Introduction
This Handbook is designed to provide all new concurrent enrollment students with a solid foundation of what concurrent enrollment is and what it means to take a concurrent enrollment class. While the Handbook does address certain processes and student expectations pertaining to concurrent enrollment, it is intended to serve as an addendum to the standard Baker College Student Handbook, as opposed to a standalone guide.
We hope you find this Handbook informative as you begin your journey as a concurrent enrollment student and we wish you the best of luck with all your college coursework!
Program Overview
The Program
Concurrent enrollment courses are offered through the Baker College Running Start program. These credit-bearing Baker College courses are offered at a high school or technical center and are taught by one of their instructors. When enrolled in a Baker College concurrent enrollment course, you are eligible to receive both high school and college credit for your work. You get a “running start” on college while satisfying high school requirements.
The Teachers
Concurrent enrollment courses are taught during the regular school day by exceptional high school instructors from your school. Your concurrent enrollment instructors are interviewed, selected and supported by Baker College faculty. Remember that your instructor elected to take on the additional responsibility of teaching a college course and will expect the same effort from students.
The Courses
The content and rigor of concurrent enrollment courses are the same as Baker College’s on-campus courses. Students who successfully complete a course receive Baker College transcripted credit.
Benefits of Concurrent Enrollment
Enjoy more flexibility in college. Completing college requirements in high school gives you greater flexibility as a full-time college student. Many concurrent enrollment alumni find they are able to pursue second majors or participate in opportunities and/or internships.
Learn college-level skills before your freshman year in college. The critical thinking, writing and reading skills developed in concurrent enrollment courses will prepare you for success in college.
Demonstrate your learning just as you will in college. College courses typically assess your learning through several means such as examinations, papers and lab reports. Baker College concurrent enrollment courses will assess your learning in this manner, too.
Reduce the overall cost of a college education. Concurrent enrollment tuition is paid by your high school. Additional savings can be realized when transference of concurrent enrollment credits allows you to graduate early from college.
For more information about the benefits and implications of taking college courses, as well as the College’s policies and expectations, please contact a Running Start coordinator or your high school counselor after reading the Baker College Student Handbook.
Concurrent Enrollment Eligibility
Students must meet the Baker College enrollment requirements in order to be eligible. Additionally, students must complete all course prerequisites and requirements, including the Baker College Orientation course, prior to registration for the course. Some high schools may impose additional eligibility requirements for enrollment in the course. If you have questions about eligibility standards, you should direct them to your high school concurrent enrollment instructor or guidance counselor.
Applying to Baker College and Getting Registered
Application
The first time you take a concurrent enrollment course, you must apply to the Baker College Running Start program. You can complete this application by accessing the Concurrent Enrollment section of the Baker College Running Start site: www.baker.edu/runningstart. Click “Apply” on the top of the page and enter the information to create an account for the Baker College Enrollment Portal, choose the Undergraduate application and hit Register. Click on the My Application tab and fill out the information, making sure to choose “Running Start” as your Student Type. Follow the prompts to complete the application process.
Once you have completed your application, you will receive a confirmation email (sent to the email address you listed on your application) letting you know your application has been successfully submitted. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of applying, please inform your concurrent enrollment instructor or guidance counselor.
Prior to the start of your first course, you will receive a second email providing you with your Baker College User ID and instructions for creating a password.
Registration
Once you have completed the application process, you will be registered based on a class roster provided by the high school. If you are interested in taking a Baker College concurrent enrollment course, it is important that you speak to the concurrent enrollment instructor or your high school guidance counselor to ensure you are included on the class roster.
Tuition
Baker College does not charge the student or parent for enrollment in concurrent enrollment courses. Per Michigan law, your school and/or school district pay your tuition.
Orientation
The first time you take a concurrent enrollment course you will also need to complete Baker College’s Orientation course. This online course is designed to help you understand what it means to be “college ready.” In addition to showing you the various resources Baker College has to offer, it will also acclimate you to Canvas, the learning management system (LMS) through which all Baker College courses are facilitated. The Baker College Orientation course must be completed before you are registered for your concurrent enrollment course.
