The MBU Early College Partnerships program serves the following purposes:
- To provide an opportunity for qualified high school students to earn college credit, thereby avoiding duplication of course work during the first year of college.
- To provide high-achieving students, who have completed introductory college courses while in a high school setting, an enhanced opportunity to select a broader range of college courses.
- To provide an academic service to the public and private educational community.
- To provide Missouri Baptist University as an accredited option for baccalaureate degree studies.
MBU Early College Partnerships has policies in place that are specific to high school students enrolled in MBU Courses.
University Course Policies
University policies are also applicable and can be found here.
Student Eligibility
Students seeking to enroll in an MBU course through MBU Early College Partnerships must meet the criteria found here. The designated administrator or coordinator will list the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) on the registration form.
Student Enrollment
Each high school is given a registration deadline based on the date that the MBU ECP staff visit the high school to provide registration information. The registration deadline is typically 10 working days after the MBU ECP staff provides the materials.
MBU ECP students must adhere to dates comparable to those specified on campus for registration, drop, withdrawal, fee payment and refund. The deadlines for drop are posted on the MBU ECP Calendar.
Even though MBU ECP students may enroll in a class section that includes both MBU ECP students and students taking the class for high school credit only, high school course requirements will be the same for all students. Achieve students are also required to sit for the MBU assessments on which their grades are calculated.
Course content and course requirements of MBU courses in the high school will be comparable to those in the equivalent on-campus courses with the same titles.
Add/Drop Course Policy
Students may not register for courses after the specified deadlines MBU ECP assigns to their high school sites.
Students who do not pay tuition by the specified dates will be dropped from the course.
Students who wish to officially drop or withdraw from a course should follow the drop procedures to determine impact on tuition and GPA. Calendar deadlines are strictly enforced regarding drop dates.
Transcripts and Retention of Academic Records
Final grades for completed MBU ECP courses are recorded on an official Missouri Baptist University transcript. Official academic transcripts may be requested here. Unofficial transcripts may be printed from MyMBU. No transcript, official or unofficial, will be issued until the student’s account has been cleared by the MBU ECP office.
Missouri Baptist University has adopted the recommendations of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers as its policy concerning retention of student records. The majority of an MBU ECP student’s records are maintained in the permanent file and will be retained until five years after the date of last attendance.
Records of academic performance including individual student records (transcripts) and original graded rosters are maintained permanently in the Records Office.
Policy on Transferability of Credit
In keeping with dual credit guidelines established by the Committee on Transfer and Articulation (COTA), Missouri Baptist University accepts in transfer college credit earned through high school dual credit programs. Dual credit courses are defined as courses taken for both college and high school credit that were delivered in high school by a high school teacher. The University does not limit the number of dual credit courses or credit hours accepted. Courses are evaluated on a course-by-course basis for equivalency with courses in the Missouri Baptist University curriculum. Credit earned through MBU ECP, either in the high school setting (dual credit or Achieve) or on campus (dual enrollment), is considered as regular earned hours and does not need to be evaluated for transfer. Click here for more information.
Attendance Policy
Like students on campus at Missouri Baptist University, MBU ECP students are expected to attend classes regularly. The MBU ECP program accepts the high school’s policy for absence from an MBU ECP course.
Academic Integrity and Honesty
Academic dishonesty jeopardizes the academic integrity of the University and is not keeping with Christian principles. It is a serious offense. The University’s policy on Academic Integrity can be found on the University Course Policies document and through the link provided on all MBU syllabi.
The high school instructor or coordinator should notify the Director of MBU ECP each time an academic dishonesty incident occurs. The two parties will discuss how the MBU policy and the high school policy will be applied.
FERPA
Students enrolled in MBU ECP courses of any model have rights protected under FERPA. Students indicate on the registration form those with whom FERPA information may be shared.
On the federal FERPA website, the following language specifically refers to students under 18 years of age: “If a student is attending a postsecondary institution – at any age – the rights under FERPA have transferred to the student. However, in a situation where a student is enrolled in both a high school and a postsecondary institution, the two schools may exchange information on that student. If the student is under 18, the parents still retain the rights under FERPA at the high school and may inspect and review any records sent by the postsecondary institution to the high school.” For more information, click here.