Northern Academy An Early College Experience
Eric Kline, Director of the Northern Academy: Introduction • Born & raised in Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Worked as a teacher, coach, principal, real estate agent, adjunct professor, development director and superintendent the past 30 years. • NSU Graduate BS & MS: 1995 & 1999. • USF Graduate Ed. Specialist: 2012. • Enjoy nature, music and reading.
Purpose • Designed to improve the transition to college or technical school for high school juniors and seniors in the Aberdeen area by having students take their dual credit courses ON CAMPUS. • The ON CAMPUS experience will promote a sense of community/belonging with hopes it will encourage and inspire the students to continue their education after high school graduation.
Social Trends • Fewer students are attending college or technical school after high school. • Social isolation has become more common, which leads to less community and sense of purpose/belonging. • There has been an increase in the need for emotional health support.
Response • Northern State University has responded to these social trends by creating the academy. • It is designed to provide the mentoring, encouragement and college/career planning to inspire young adults to identify their goals and work towards accomplishing them. • The many supports systems the university provides will be life giving for the students in the academy.
Requirements • To be eligible, students must be nominated by their high schools. Once accepted, students will work with the Northern Academy Director. • NOTE: There is NOT a separate application process. Once students are identified as part of the academy, they will work with the Assistant Director of Admissions to complete the Dual Credit Application (if they have not already). • Students nominated will need to meet the academic criterion for High School Dual Credit (HSDC) established by the South Dakota Department of Education and the South Dakota Board of Regents.
Dual Credit Criterion (Junior – must meet ONE of the following): • ACT composite score of 24 (reflective of the 70%). • Rank in the upper 1/3 of their graduating class. • Cumulative GPA of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale.
Dual Credit Criterion (Senior – must meet ONE of the following): • ACT composite score of 21 (reflective of the 50th). • Rank in the upper 1/2 of their graduating class. • Cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
Benefits • Students will develop personalized guided support from the Northern Academy Director, Career Pathways Coordinator and Student Success Center. • $48.33 per credit. • Free parking pass. • Northern student ID, providing access to fine arts/athletic events, and library resources. • Full tuition & books scholarship (for qualifying students) from the South Dakota Education Access Foundation for up to 9 credits per semester.
Benefits continued… • Thunder Bucks (for qualifying students) to enjoy lunch on campus, bagel and coffee at Einstein’s, hot or cold meal in the Den or grab and go on the Grid. • Save approximately $5,000 by paying the dual credit tuition rate and taking two classes per semester their junior and senior years of high school, which completes 24 credits before the 1st semester of college. • Receive the $1,000 Northern Dual Credit Scholarship by completing at least 9 credits (3 courses) through Northern and enroll as a fulltime degree seeking student after high school graduation.
Student Support • All courses taught by full time Northern faculty. • Tutoring, supplemental instruction and study tables. • Student success coaching. • Career advising. • Native American Circle Program. • Student success workshops. • Financial aid and scholarship workshops. • Accessibility services support for students needing accommodations.
Testimonial • “Attending an early college program during high school not only prepared me for the expectations of college classes but it opened doors for me to visualize the realm of possibilities for paths my future could take. The early exposure helped to build my confidence which allowed me to feel more comfortable with the transition from high school to university – including moving out on my own after graduation. It increased my thirst for knowledge as my class options were no longer limited by what the high school offered and were vastly expanded by the college offerings. It provided a built-in network of peers, having a similar experience, to lean on and to create study groups with. My resume and applications were exponentially more competitive due to the experience and opportunities that were provided by attending the program” –Taylor Ellis, Graduate Studies Program Assistant.
Testimonial • “Attending an early college high school played a key role in my success today and essentially kick started my career. Once I graduated high school, I had roughly 44 college credits that I was able to transfer to my undergraduate institution, East Carolina University. Due to those transfers I was able to graduate with my bachelor's degree in three years, ultimately saving me time and money! Attending an early college high school was one of the best decisions I've ever made” –Jessica Talmage, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sports Sciences.
Testimonial • “This program sounds like a wonderful and important opportunity for students. Personally, I've tried to take as many in-person classes as possible and it's really left a positive impact. I was 16 when I signed up for my first class at Northern, and it was a very scary step to take at the time. But NSU's kind and helpful community quickly made me realize that there was nowhere else I wanted to be, and that experience certainly helped me along in my class. Some pros of on-campus courses would include: Being able to be an active member of the community, having easier access to campus resources such as the library or study areas, easier communication with classmates, in-person professors and learning, free parking in the Barnett Center parking lot, opportunities to meet experts in fields that may come in as guest speakers for example, and the ability to explore the campus and get a feel for what college is like” - Central High School Senior.
Conclusion • Bottom Line: • To mentor, encourage and inspire. • To remove barriers for success. • To create a sense of community & belonging. Please consider becoming a part of the Northern Academy • https://youtu.be/icJM6qgDOIU • https://youtu.be/BOksW_NabEk
Contact Information • Director of the Northern Academy – Eric Kline • Assistant Director of Admissions – Matthew Perreault eric.kline@northern.edu • 605-626-2719 matthew.perreault@northern.edu • 605-626-7603
Questions
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