Dual enrollment gives Notre Dame students a taste of Assumption College

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
WORCESTER – At a time of enrollment challenges, a partnership between neighboring Catholic schools is seen as mutually beneficial. But not just to market the institutions or attract more students.
“We often talk of growth … in higher education – more students enrolled, more students graduating,” said Mary Bresnahan, who helped initiate the dual enrollment program between Assumption College, where she works, and Notre Dame Academy down the street. “Those are important … things to be aware of. …
“What we also need to focus on is the relational growth. … This is an example of that.… This opens us up to other possibilities.”
Representatives of the two schools recently met to discuss further mutually beneficial partnerships, said Ernest Bardier, Notre Dame’s college and guidance counselor.
“I can see this as a beginning,” Sandra Gibson-Quigley, Notre Dame curriculum coordinator, said of the dual enrollment program, which allows Notre Dame students to take classes tuition-free at Assumption and get credit from both schools.
“We have talked about students from our other classes being able to … use the library” at Assumption and there could be academic collaboration among faculty of the two schools.
Before the start of the present program, “we were looking for some other opportunity for our students,” and wanted to “make use of the community resources that we have available to us,” Mrs. Gibson-Quigley said.
The program helps fulfill Notre Dame’s mission of getting students out in the community to benefit both parties, as students get to know and participate in that community, she said. And this benefits Notre Dame.
“People get to know us,” she said. “It helps in our recruiting of students.”
The program can help the college do the same.
Michael DiPiazza, Assumption’s director of admission, called it a “true partnership” with a neighboring Catholic institution.
“I think it’s important for us to welcome the students on campus” and give them a taste of the classroom experience. That will benefit them if they decide to enroll at Assumption – or another college – he said. It’s a great way for them to see whether they want to attend Assumption.
“Often-times local students overlook Assumption because they say it’s too close to home,” said Ms. Bresnahan, the college’s assistant vice president for student success.
By taking a course at Assumption, the high schoolers “experience the life of an Assumption student” and “the quality of education we provide,” Ms. Bresnahan said.
“I think it helps Assumption,” she said. The Notre Dame students tell others about their experience, which gets the word out about Assumption, and some apply to attend college there.
Two of last semester’s nine dual enrollment students applied to Assumption and were accepted, Mr. Bardier said.
Michael J. Clark, associate superintendent for the Catholic Schools Office, said the diocese’s central Catholic high schools have a longstanding agreement which allows students to take courses tuition-free at Assumption, and, over the years, several have done so. They can also take courses at the College of the Holy Cross, he said.
Notre Dame gave seniors that option with Assumption last semester.
Mr. Bardier and Mr. DiPiazza talked with them to see how they were doing. Learning that an orientation would have helped, they provided one for students registering for the spring semester. This semester the program was opened up to Notre Dame juniors, and two are participating, along with one senior who also took a course last semester.
To take a course at Assumption, Notre Dame students need to be free when the course is offered (after their school day ends), Mr. Bardier said. He said they need at least a 3.0 cumulative average, and teacher and counselor recommendations. Mrs. Gibson-Quigley said they must demonstrate maturity, and have good attendance and discipline records.
The Assumption courses cannot be substituted for Notre Dame courses, but might fulfill a college requirement or elective, Mr. Bardier said.
The dual enrollment program was really beneficial, said Alexy Corrales, a Notre Dame student who got an A in the “Principles of Sociology” class she took at Assumption last semester. Now she’s more comfortable going into college classes, and has a sense of the workload, she said. She said she did not register for a course this semester only because of a schedule conflict.
“I would “definitely recommend it to other students,” she said.
“I really liked the class I was taking – psychology of adolescence and maturity,” said her classmate Rebecca Manley, who returned to Assumption this semester for “Drawing 1.” Notre Dame junior Aracely Burnett said she also took the drawing course to build on her skill and obtain new skills.    
“I liked the freedom I had coming on a college campus,” Rebecca said. “I liked the experience that we had, getting used to a college classroom.” She also liked being able to see the professor’s notes, assignments, grades and progress reports online.
“Notre Dame really prepared us because our classes are longer” than Assumption’s – 85 minutes – she said. So she was able to sit through her shorter Assumption class and retain information.
“My professor was super-helpful,” people were nice and “no one treated us differently” for being high school students, she said.
Notre Dame junior Brenna Joinville couldn’t get into the “Introduction to Public Health” class she wanted, because Assumption students had filled it. She registered for “Introduction to Literature” instead.
“I really did sign up for this just to get the experience,” she said. “Plus, it will look good on college applications.”