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Follow Instructions Carefully!
Follow Instructions Carefully!
After reading and following all posted instructions, students with questions may come to the CCC any time outside of class,
Students who do not not read and follow all presentations and instructions carefully WILL have issues with, or miss essential parts of, the registration process.
CCC Newsletter - Annoucements, dates and deadlines, ELTs, etc.
courses taken outside of WSCA (Sierra College/other).
NOTE: does not include math acceleration.
The math acceleration process is detailed in early spring during Course Selection Presentations. Do not attempt to take an extermal math course without approval. Students who do so will not be permitted to accelerate.
External Course Documentation and Approval Process
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Definitions: Academic Enrichment vs Dual Enrollment
Definitions: Academic Enrichment vs Dual Enrollment
AE and DE courses are both ways to take college courses while in high school.
Note that some schools and colleges use the term Dual Enrollment for both AE and DE. We use Sierra College's definitions.
Academic Enrichment Courses are taken either at Sierra College or virtually. The instructor is a Sierra College faculty member with no relationship to WSCA. AE courses earn college credit, issued through Sierra College.
Dual Enrollment Courses are taken on the WSCA campus. The instructor is either a WSCA teacher approved as a Sierra College adjunct instructor OR by a Sierra College faculty member (not WSCA affiliated).
Dual Enrollment courses earn both high school credits/grades, as well as a college credits/grades issued through Sierra College.
For BOTH AE ande DE application processes:
Every semester students must carefully go through every step of our presentations. The presentations explain in detail every step of the registration processes. If students do not use our step-by-step presentation, they will not have complete information and will make mistakes in the process. The Sierra College Admissions Site does NOT explain clearly enough.
ALL processes need to be completed by the student, not a parent, except the parent permission part of the processes. The student is engaging in a college class, which means that the student needs to be responsible for ALL parts of the college course process, including knowing all Sierra College dates, deadlines, resources, etc.
PLEASE READ ALL REQUIRED CAUTIONARY INFORMATION LISTED BELOW!
PLEASE READ ALL REQUIRED CAUTIONARY INFORMATION LISTED BELOW!
CAUTION: Starting college courses while in high school should be a decision not taken lightly.
Neither WSCA NOR parents have any jurisdiction over education at any institution outside of WSCA, including Sierra College.
ALL processes need to be completed by the student, not a parent. The student is engaging in a college class, which means that the student needs to be responsible for ALL parts of the college course process.
Due to FERPA legal guidelines, colleges will only communicate with students, not parents, about information, grades and coursework. Please read the Sierra College Legal and Privacy Disclosure for more information. Under Section 49061 of the Education Code, parents of community college students do not have a right of access to their children’s student records, regardless of whether the student is under the age of 18. Also, under federal law (Section 1232g, of Title 20 of the United States Code) there is a general right of parental access to student records, but not for college students, regardless of age.
Students are not recommended to take college courses until the summer after their 9th grade year, at the earliest. Students may not have had the preparation (sufficient English writing skills, academic and social maturity, etc.) required for most college courses until they have completed at least a year of high school coursework. For many students, we recommend waiting until after the completion of 10th or 11th grade before attempting college level courses. College courses are designed for post-high school students. Course content is created with this in mind, and community college students can be adults of all ages.
By taking college-level classes, students are starting a college journey, including a transcript, that is beyond Western Sierra’s scope and oversight. College course grades earned remain on the student’s college transcript and students must report college grades to institutions being applied to in the future.
Caution- do not take on more than is healthy for you! Our counseling staff recommends that students start by taking only one outside class per summer or semester. A one-semester college course is equivalent to a one-year high school course. Sierra College summer classes are even more accelerated, as they are a full course of content in eight weeks.Taking on too many or extremely challenging courses may result in a strain on a student’s mental well-being. They may also overextend a student’s time commitments to the detriment of their academic success and confidence
While we may advise specific classes, it is up to students to do their research and decide what classes may be appropriate for them. Note that at any time, colleges and universities may change what they will accept as as transferable credit.
It is highly recommended that students ONLY take external courses NOT offered at WSCA. Many undergraduate college programs prefer you take advantage of the courses offered at your high school prior to pursuing outside courses. We do not recommend taking external courses to try to replace any of our courses. We cannot confirm the quality of courses taken outside of Western Sierra.
Make sure you connect with your counselor if you are considering withdrawing from a class!
Taking Outside Courses at Other Educational Institutions
Taking Outside Courses at Other Educational Institutions
Sierra College is designated as our regional community college.
WSCA counselors provide guidance towards the course selection and application process specifically for Sierra College classes.
Students who have an interest in exploring college classes outside of Western Sierra can do so at a variety of institutions.
Western Sierra students need to complete their own research and enrollment process support for other external institutions.
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