EOU helping high school students get a head start on college
Story and photo by Laura Hancock | Media and Publications Writer
University Advancement | lhancock@eou.edu
La Grande, Oregon – Rural Oregon high school students are busy getting a jump-start on their higher education with a little help from Eastern Oregon University. Thanks to a new outreach program, EOU is encouraging more teenagers to attend college by helping to fill the gap between high school and college.
Union High School students from left, Kyle Palmer, a junior, and seniors Chelsea Herron, Regina Wike and John Waite, are earning college credits in math from EOU this year.
Students can earn college credits while still in high school by signing up for one of several programs offered by EOU’s Office of High School Initiatives, a concept developed by EOU President Khosrow Fatemi to help meet the educational needs of the region and increase the number of residents in eastern Oregon who attend, and later graduate, from college.
Dr. Dan Mielke, EOU professor of physical activity and health, is the program director. Mielke and Tonya Evans, administrative assistant for the program, work with high schools on an individual basis to determine which college-level classes fit the needs of their students. The pilot program was launched in the spring of 2005 through the Wallowa Education Service District in Wallowa County.
“Enterprise, Joseph and Wallowa high schools jumped at the opportunity,” Mielke said. “From there, we continued to build connections and find opportunities.”
Since then, high schools participating in the program have grown to include Imbler, Elgin, Union, Hermiston, Nyssa, La Grande and Grant Union.
Juniors and seniors enrolled in any type of high school – public, private or home education – are eligible to apply for the program as long as they meet the academic standard. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required and a placement exam must be administered to students wishing to take courses in math, science, foreign language, English and writing.
Credits may be earned in a number of ways. Dual enrollment allows for an approved college level class to be taught two days per week by qualified instructors on site at the high school. Students take these courses in addition to their required curriculum. Students can also earn college credit by applying credit overlay to the high school courses they are already taking. In order to do this, the instructor delivering the course must hold a master’s degree in the subject area and receive approval from EOU to apply college credits to the course.
Students are also able to take college courses online through EOU’s Division of Distance Education (DDE). A specialized cohort has been developed for participants in the program enabling them to take DDE classes at a reduced cost. High school students currently pay $40 per college credit for non-DDE classes. That’s less than half the cost of what a resident college student pays.
Mielke believes that the program’s best potential for success lies within the development of the DDE cohort model. In this setting a group of students can study together under the guidance of a mentor, without the assistance of an instructor on site.
“One of the biggest obstacles has been being able to find qualified instructors in the regions where they are needed,” he said. “But things are going well and we’re moving as fast as possible.”
Mielke has plans to move the program ahead. Right now, a summer session is in the planning stages for 2006. He wants to recruit 30 high school students and bring them to campus for a thorough introduction to what college life is like. The students will interact with EOU students, eat in Hoke Union, and live in the residence halls for the first three-week summer session. Classes to be offered will include acting, history, computer science and art.
The summer session will be funded by a grant from Oregon Gear Up, an organization focused on promoting post secondary education among disadvantaged high school and middle school students. The money will also be used to develop academic activities to engage a younger audience and provide training for parents and their children prior to program enrollment.
One or two-day mini courses are another way for high school students to earn college credits. This fall, 25 students attended a mini-course taught by Greg Monahan, EOU professor of history. At least ten local high school students are also taking classes on campus. The goal is to provide 50 credit hours of college coursework in any of the available formats – a goal the program has nearly met. Mielke said that approximately 60 students are actively engaged in courses totaling 47 credit hours.
The High School Initiatives project will also be targeting lower grade levels with the hope of getting students to think about continuing their education at a much younger age.
Students interested in the program should contact their high school guidance counseling office or visit the Office of High School Initiatives online at www.eou.edu/ohsi/ or call (541) 962-3531.
Contact Information for Admissions
Eastern Oregon University
University Advancement
One University Boulevard
Ackerman Hall, Room 209
La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-962-3740
Fax: 541-962-3680
Email: advancement@eou.edu