Concurrent Enrollment Students
Concurrent Enrollment students have access to several benefits and many student resources at USM. Students should also be aware of the expectations they are held to as Early College students and the key differences between USM Early College courses and typical high school classes.
Benefits
Concurrent Enrollment students:
- Can expect the format of their courses to be similar to that of their regular high school classes
- Earn college credits for a fraction of the cost of a standard on-campus undergraduate course
- Get a sense of the expected quality and rigor of college-level coursework as they think about their post-high school plans
- May find the workload manageable and be interested in taking additional college courses, even if they were not originally planning to apply to college
Expectations
Concurrent Enrollment students are expected to:
- Remember that the course material, expectations, and grading standards are equivalent to a college class
- Come to class focused and prepared to fully engage with the course material
- Take responsibility for their performance in class and completion of coursework
- Speak with their teacher, school counselor, or another resource at their high school if they feel they are struggling in class
Enrollment Deadlines
Although Concurrent Enrollment courses are delivered in a high school setting and according to the school’s schedule, students must adhere to certain academic deadlines as outlined in the Important Dates and Deadlines. Students must contact their high school counselor and submit a request in the ExplorEC portal to add, drop, or withdraw from a Concurrent Enrollment course.
Students who withdraw from a course after the Add/Drop period will receive a “W” instead of an A-F letter grade for the course on their transcript. A “W” will have no bearing on a student’s grade point average (GPA). Students who do not observe the proper course withdrawal procedures will be assigned a letter grade for the course, which will be factored into their cumulative GPA.
Differences from High School Classes
Although Concurrent Enrollment courses are delivered in a high school setting and according to the school’s schedule, students must adhere to certain academic deadlines as outlined in the Important Dates and Deadlines. Students must contact their high school counselor and submit a request in the ExplorEC portal to add, drop, or withdraw from a Concurrent Enrollment course.
Student Resources
Students should continue to use their high school guidance counselor, high school academic accommodations office, and high school counseling services as primary resources if they find themselves struggling in their Concurrent Enrollment courses. However, USM also offers the following resources and on-campus support to Concurrent Enrollment students:
Student ID Card
Concurrent Enrollment students can obtain a USM student ID card. This card also serves as their free METRO Bus Pass, and USM library card. Visit the Campus Card web page to learn more about how to use a USM student ID.
Students must know their student ID number in order to obtain their USM ID card. Students can find out their seven-digit ID number on the homepage of ExplorEC.
USM Portal
The USM portal is an online portal where Concurrent Enrollment students can access and log-in to various online platforms including MaineStreet, Brightspace, and University of Maine System Gmail. By logging into the portal, students are automatically logged in to several of their USM accounts. To learn more and log in to the USM Campus Portal, visit MyUSM Campus Portal.
In order to log into and use USM platforms students must first activate their account. Students will use an activation code sent to their personal email address during the first few weeks of classes to activate their USM account. After activating the account, students can access the MyUSM Campus Portal, UMS Gmail, MaineStreet, Brightspace, and other online platforms.
Learning Commons & Tutoring Services
The Learning Commons is an open learning environment that engages students for success, while maintaining a welcoming and supportive atmosphere where students can collaborate with peers and tutors. Students not located near campus are able to access tutoring services via distance technology. Concurrent Enrollment students are allowed two free tutoring appointments per week per subject area.
To learn more about tutoring services at USM and schedule an in-person or online appointment, visit the Learning Commons webpage.
Students can also contact the Learning Commons directly:
Portland Learning Commons (2nd Floor, Glickman Library)
(207) 780-4228
Gorham Learning Commons (1st Floor, Bailey Hall Library)
(207) 780-5345
Students are encouraged to use resources provided by USM’s Academic Gains through Improved Learning Effectiveness (AGILE) initiative to get the most out of their learning experience.
USM Help Desk
The Help Desk can assist students and schools with any technical question they may have. Students that need help activating an account, resetting a password, or troubleshooting a USM online platform are encouraged to contact the Help Desk by phone, (207) 780-4029, or email usm-helpdesk@maine.edu.
NetTutor
NetTutor is an online tutoring service that students can access 24/7. Students can get live, one-on-one help with specific homework questions and submit drafted writing assignments for feedback. As with in-person tutoring services accessed through the USM Learning Commons, NetTutor tutors will not do the work for students. They are available to help students understand how to approach certain types of homework problems and improve their academic writing practices.
