center.
Explore whether that writing center offers online consultations.
Identify the writing style used in their course.
Research Rationale
Research shows a clear and strong link between concurrent enrollment and increased student academic performance (Jones, 2014; Dingess, 2018). Several studies have also found that students who participate in concurrent enrollment have time to acclimate to the college environment and thus earn higher grades in their postsecondary careers (Allen & Dadgar, 2012; Dingess, 2018). This opportunity to build momentum also provides an avenue for those students who might carry complex social and educational challenges from high school as they transition into the university setting (Wang et al., 2015). A consistent concern with students as they transition from high school to PSE is that many of them might have difficulty in fully acclimating to the rigor and expectations of university-level coursework (Taylor, 2015; Vargas et al., 2017). This is especially apparent when looking at students who identify as first-generation college students, as they might feel overwhelmed by everything from student support to the specifics of financial aid (Lee et al., 2022). Concurrent enrollment offers a bridge between the familiarity of high school and the frontier of higher learning, building on the initial benefits of concurrent enrollment in high school to build toward greater academic momentum fueled by a smooth transition from high school to university (Wang et al., 2015).
To expand on the inherent benefits associated with concurrent enrollment programs, these programs are most successful when students are provided with extra guidance in how to navigate this new academic environment (Witkowsky & Clayton, 2020). Though students in concurrent enrollment programs might be high-performing, it is helpful to remember that they are still high school students and stand to benefit from “wraparound” services that counselors can provide as a bridge between high school and university-level expectations (Witkowsky & Clayton, 2020). Whether partnering directly with specific higher education institutions as part of the concurrent enrollment program or not, wraparound services can still be designed with the university course expectations in mind.
These tool kits are designed as conversation starters to provide the kind of ongoing support that allows concurrent enrollment students to be most successful (Johnson et al., 2021; Lile et al., 2018). Spanning a range of topics between goal setting and writing expectations, each conversation serves as an opportunity for relationship building and mentoring with students. For students who might not know which questions to ask or which resources to look for, these tool kits can help concurrent enrollment coordinators set a foundation for success for students to draw on after high school.
Works Cited
Allen, D., & Dadgar, M. (2012). Does dual enrollment increase students’ success in college? Evidence from a quasi-experimental analysis of dual enrollment in New York City. New Directions for Higher Education, 11-19.
Dingess, E. (2018). The impact of the number of dual enrollment credits on racial minority students' completion time at five Virginia community colleges. ODU Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/efl_etds/68
Johnson, J. M., Paris, J. H., Curci, J. D., & Horchos, S. (2021). Beyond college access: An exploration of the short-term impact of a dual enrollment program. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, & Practice, 1–23.
Jones, S. (2014). Student participation in dual enrollment and college success. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 38(1), 24-37.
Lee, J., Fernandez, F., Ro, H. K., & Suh, H. (2022, January 4). Does dual enrollment influence high school graduation, college enrollment, choice, and persistence? Research in Higher Education, 63, 825-848. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11162-021-09667-3.pdf
Lile, J. R., Ottusch, T. M., Jones, T., & Richards, L. N. (2017). Understanding college-student roles: Perspectives of participants in a high school/community college dual-enrollment program. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 42(2), 95–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2016.1264899
Taylor, J. L. (2015). Accelerating pathways to college: The (in)equitable effects of community college dual credit. Community College Review, 43(4), 355-379. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552115594880
Vargas, J., Hooker, S., & Gerwin, C. (2017, November 1). Blending high school and college can sharpen the focus of each. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(3), 13-18.
Wang, X., Chan, H., Phelps, L. A., & Washbon, J. I. (2015). Fuel for success: Academic momentum as a mediator between dual enrollment and educational outcomes of two-year technical college students. Community College Review, 43(2), 165–190. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552115569846
Witkowsky, P., & Clayton, G. (2020). What makes dual enrollment work? High school counselor perspectives. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 44(6), 427-444.