Dual enrollment for the mature and capable homeschool student presents a valid means of gaining college credit while in high school. With careful planning, the industrious student gains credit and experience, while starting to whittle away general education credits that are transferable upon high school graduation.
Note the emphasis on careful planning. Random sampling of dual enrollment credits can resemble bite-size selections of a dessert menu: little nibbles for tasting, but containing no real satisfaction or consistency. Gaining credit simply to gain credit can demean purpose and obstruct clarity. A ‘class from here’ or a ‘class from there’ can undermine the classical model and resurrect the entrée university model of education that relies on lecture and fragmentation of thought.
At Classical Conversations, we are all about the Christian worldview, we are all about the classical model, we are all about community, and we are all about integration. Therefore, it makes sense that we would be all about a dual enrollment program that incorporates these values. And we are.
The Classical Conversations Plus (CC+) program gains dual enrollment credit for the Challenge III and IV student while maintaining the integrity of the Challenge program with its emphasis on Christian, classical community. This CC+ program connects the rich Challenge seminar experience with the college experience using the same reading resources simultaneously. The CC+ program will require additional college class time, additional reading, and a mentoring relationship with Bryan College professors. By recognizing the excellence of the Challenge seminars and the rhetorical skill attainments, Bryan College maintains approximately the same reading schedule that integrates well with Classical Conversations Challenge seminars and complements the Socratic discussions. A student who is enrolled in both the Challenge program and the CC+ program can maintain focus and purpose in both arenas. The student gains high school credit and college credit. There is consistency in class study and integration abounds. In addition, a coursework percentage for Classical Conversations Challenge seminars contributes to the CC+ college grade for the courses.
The CC+ program involves fees in addition to the fees required for the Challenge program, but it is an affordable value and helps to defray future college tuition expenses. The program also provides an accurate preview of the type of expectations involved in college-level work. This creates a valuable experience while the student is still at home in a familiar environment.
Registration for the CC+ program is now open and will remain open until August 19. Review the courses offered for the 2013-2014 year at the Classical Conversations website by clicking on the ribbon at Academic Services and scrolling down to CC+. Read about the program and then read about the individual course overviews by clicking on each course name.
The Classical Conversations Challenge program and the CC+ program blend to give dual enrollment credit without sacrificing Christian worldview, the classical model, community, or integration. It enlarges the community element from local to national with Classical Conversations Challenge students engaging in Socratic discussions with students across the country and connecting together with an online college interactive experience.