Concurrent Enrollment students can access NetTutor through Brightspace. Students can only access Brightspace and NetTutor services after they activate their USM account.
Concurrent Enrollment Teachers
Benefits
Concurrent Enrollment instructors work with USM Faculty Liaisons (a faculty member in the relevant USM department) to develop Concurrent Enrollment course syllabi, discuss teaching strategies, and ensure consistency in rigor and content of USM Concurrent Enrollment courses. Concurrent Enrollment instructors have the opportunity to further develop their pedagogical practices through collaborative course development and assessment with the Faculty Liaison.
The University of Southern Maine and University of Maine System Early College programs host annual day-long professional development events for new and experienced Concurrent Enrollment instructors. Announcements and registration information for Concurrent Enrollment professional development events are communicated via email to current and prospective instructors. Teachers may earn contact hours for participating in Concurrent Enrollment professional development.
Challenges
Concurrent Enrollment instructors may initially find it challenging to adapt their course lesson plan to integrate USM learning outcomes. In addition to delivering subject-area content, Concurrent Enrollment courses encourage students’ development of essential college skills, including critical thinking, writing composition, and quantitative reasoning. During their meeting prior to the start of the course, the Concurrent Enrollment instructor and USM Faculty Liaison must ensure the course is delivered on an appropriate schedule that allows for content delivery and student introduction to and practice of these essential competencies.
Concurrent Enrollment instructors and USM Faculty Liaisons may find it difficult to develop a course plan that ensures the delivery of necessary subject content, achievement of USM learning outcomes, and student development as college-level learners. Teachers and Faculty Liaisons are encouraged to design the Concurrent Enrollment course plan with a realistic sense of the time needed to cover subject material, as well as what kind of rigor is appropriate for students who are concurrently developing critical thinking, research, and reasoning skills. Concurrent Enrollment teachers and Faculty Liaisons should maintain frequent communication about all aspects of course delivery, including timeline, student performance and needs, and areas for improvement.
It is important to understand that observations and suggestions for improvement from Faculty Liaisons are not criticisms of a Concurrent Enrollment instructor’s abilities. Faculty Liaisons make recommendations for course adjustments with the goal of ensuring the Concurrent Enrollment course allows students to achieve learning outcomes that are consistent with USM curricular standards.
Support for Concurrent Enrollment Teacher
Faculty Liaison
Each Concurrent Enrollment instructor works with a USM Faculty Liaison, who assists in planning Concurrent Enrollment courses, communicates university and departmental curriculum changes, answers questions and shares teaching strategies with the course instructor. Faculty Liaisons and Concurrent Enrollment instructors are expected to communicate regularly throughout the academic year about the progress of current Concurrent Enrollment course sections and plans for future courses.
Concurrent Enrollment instructors and Faculty Liaisons should aim to meet before the course begins to review the course syllabus and discuss pedagogy, common assessment, student course evaluations, and a general communication plan. Throughout the year, instructors and liaisons are expected to communicate regularly via phone, email, or other distance technology. Before the school year begins, instructors and liaisons should identify possible dates for a Faculty Liaison site visit to the course.
Site Visits
A Faculty Liaison site visit to a Concurrent Enrollment course should occur once in the duration of the course. During a site visit, a Faculty Liaison observes a class session in person or via distance technology to determine whether the course learning outcomes are being delivered with equivalent quality and rigor of a standard USM course. After the observation period, the Liaison and Concurrent Enrollment instructor discuss course strengths and areas for improvement, and identify strategies for developing the course in a way that enables student achievement of the learning outcomes. A site visit may also involve a review of completed student coursework by the Faculty Liaison.
Getting Started
Aspiring Concurrent Enrollment instructors who have regular contact with a USM faculty member in their subject area are encouraged to reach out to the USM faculty member about developing a Concurrent Enrollment course at their high school.
High school teachers interested in establishing a Concurrent Enrollment partnership with USM should complete the Concurrent Enrollment Instuctor Interest Form. After you submit the form, a USM Early College staff member or faculty coordinator will contact you about next steps.
You may also contact Patricia Nickerson at patricia.nickerson@maine.edu or 207-780-5253. Patricia can answer questions about delivering a Concurrent Enrollment course in a particular subject area and help connect high school teachers with the appropriate USM academic department.