Additionally, prior to or during the start of your concurrent enrollment course, you will also participate in an orientation. This orientation will take place either at your high school or at a Baker College campus and will be facilitated by a Baker College Running Start Coordinator or Outreach Liaison. Through this process, you will become familiar with your BakerMail account, review the online library resources available to students and learn about academic requirements and credit transferability.
The Class
What to Expect
When you walk into a concurrent enrollment course, you are walking into a Baker College classroom. You will be working with the same course content as on-campus students and your concurrent enrollment instructor(s) will be using the same assessment methods as on-campus faculty. Expect a faster pace, greater personal responsibility and higher standards than you would in a typical high school course. Expect, also, that the other students in the course will share your high level of motivation.
Finally, expect that, when combined, these exceptional instructors, high standards and motivated students will make for a vibrant and memorable learning experience!
Canvas
All of your assignments will be housed on a platform called Canvas, Baker College’s Learning Management System. Canvas can be accessed by logging into my.baker.edu and clicking on the “Canvas” link at the top of the page. Within Canvas, students will find assignments and other helpful resources like faculty contact information, an assignment summary and Student Learning Outcomes for the course. These resources can be found under the “Start Here” module and will give you the tools you need to stay on track, stay in touch and stay focused on the learning goals for the course.
Class Attendance
Attendance is one of the most important factors for student success in college courses. In many cases, the learning and practice that occurs during regular class meetings simply cannot be “made up.” Instructors, guided by the policies of their departments, set their own attendance regulations and rules for late work and may include class participation as a grading criterion. Always review your course syllabus for your instructor’s attendance policy. Students are held responsible for meeting all course requirements and for observing deadlines, examination times and other procedures.
Academic Honesty
In order for an academic community to teach and support appropriate educational values, an environment of trust, cooperation and personal responsibility must be maintained. As members of this College community, concurrent enrollment students assume the responsibility to fulfill their academic obligations in a fair and honest manner. This responsibility includes avoiding such inappropriate activities as plagiarism, cheating or collusion. Students found responsible for one or more of these activities may face both academic sanctions (such as lowering of a grade, failing a course, etc.) and disciplinary sanctions (such as probation, suspension or expulsion). It is the intent of Baker College to encourage a sense of integrity on the part of students in fulfilling their academic requirements. To give students a better understanding of behaviors that may constitute academic dishonesty, the following definitions are provided:
Plagiarism is the submission of an academic assignment as one’s own work, which includes critical ideas or written narrative that are taken from another author without the proper citation. This not only applies to direct quotations, but also to critical ideas that are paraphrased by the student.
Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:
- submitting the work of others as your own
- submitting others’ work as your own with only minor changes or without adequate footnotes, quotations and other reference forms
- multiple submission of the same work, written or oral, for more than one course without permission from both instructors, or making minor revisions on work which has received credit and submitting it again as new work.
Cheating is the use of unauthorized material or assistance to help fulfill academic assignments. This material could include unauthorized copies of test materials, calculators, crib sheets, help from another student, etc.
Collusion is aiding another student or among students in committing the act of cheating or plagiarism.
Just another reminder to thoroughly review the Baker College Student Handbook. It will outline not only more specific information on academic integrity, honesty and consequences for dishonesty, but also all other aspects of being a Baker College student.
Withdrawing
To withdraw from a concurrent enrollment course, you must talk to your high school guidance counselor and/or instructor to discuss the circumstances. If you choose to withdraw after the second week of the course, a ‘W’ will show up on your Baker College transcript. Please note, a ‘W’ does not affect your GPA, but may make you ineligible to enroll in future concurrent enrollment courses. A ‘W’ can also affect future college applications for admission or financial aid. If you are concerned with your academic performance, talk to your instructor as soon as possible. Make sure you are aware of your high school’s policy for dual credit as it may involve reimbursement to the school by the student for tuition and/or books if there is a withdrawal from a concurrent enrollment course.
