DSU receives USHE grant for Concurrent Enrollment math courses
DSU receives USHE grant for Concurrent Enrollment math courses
With the help of the Math Teacher Preparation Grant from the Utah System of Higher Education, Dixie State University is set to help more high school students take college-level math courses.
The quarter-of-a-million-dollar grant will help Dixie State increase the number of high school teachers eligible to teach math classes through the Concurrent Enrollment program, which allows students to earn both high school and college credit for general education courses. With more instructors available, the university plans to offer more sections of these math classes, making it possible for more high school students to complete quantitative literacy math courses.
“Dixie State University is committed to providing greater opportunities for high school students to successfully complete college math courses,” Dr. Michael Lacourse, Dixie State provost and vice president of academic affairs, said. “This grant award will allow us to expand the preparation and support of additional concurrent math instructors to meet a growing demand.”
Scheduled to be disseminated over three years, the grant will provide the university with approximately $86,000 each year that the institution continues to accomplish the project’s goals. Additionally, USHE awarded Dixie State another $75,000 in incentives for quantitative literacy math completion programs. More than 80 percent of this funding will go directly to the high schools to add 14 new sections of quantitative literacy to the nine already being offered.
The grant will help Dixie State implement an Instructor of Record model in which DSU will hire a mathematics faculty member to serve as a resource to Washington County School District teachers. With this support in place, more teachers will qualify to teach Concurrent Enrollment classes.
By fulfilling both high school and college general requirements, Concurrent Enrollment classes save students time and money. The state of Utah funds the program, leaving students to pay just $5 per credit. Plus, students who take Concurrent Enrollment classes from Dixie State can enroll as full-time students after graduating from high school without re-applying.
Ensuring the education meets university standards, DSU deans and department chairs approve the program’s teachers, course material, syllabi and textbooks. The college-level classes have a higher level of difficulty and prepare high school students for college by starting their college transcripts.
For more information about Concurrent Enrollment at Dixie State University, visit concurrent.utahtech.edu.
