By Norm Miller, LCNews
PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) — The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) approved Louisiana College as a “Course Choice Provider” of dual enrollment courses for college credit for eligible Louisiana high school students.
“We are pleased with this acknowledgement as a preferred provider for remote learning,” said Louisiana College President Rick Brewer. “We have a growing family of public, private, and homeschools, and this accolade we hope will move others to discover the excellence we offer.”
Another advantage is that Louisiana College provides a superior option for high school education if the pandemic provisos continue into the fall semester, Brewer added.
Tioga High School (THS) in Tioga is on board for its second stint with Louisiana College this fall.
“My interactions with the students have been excellent,” said Kathleen McGinty-Johnston, who is the Louisiana College online instructor for THS. “I taught a hybrid class there, and I saw the students at least once a week.”
The COVID-19 pandemic pre-empted McGinty-Johnston’s visits to THS before the spring semester’s end.
Visiting the school “lets me get to know the students better as individuals and allows them to see me as a teacher rather than as a name on an email,” she said.
“The students really respond well to class discussions, and I feel lucky to be able to act, in a small way, as a bridge between Tioga and Louisiana College,” she noted. “Even if the students choose to go college elsewhere, I hope I have helped to provide them with the tools to succeed at any school and in any field of study.”
McGinty-Johnston is Director of ESL and Instructor of English at Louisiana College.
“The success of our remote learning is academically significant to all involved, but it is the financial considerations that attracts parents, too,” Brewer said.
As a Course Choice Provider, Louisiana College submits an invoice for tuition costs directly to participating school systems. The LDOE’s Supplemental Course Academy provides school districts and other public schools with funds to cover the tuition related to the dual enrollment credit courses.
The successful high school student that completes all the dual enrollment hours allowed could enter college as a sophomore. “This essentially means a college education could be cut by 25 percent,” Brewer said.
Dual enrollment is available to qualified high school juniors and seniors; and with special permission from high school administrators, a sophomore may enroll.
As of January 2020, dual enrollment applicants must have a 2.5 GPA; 18 ACT score in English; and 19 ACT in Math.
Louisiana College’s online offerings for the upcoming fall semester are:
- Introduction to Biology
- Intro to Biology Lab
- Public Speaking
- Public Speaking-Adult Ed
- Bus / Org Communication
- Social Problems
- Composition I-DE Hybrid Tioga
- Composition I-Adult Ed
- Composition I-DE Hybrid Tioga
- Elem French I-Adult Ed
- Civilization I
- Civilization I-Adult Ed
- Civilization II
- Intro to Psychology
- Survey of New Testament
High school students and their parents or guardians should contact high school officials and guidance counselors soon regarding the fall 2020 semester.