Grades
Baker College Grading Scale
Every term, a student’s record is filled with courses that have some type of grade attached to them. In calculating the GPA, only courses with letter grades of A, B, C, D, (including +’s and -’s) and F are used. Every course carries with it a certain grade point value. To allow us to calculate a grade point average, we convert letter grades into numbers using the following breakdown:
| LETTER GRADE |
PERCENTAGE |
GRADE POINT VALUE |
| A |
93-100% |
4.0 points |
| A- |
90-92% |
3.7 points |
| B+ |
87-89% |
3.3 points |
| B |
83-86% |
3.0 points |
| B- |
80-82% |
2.7 points |
| C+ |
77-79% |
2.3 points |
| C |
73-76% |
2.0 points |
| C- |
70-72% |
1.7 points |
| D+ |
67-69% |
1.3 points |
| D |
63-66% |
1.0 points |
| D- |
60-62% |
0.7 points |
| F |
0-59% |
0.0 points |
Obtaining Your Baker College Grade
Concurrent enrollment course grades are submitted by the concurrent enrollment instructor by the first Monday after the conclusion of the academic term. In some cases, at the discretion of your concurrent enrollment instructor, you may receive a different grade for the high school credits than the grade you receive for your college credits. Grades can be viewed online. Printed grade reports are not mailed to students and cannot be given over the phone. To obtain or verify your Baker College grade or to print an unofficial transcript, follow these steps:
- Go to my.baker.edu
- Click the Sign In button in the middle of the page and use your Baker credentials to log in
- Click on the Student tab at the top of the page
- On the menu that comes up, click on Academic Services
- For a grade report, click on “Grade Report” under the Course Information heading
- For an unofficial transcript, click on “Unofficial Transcript” under the Transcripts heading and then click on View Unofficial Transcript
Disputing a Grade
Except in cases of error, it is rare that grades are changed. However, if you believe you have a justifiable complaint about your grades, first talk with your concurrent enrollment instructor. If your problem is not satisfactorily resolved, contact your Baker College Running Start Coordinator or point of contact.
Transcripts
All Baker College transcripts are issued through a third-party provider called Parchment Exchange, not the campus Running Start Program. It is the student’s responsibility to verify information on a transcript is correct. If your name is misspelled, your student ID number is incorrect or your grade appears incorrect, contact your Running Start Coordinator or Outreach Liaison.
Official Transcripts
To request an official Baker College transcript, follow these steps:
- Go to my.baker.edu
- Click the Sign In button in the middle of the page and use your Baker College credentials to log in
- If you do not know your User ID and/or password, contact the Baker IT Solutions Center at (800) 645-8350
- Click on the Students tab at the top of the screen
- On the menu that comes up, click on Academic Services
- Click on Official Transcript Request (under the Transcripts heading)
- Click on the heading for your situation (active Baker ID or no active Baker ID)
- Follow the prompts to complete the ordering process
- Review your order and click “Confirm”
- You will receive an order number, as well as an email verification, when Parchment has received the order
Using Your Credits After High School
Now that you know how to request an official record of your Baker College credits earned through concurrent enrollment, here are some instructions that will help you use those credits after high school.
If you continue on with Baker College, you don’t need to worry about transferring credits as you already have a permanent Baker transcript. Be sure, however, to mention on your undergraduate admission application that you’ve already completed coursework at Baker College. You may complete an undergraduate application online by clicking here (or going to www.baker.edu, then clicking on Apply). If you have not previously used the application portal, please create an account. This will be different from your My Baker Login. Please select the Undergraduate, New Student application.
If you apply to another college or university, Baker College is accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is part of the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA). Therefore, credits earned at Baker College should transfer to other Michigan colleges and universities, as well as those outside of Michigan. To determine equivalency and applicability of courses, you must check with the receiving institution.
