Community College Faculty challenge dual credit legislation in Illinois based on faculty union concerns about shifting college level course work from the college campus to the High School

Posted on April 15, 2024 by
Posted in Information

This  article in the Pentagraph by Mateusz Janik (April 14, 2024)  describes some unique shifts in faculty teaching loads from the college campus to the high school campus through dual credit course options.  As these dual credit programs become more and more popular, some Community College faculty unions see faculty teaching loads shift to high schools, thus reducing the demand for that course content on campus and a resulting reduction in faculty teaching those courses.

This shift toward high school course offerings is bumping into (availble/qualified) high school teacher shortages that could be supplanted with college faculty re-assigned to teach dual credit course content at the high school.

This is highlighting a shift in course content that may also reflect a change in high school programing, enabling higher level (entry college level) course work to be introduced well ahead of attending college.  Perhaps high school students are demonstrating competencies that heretofore were thought to be too challenging for secondary education.  

Shifting qualified faculty seems to be the focus of the faculty union challenge of legislation intended to accelerate access to early college.  Labor contracts, funding, and other control factors all come into play here.  

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