University of Tennessee Chattanooga introduces dual enrollment courses for high schoolers

The University of Tennessee Chattanooga has launched a new on-campus dual enrollment program for local high school juniors and seniors who want to get a head start on their college education. Beginning on August 20, high school students can attend two classes on the university’s campus that were designed specifically with them in mind. Their attendance will be covered by the Tennessee Dual Enrollment Grant program, giving high schoolers the opportunity to earn college credits for free.

According to an article on the University of Tennessee Chattanooga’s website, Pam Riggs-Gelasco, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, explained that despite several courses being open to high schoolers via dual enrollment, these two new ones have been created specifically to cater to dual enrollment students by occurring at a time of day that high schoolers can attend. RIggs-Gelasco is quoted as saying, “We are committed to increasing the number of courses we offer for dual enrollment, both on Hamilton County high school campuses and UTC’s campus. We are offering a trial set of courses this fall semester in English and math on UTC’s campus open to any high school student with the appropriate prerequisites. This is an opportunity for high school students to receive a (nearly) free college course that can help reduce costs later for the price of a college degree.”

The two courses, English 1010 (Rhetoric and Composition 1) and Math 1130 (College Algebra), will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5:15 p.m. Until Friday, August 16, spots in both of these classes are being reserved specifically for high school students.

Jerold L. Hale, who serves as the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, shared that this is just the latest in a set of initiatives aimed at making earning college credits accessible for local high schoolers. He said, “As an institution, we have been looking to advance opportunities in this area for some time. Last year’s successful University High launch proved we have the resources to host dual-enrollment courses on our campus, and we’re incredibly excited about the opportunity to introduce more Chattanooga-area high school juniors and seniors to the UTC atmosphere. What we’re hoping for the students and their families is that these dual-enrollment offerings will shorten their time toward a degree once they matriculate full-time to a college or university. There are benefits for the university as well, as UTC really prides itself on being an integral part of the community.”

In order to be eligible to take these dual enrollment courses at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, the student must be a high school junior or senior with at least a 3.0 GPA. Students will gain many benefits by enrolling in dual enrollment courses, including getting a head start on college credits before they graduate high school, experiencing a college atmosphere, learning from college faculty, and learning time management skills.

Shewanee Howard-Baptiste, vice provost of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, also pointed out that the students will have the opportunity to get excited about being on a college campus: “We are strategically positioned to provide more opportunities for high school learners so that they get excited about the college experience and ultimately get excited about coming to UTC. We have top-notch scholars, researchers and educators who want to provide more opportunities for our high school students, and we want to help our Chattanooga area’s young learners get a head start on college right here at UTC.”

For more information about the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, visit the school’s website.