Data collected over the years indicates the vast majority of students succeed in securing recognition for their Baker College credits earned through concurrent enrollment. Recognition of your Baker College credits earned through concurrent enrollment can come in several forms. Be aware of these distinctions as you apply to other colleges and universities. Credits may:
- be directly transferred toward your chosen degree
- be accepted as elective credits
- exempt you from taking a required course
- make you eligible for placement into a higher-level course
Tips for Transferring Credits
Save your class syllabus and all your written work and exams so that you can submit evidence of the level of work your concurrent enrollment course required. Clearly indicate on the college application forms that you have taken course work at another university. Include an official Baker College transcript as part of your application. Should a college have questions about the concurrent enrollment course you have taken, present a portfolio of assignments and examinations to the college with the request that the portfolio be evaluated on an individual basis. When making a plan for transferring your concurrent enrollment credits, please visit www.mitransfer.org. It’s a great tool to see course equivalencies for your Baker Concurrent Enrollment courses at other participating colleges/universities in Michigan.
If transfer of credit is denied simply because the course was taken as a part of the concurrent enrollment program, please send an email to runningstart@baker.edu for assistance.
Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress
As a Concurrent Enrollment student, you need to be aware the grades you receive in college-level coursework may have an impact on financial aid eligibility once you graduate from high school. In order to qualify for financial aid as a college student, you will be required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards graduation. To qualify for financial aid, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and continue to be on track to graduate within 150% of the published program length. College-level courses taken while you are in high school must be included in this calculation. Withdrawals and poor grades in your concurrent enrollment classes will have a negative impact on SAP. Detailed information regarding Baker College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements is available online at my.baker.edu. Students should contact runningstart@baker.edu or their high school counselor with any additional questions.
Feedback
Course Evaluations
At the end of your concurrent enrollment course, you will be provided with a link to complete a course evaluation. This short, anonymous survey is designed to give Baker College your impressions of the course content, difficulty level and usefulness. It is important to remember that this is a look at the course itself, not a reflection on your instructor.
Student Evaluation of Faculty
You will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on your instructor’s delivery of the course using the Student Evaluation of Faculty. This survey will be made available to you prior to the end of your course.
Baker College Essentials
As a concurrent enrollment student, you are a Baker College student. As such, you are eligible to access many of the same resources that are enjoyed by on-campus students. Take advantage of the opportunities available to you, such as online library access and the Academic Resource Center.
Student ID
Running Start students may obtain a Baker College student ID card from any campus, free of charge. Should the original card be lost, damaged or stolen, a replacement card can be issued for a fee of $5.00.
Unique Identification Number (UIN)
As a Baker College student, you will be issued an 8-digit Unique Identification Number (UIN). The College uses this number to identify you in its student record system. Your UIN will be printed on your student ID, but if you forget your UIN, you can look it up online by going to my.baker.edu, logging in and clicking on your profile in the upper right corner. Then click on “My User Account Info” and your UIN is located on the right-hand side of the page.
Baker Mail
As a Baker College student, you will be provided with a Gmail account. In addition to email, this account will provide you with all of the other applications Google offers including Google Calendar, Google Drive and Google Docs. Your Running Start Coordinator or Outreach Liaison will help you familiarize yourself with this account during your orientation.
Please check your Baker Mail regularly, as this is the Running Start Coordinator’s main form of communication to Concurrent Enrollment students.
Resources and Services
As a Baker College student, you will have access to the learning resources available to all Baker students. Many of these resources are located in the Academic Resource Center at the campus or can be accessed online. Additionally, all student support services at Baker College are available to you as a concurrent enrollment student. Contact your instructor or Running Start personnel for more information.
Academic and Student Services Information
Baker College has many resources available to their students. Some examples are admission assistance, financial aid assistance, grant and scholarship information, advising help, career services, disability services, library services, tutoring services, student housing, bookstore information, information technology support and more! Please contact runningstart@baker.edu or your high school counselor with additional questions.
Conclusion
Congratulations on your decision to take Concurrent Enrollment courses through Baker College and get a running start on your college education!
If you ever have questions/issues, there are many resources available to help:
Work hard and take full advantage of this opportunity to begin your post-secondary education while in high school.
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