By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Dozens and dozens of high school students from around the region gathered at the Western Kentucky University Glasgow campus to receive information about their upcoming college classes.
Earlier this year WKU President Timothy Caboni announced at Coffee and Commerce that this year would be the first class of students that would be a part of the university’s Early College Program.
The program allows high school juniors and seniors to take college courses that would equate to their first year at college. According to Stephanie Prichard, senior regional adviser for WKU, and the 23-24 student handbook, the students would take 15 hours their junior and senior years totaling 30 credit hours.
Students will take WKU classes in the morning either on Mondays and Wednesdays or on Tuesdays and Thursdays before being transported back to their respective schools for lunch and afternoon classes. The 15 hours will include colonnade courses as well as some major-specific courses.
This program serves seven school districts, that are roughly 30 minutes away from the campus, including Allen County-Scottsville, Barren County, Caverna, Glasgow, Hart County, Metcalfe County and Monroe County schools. All the area traditionally served by the Glasgow campus, Derick Strode, director of WKU’s regional campuses, said.
There are five career tracks available at WKU Early College Program. Photo courtesy of WKU Glasgow.
There are five career tracks students can pick from including Agriculture, Business Management, Crime & Legal Studies, Education and Nursing.
Prichard said the they chose those five tracks based on the regional need.
“We looked at what the jobs are in our region,” Prichard said. “We want, we need an educated workforce in the region so these are chosen because that’s where the jobs are. We looked at what jobs are needed in our region and targeted those tracks to fill those jobs.”
According to the handbook, the program will take 20 juniors per year and “participating school districts will be allotted a specific number of students that are eligible to apply…based on the size of the district’s sophomore class as a percentage” of the total sophomore class across all seven districts. The handbook also state that students must have a 3.5 GPA or higher in order to participate.
WKU Early College Program serves students in seven school districts. Photo courtesy of WKU Glasgow.
Much like the traditional dual credit courses that are normally offered online, classes in this program will be billed at the “prevailing University dual credit rate” of $93 per hour or $279 for a three hour course. Prichard said students in this program can apply for the KHEAA Work Ready and the Dual Credit scholarships as well.
Prichard said, though the goal is to retain the students as Hilltoppers once they graduate, the credits will transfer to other universities.
One big difference from an online dual credit course, Prichard said, was the “blended” nature of these face-to-face classes where the high school students will take these classes alongside incoming freshmen.
Brynn Watson is a junior at Barren County High School on the Business track at WKU, she said it was a good chance for her to get the first year behind her even before graduation.
“It’s just a great opportunity,” Watson said. “I’m so thankful for the Barren County and Western Kentucky staff.”
Another student enrolled in WKU Glasgow’s Early College Program is Aiden Keeny. He is also a junior at BCHS on the nursing track. He echoed Watson saying it was a great opportunity to get a lot of colonnade courses out of the way. He also said, and Prichard and Strode agreed, that it would be cheaper than taking out student loans for the full four years.
“It’s a good opportunity to get some college done so you don’t have to waste your time when you get there,” Keeny said.
According to Strode, WKU classes will begin this coming Monday, Aug. 21.
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