AU’s Dual Enrollment (DE) program provides high school students with access to six credits of college-level coursework and offers wrap-around supports to help them adapt to the college environment. These supports include an early warning system to monitor students’ behavior (e.g., absences, tardiness) and academic progress. Additional mentoring and counseling are also made available at students’ respective schools and at AU.
The only dual enrollment program in the Washington, DC, region with an education/teacher preparation focus, the AU DE program faculty coordinator, works one-on-one with students on course scheduling and educational planning linked to long-term career and/or education goals. AU DE also introduces students to an array of services on the AU campus, particularly academic advisors, who can provide both an overview of coursework students can anticipate at the postsecondary level and an actual introduction to college campus life.
The DE experience introduces 12th grade students to college life, while supporting their plans to apply and enroll in an institution of higher education. The DE students are welcomed and celebrated throughout AU, and at all levels beginning with the Office of the President and ending with their classmates in their classes. DE is now a core part of AU’s Strategic Plan, and it is the first step of recruitment in the School of Education’s AU Teacher Pipeline.
