Executive Director's Column: The Dual Credit Issue

by Chuck Hempstead, Executive Director, TACT

Since the beginning of the explosion of dual credit in Texas, TACT has warned all who would listen that it is important to the students that the classwork maintain college-level quality. You may remember that recently-retired Higher Ed Commissioner Raymund Paredes said the same thing – often calling it rigor. Some of us doubt that is happening.

We repeated ourselves on this subject last week as we made our semi-annual Legislative Visits to the Capitol. Apparently the Texas Legislature is getting the message because the House Higher Education Committee has been asked by the Speaker to study the Dual Credit quality issue, and will do so at hearing March 25.

With exquisite timing, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), with whom TACT often partners in its legislative efforts, just released a policy document on dual credit which includes recommended best practices. That document may be found in this issue and will be provided to members of the House Higher Education Committee prior to its hearing.

Sometimes when legislators hear from constituents (or other Texans) before a legislative hearing, their focus sharpens. We encourage TACT members to email a short paragraph on your campus and classroom experience with dual credit to the TACT state office at staff@tact.org. If you want to attend the hearing to give testimony, email us or call us at 512-873-8195.