To the Editor:
Comments on article “WNMU Dual Enrollment numbers contribute to overall enrollment drop”.

Western had a 10% drop in enrollment this semester, the largest ever. They contribute this to a new regulation from the Higher Learning Commission effecting Dual Credit Classes.

Eastern New Mexico has about the same number of Dual Credit students as Western and must abide by the same regulations as Western but this year its enrollment has actually increased. What is Eastern doing different than Western?

Using the latest figures from the Department of Higher Education:
Western’s Dual Credit Program generates about 6,000 credit hours per year or about 400 FTEs.
Western has about 700 Dual Credit students per semester.
About 60% attend regular University classes and about 40% attend regular High School Classes with regular High School teachers.

Western’s press release says “In analyzing this fall’s census data, Western New Mexico University found that the 10 percent drop in enrollment this year was largely due to the decrease in dual enrollment students. In examining the causes, WNMU found a correlation between the decline and the loss in qualified instructors, due to the Higher Learning Commission’s new accreditation requirements.”

The “new” regulation is over two years old. The Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees adopted a clarification to HLC's Assumed Practice B.2. regarding faculty roles and qualifications in June 2015, with an effective date of September 1, 2017. And if Western thought they needed more time the Higher Learning Commission would have given them an extension until 2022.

The new regulation says that instructors that teach Bachelor level classes must have a master’s degree in the area they’re teaching, a Master’s in Education is not sufficient.

The press release goes no to say “Some WNMU faculty members who facilitated the 100-level courses taken by dual enrollment students no longer met the Higher Learning Commission’s Qualified Faculty Requirements.
“We had to change how we vet the instructors for the program. A handful of them did not have the current qualifications to teach the courses for college credit,” Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Isaac Brundage said”.

The instructors they’re talking about are not WNMU employees but high school teachers that teach Dual Credit classes at their local high school. The University had two years to vet the Dual Credit teachers.
And could have asked for an extension.

The press release says “The decrease in dual enrollment does not significantly impact the university’s revenues. WNMU does not charge dual enrollment students tuition, and also waives registration and technology fees. Students are responsible only for a $30 online fee (normally $90 per course) and any fees specific to their classes.
“The amount of money the university receives for dual enrolled students is less than the cost to provide those courses,” President Shepard said.”

Dual Credit classes contributed 14% of Western’s Performance Funding in the FY 2018 Higher Education funding formula.

The funding formula produces University funds in two parts Performance Funding which takes into account several performance areas and the largest part which is about 94% of last year’s funding, which is not assigned to any program. Regular students through their tuition do not pay all of the cost of their education the state pays most of it. If the state says the University must teach Dual Credit classes, then some of the state funding received by the University is to support the Dual Credit Program. And the 40% of classes taught at the high schools cost Western nothing.

The press release says, “Brundage said. “Once we have these processes and more qualified instructors back in place, we’ll be able to increase our dual enrollment population on campus.”
This month, WNMU is reviewing a new dual enrollment policy and procedure manual with participating high schools. “We anticipate increased enrollment for spring,” Billings said.

Actually he does not mean “on campus”, he means in the “high schools”. The University had two years to get their policy and procedures in place and if they needed more time the Higher Learning Commission would have giving them an extension until 2022.


The following is from the “Higher Learning Commission, Determining Faculty Qualifications”
The Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees adopted a clarification to HLC's Assumed Practice B.2. regarding faculty roles and qualifications in June 2015, with an effective date of September 1, 2017. This revision clarified HLC’s longstanding expectations regarding the qualifications of faculty and the importance of faculty members having appropriate expertise in the subjects they teach.

The September 1, 2017, implementation date reflects the need expressed by institutions to work with faculty in dual credit programs, challenges facing rural-serving institutions, faculty development considerations, and the time needed to address these types of concerns. It allows institutions time to assess their needs in the area of faculty qualifications and achieve compliance with the policy. This date also aligns with the start of an academic year in accordance with faculty contracts and core institutional documents such as faculty handbooks.

HLC has provided an opportunity for institutions with dual credit programs to apply for extensions related to compliance of faculty in dual credit programs with the revision to Assumed Practice B.2. Institutions that have been granted an extension will have until September 1, 2022, to come into compliance with the revised Assumed Practice. The extension includes faculty who might be assigned to teach dual credit during the extension period, but who were not assigned to teach dual credit at the time the institution submitted its application for the extension.

Alfred Milligan
Silver City New Mexico