The majority of my responsibilities as a faculty member at Concordia University are administrative, as part of my role as Director of Dual Credit (and formerly Director of Middle Level Education and Director of Student Teaching).
I love teaching and advising students, but it’s fair to say that my greatest vocational satisfaction comes from my responsibilities as an administrator. The opportunities I’m afforded in working with the school administrators and teachers of our local and distant dual credit partner schools alike, are some of my favorite responsibilities. Through these responsibilities I have the opportunity to promote Concordia University as the leader in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in training professional church workers, as well as a premier institution in training ministry-minded educators for our public school systems. God works mightily through this institution, and I’m grateful to be a part of the good work He is doing in this place and through His people.
Director of Dual Credit
In my role as Director of Dual Credit, I am responsible for annual review of the Dual Credit program, its offerings, and its meeting of the requirements of the Higher Learning Commission and the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. I am also responsible for reviewing qualifications for dual credit instructors, communicating with university liaisons and connecting them with high school instructors, and overseeing regular communication with partner schools, teachers, parents and students.
In addition to these external communications, I am responsible for overseeing the relationships on campus with offices that are involved with dual credit management, including Student Accounts, Information Technology, the Business Office and the Registrar.
The following artifacts are examples of communications with dual credit instructors in high schools, student communications for registration, and transcript request information.
This email and mailed letter are sent to instructors when their applications are approved for hire. Dual Credit Instructor Approval Email
This information is emailed to new instructors, providing for them the master syllabi and course syllabi template, as well as connecting each instructor with the on-campus liaison for communication. Dual Credit Information for New Instructors
This email is sent at the beginning a new year to confirm with partner schools what courses they will be offering and confirm course information. Dual Credit Partner School Course Confirmation Email
Emails to update liaisons of current and upcoming Dual Credit information are sent periodically. Having just completed year two and going into year three of my directorship, additional communication with liaisons is on my list for improving this academic year. Dual Credit Liaison Update
This email is sent to dual credit students in November and April of the academic year and includes the student J#. This allows students to easily request transcripts as they begin the process of determining next steps after high school graduation. Dual Credit Transcript Information Email
This webinar is provided to all dual credit instructors for use in their classrooms and for sharing with both students and parents to simplify the registration process. Dual Credit Registration Instructional Webinar
Concordia Academy of Concordia University Dual Credit
Second to providing an excellent college education opportunity to high school students, one of my goals through the Dual Credit program is to benefit Concordia in helping to recruit full-time undergraduate students into our on-campus population.
To assist in fulfilling that goal, I developmed the Concordia Academy. Gaining entrance to the Concordia Academy requires the high school student to successfully complete at least 9 credit hours of Concordia University college coursework, and comes with the award of a fun t-shirt, a certificate and the waiver of our enrollment fee for any student enrolling full-time.
Further, the Concordia Academy provides a list of dedicated students, who become a specific recruitment pool for our Admissions team, as well as a potential recruitment pool for the directors of our new scholars programs (Luke and Micah, specifically).
The following artifacts are examples of communications with high school Administrators, award recipients, and a script for award presenters at high schools.
Concordia Academy Administrator Letter 2024
Concordia Academy Award Letter 2024
Concordia Academy Award Script
The institution of the Concordia Academy has been positively received, has stirred some excitement in high school students, and has provided an opportunity for data tracking that did not previously exist in Concordia’s Dual Credit program. The future is bright!
Concordia Dual Credit Vision
The Dual Credit program has grown quickly, with a rickety infrastructure supporting that growth, largely relying on manual entry of a massive amount of data. Over the course of this next academic year, 2024-2025, a software system, DualEnroll, will be built out to meet specifications of Concordia University in the management of the Dual Credit program.
With the institution of DualEnroll, it is my hope to continue to grow the Dual Credit program, offering our quality curriculum to mission-fit high schools country wide, perhaps world wide.
That growth will not be only focused on increased enrollment, but also, importantly, to grow the relationships and connections with our partner schools, and their students, in an effort to increase the matriculation rate of dual credit students to full-time on-campus students.
Through careful school partnership development, instructor selection, good communication, personal visits and the continued development of the Concordia Academy and its recruitment opportunities, I believe God will bless these efforts for growth.
