A look at the programs offered for middle school, high school and nontraditional students at RWU\u27s School of Continuing Studies

Siliezar, Juan

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RWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All Students

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Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger11-8-2017RWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All StudentsJuan SiliezarRoger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Week at Roger at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in FeaturedNews Story by an authorized administrator of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@rwu.edu.Recommended CitationSiliezar, Juan, "RWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All Students" (2017). Featured News Story. 239.https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_news/23910/31/2018 RWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All Students | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/rwu-scs-creating-pathways-all-students 1/3 News ArchiveRWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All StudentsA look at the programs o ered for middle school, high school and nontraditionalstudents at RWU's School of Continuing StudiesAdvanced Course Network dual enrolled students at RWU's Schoolof Continuing Studies practice with their instructor on properlyplacing someone on a stretcher in their EMT Basic course.November 8, 2017 Juan SiliezarPROVIDENCE, R.I. – When people think of college students, many people tend to think oftraditional students who have graduated high school and are now enrolled in a two-or-four-yearinstitution. But as enrollment in dual credit programs across the country has grown, what constitutesa college student has begun to grow with it.This is especially true at Roger Williams University's School of Continuing Studies, which has o enpartnered with districts and schools in Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls to serve dualenrolled students. Through the school's dual enrollment programs, middle and high schoolstudents from those cities were able to earn college credits and college level certi cates from RWUwhile enrolled in their respective schools - all at no cost.Over the past year, the school has worked to expand these e orts. Now, through a suite ofprograms called the Continuing Studies Pathways, it has opened the term "college student" to evenmore students across the state. And it has created no or low-cost college and career options for10/31/2018 RWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All Students | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/rwu-scs-creating-pathways-all-students 2/3students who le  high school without a diploma or are not on track to graduate on time, whichallows this group of students to re-engage in their education by earning their high school diplomaor GED while they earn college credits or a non-credit professional certi cate.Through these programs, the School of Continuing Studies has shown it's focused on one thing:removing barriers to create opportunity for all students to succeed in college and career, includingthose typically underserved or overlooked for postsecondary study.The school hopes that by opening no or low-cost pathways for students across the state to accesspostsecondary education and career training it will help narrow the achievement and skills gaps inRhode Island - where almost 30 percent of jobs require a college degree - and potentially easesome of the  nancial burdens that comes with seeking higher education."The goal is to provide more high quality and meaningful educational options to whoever needsthem," said School of Continuing Studies Dean Jamie Scurry. "Education is about expanding yourworld knowledge, not limiting it. These programs address how we increase the amount of choicesall people have in Rhode Island, not just opening opportunities for a few."Over the academic year, we will be following each of the Continuing Studies Pathways programsand the School of Continuing Studies other dual enrollment e orts to bring you stories on thestudent experience and e ects these programs have. For now, here's a quick overview of eachprogram:The Advanced Coursework Network (ACN), o ered through the Rhode Island Department ofEducation (RIDE), expands formerly unavailable college credit course options in Rhode Island’smiddle and high schools at no cost to families. Along with tuition, RIDE pays for fees, books andany other course materials they may need. At the School of Continuing Studies, middle and highschool students can enroll in ACN courses that range from liberal arts, justice studies, communitydevelopment, EMT Basic, to core classes like math. Students can begin enrolling in ACN coursesas early as middle school where they can start with online courses. Students can take up to twocourses per school semester, meaning students have the potential to graduate high school withmore than a semesters worth of college credits if they take two courses each semester. This hasthe potential to save them time and money when they become o cial college students.Students can also receive professional certi cations from RWU. Last May, for instance, four of thecommunity development students at the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex in Providencereceived a certi cate in community development, along with 15 college credits. Additionally, theresources available to all SCS students, such as tutoring, student services, etc. are available forACN students. The School of Continuing Studies currently has the most students enrolled inACN and is the largest course provider in the network.  The Continuing Studies Pathways Programs at the School of Continuing Studies sets studentswithout a high school diploma or GED on paths toward careers. Graduates of the 30-week, inperson program receive a university issued noncredit certi cate and complete the requirementsfor their GED or high school diploma while studying at School of Continuing Studies. The10/31/2018 RWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All Students | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/rwu-scs-creating-pathways-all-students 3/3certi cate received from RWU signals to employers that the student has shown the skills andcompetencies needed for an entry level job in their area of focus. The low-cost program opensRoger Williams to students who may not have high school credentials, but have demonstratedthat they possess the skills necessary to succeed at the postsecondary level. Students are able toaccess federal  nancial aid - including Pell Grants - for the program a er they complete theWonderlic Ability-to-Bene t Test, which is U.S. Department of Education-approved andindependently administered. Program elements of the Career Pathway program include self andcareer exploration, skill development, academic preparation, Microso  O ce Specialist trainingand certi cation, and, like all RWU programs, project-based learning and engagement withemployers. Focus areas are o ered in the following areas: Intro to Computers & Cyber Security(starting in October 2017), Business O ce Technology (starting in January 2018), ProductionPlanning & Design, and Legal Assistant training.  The School of Continuing Studies' Gateway to College program is one 35 programs around thecountry in the Gateway to College National Network. For the program, the School of ContinuingStudies partnered with the Providence and Pawtucket school districts to o er students betweenthe ages of 16-24 who le  the district without a diploma - or are not on track to graduate on time- a chance re-engage with their education. Accepted students commit to about 15 hours of classa week for the year-long, Monday to Friday program and graduate with their high schooldiploma and around 20 to 30 college credits on average, potentially putting students abouthalfway to an associate’s degree or other certi cate. Student schedules di er depending on thenumber of high school credits they have already completed, but all entering students take afoundational semester together as a cohort, which includes courses such as Introduction toAcademic Writing, Math in the Modern World, Mind and Body Wellness, and the First-YearExperience course - which introduces students to navigating and succeeding at the post-secondary level. Tuition and cost of books are covered by the school district the student isadmitted from. This year, 28 students are enrolled in the program at the School of ContinuingStudies.ALUMNI SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES

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RWU SCS is Creating Pathways for All Students

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