DACC Catalog 2011-2012
Catalog - Dual Enrollment Programs: University Transfer, College Express, and Project Lead the Way
Dual enrollment means that an Illinois high school student is taking a college-level class that will be used for high school credit and college credit. Dual enrollment at Danville Area Community College can be earned with transfer eligible courses and career/technical courses. Junior and Senior level high school students are eligible for dual enrollment with approval from their high school counselor.
Traditional Dual Credit:
Illinois high school students enrolled in dual credit courses will have their course tuition waived. However, some courses will still require a course fee to be paid and/or textbooks to be purchased. Home school students and Indiana students are not eligible for the tuition waiver.
Dual enrollment courses require prior approval by the high school guidance counselor and DACC. Students should also be aware of any prerequisites required for the course(s) of their choice. With proper approval from both the high school and the College, an academically prepared student may earn dual credit in two ways:
- A regularly scheduled high school class may be approved for dual credit if the course meets the guidelines of a DACC course. These courses will be arranged and approved by the high school and the College.
- Students may take a DACC course on campus, online, or in an interactive video classroom or satellite location.
To compliment our College Express program mentioned below, an afternoon block of transfer-eligible courses is scheduled each semester for the convenience of students who might be released by their high school to attend classes on campus.
For more information about dual enrollment courses, high school students should contact their high school guidance counselor or the DACC Admissions office at 217-443-8800.
College Express Dual Credit:
The College Express program offers dual credit for high school juniors and seniors in sixteen career/technical programs which traditionally lead to an Associate degree or certificate. College Express courses are offered daily on the DACC campus during a two-hour time block in the morning for District 118 students and in the afternoon for county high school students. Students register for College Express courses during the traditional registration period at their high school.
Optimally, a high school student will enter College Express as a junior. By the time the student completes two years of College Express programming, he or she may have earned from 12-16 dual credits toward high school graduation and an Associate degree. There are limited personal expenses associated with College Express. Tuition, fees, books, and most transportation expenses are paid by their high school district. The financial benefits realized by College Express participants can be in excess of $1500, or the equivalent of an entire college semester.
College Express is the result of a partnership between DACC, Vermilion Vocational Education Delivery System (VVEDS), and area Illinois high school districts. Home school students and Indiana high school students are not eligible for the program. For more information about the College Express program, students should contact their high school guidance counselor, the DACC Partnership for College & Career Success Program office, at 217-443-8582, or the VVEDS office, at 217-442-0461.
Project Lead the Way:
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a pre-engineering program designed to encourage interest and speed up a degree in the engineering field. The program enhances technical math and science skills through project- and problem-based learning activities. High school students who are interested in PLTW must make application and be accepted into the program. PLTW offers dual credit to area high school juniors and seniors in the following sequence of classes, taken one per semester:
- Intro to Engineering Design (3 credit hours),
- Principles of Engineering (4 credit hours),
- Digital Electronics (4 credit hours), and
- Computer Integrated Manufacturing (3 credit hours).
PLTW is the result of a partnership between Danville Area Community College, Vermilion Advantage, and Vermilion Vocational Education Delivery System (VVEDS). Applications are available from Vermilion Advantage. In addition to the completed application, the packet must include a cover letter, copy of the high school transcript, and two references for each candidate. For additional information, or to receive a program application, please contact Vermilion Advantage at (217) 442-6201, (800) 373-6201, contact@vermilionadvantage.com, or 28 West North Street, Suite 101, Danville, IL.
Guidelines to Keep in Mind:
Courses taken for dual credit are more rigorous than typical high school courses. Course requirements, assignments, and timeframes will reflect the demands of a college-level course. Developmental courses are not eligible for dual enrollment. Students are required to take any placement assessments and prerequisites necessary for the chosen college course. The college administers the ASSET and COMPASS placement assessment. ACT and SAT scores may be used, as well. A foreign-language assessment is required for enrollment in all foreign language courses above the entry-level DACC course.
