Teaching CWU College in the High School
January 14, 2021
Virtual Teaching Assistance for Lab Classes
Dr. Bruce Palmquist has produced this video which encourages and provides practical information and links to additional sources, to support CiHS teachers in their efforts to engage and instruct remote students.
Teaching lab classes using a virtual or hybrid delivery method comes with its own set of challenges, and Dr. Palmquist has first-hand experience in guiding students to success.
Dr. Palmquist is one of CWU College in the High School's strongest supporters and our CWU Physics Department liaison.
Provides Higher Ed Teaching Strategies
Our CiHS teachers have access, as CWU Faculty*, to an amazing resource, a subscription to the online publications included in Faculty Focus.

This cache of articles spans years, and crosses all boundaries between discipline, building classroom rapport, teaching online, supporting students in challenge, and more.

New articles this month include: Planning a Great Online Class Through Roundabout Design; This Semester, Don't Forget Participation Feedback; Facilitating Effective Collaboration in Virtual Student Teams; Regroup and Refocus: Strategies to Avoid Professor Burn Out; and more.

The Faculty Focus library is a hearty compilation of timely articles by and for college professors. Some of the material might not perfectly fit in a high school classroom setting, but you be the judge. Dive in, deep and often. We hope you enjoy!

*Many articles are free to the public, and others will require your CWU log in to gain access.
Plans of Action Needed
All teachers offering classes during the Spring term must submit answers to the questionnaire and those responses must be approved by the CWU academic liaison. This is to ensure that educational rigor and learning benchmarks will continue to reflect CWU academics whether the class is delivered remotely, in person, or by some hybrid method.
Highlight on Adding Choices To Your School
Consider expanding your CWU course offerings to provide more for your students.
During the 2019-20 academic year, over 5,500 students across the state earned more than 47,000 CWU credits, and around half of those credits were in math or English.

We hear from high school students that they would like to access a broader range of subjects for CWU credit at their schools. There is interest in Biology, Geology, World Languages (French, Spanish, German and ASL), Physics, PE, etc. All these fields of study, and more, can be offered through College in the High School. Take a look at the list of CWU courses which are available to your school and students.

Adding classes in new disciplines to help your student population can be done using two avenues:
  • New teachers can be approved to add their expertise to the CiHS offerings at your school.
  • Current teachers can apply to teach an additional discipline. (This process mirrors the new teacher application process.)
Applications for new teachers and additional disciplines are now being accepted. Application deadline is May 15, 2021 for the 2021-2022 academic year.

All instructors for CWU College in the High School/Cornerstone meet requirements set by CWU faculty, which include: Level of education, teaching experience, and other career experience as appropriate. Minimum Qualifications

Newly approved teachers must attend Summer Institute, a one day training, prior to offering CWU CiHS classes. Summer Institute

Specific questions regarding academic rigor, syllabi, observations, textbook approval or other material/content issues can be directed to your CWU Liaison.

Please share these links with your colleagues. Encourage them to apply, and earlier rather than later, which helps plan expanded class offerings for next year. The approval process usually takes four to six weeks. Specific questions about the teacher application process which are not addressed in the links above may be directed to Dave Welz. Email Dave
Upcoming Deadlines
Spring Registration Deadlines
  • Semester: 2/12/21
  • Trimester: 4/9/21
  • Quarter: 4/9/21
  • Block 3: 2/12/21
  • Block 4: 4/16/21
Grading Deadlines
  • Semester Schools: 1/29/2021
  • Block Term Schools (Block 2): 2/5/2021
  • Trimester Schools: 3/26/2021
  • Quarter Schools: 3/16/2021
Grades must be entered by 5:00 p.m.
For more thorough instructions, please see "Rosters and Entering Grades" at the Instructor Participation Guide.
Registration Bullets:
Class packets must include four things:
  1. Registration forms, alphabetized
  2. Evidence of prerequisites (if required)
  3. Syllabus for Spring 2021 term and
  4. Roster
Track the progress of your class registration packet.
Check your roster in your faculty MyCWU.
COVID-19 Accommodations by CWU specific to College in the High School
  • Math prerequisite alternative
  • Block Schedule Availability
  • Accuplacer options for proctoring
  • Emergency Pass/Fail grade option
MyCWU - Trouble logging in?
CWU passwords change every six months. Please contact the CWU IT Helpdesk for assistance.
Information Sessions
CWU College in the High School is offering informational meetings via Zoom.
Perhaps your class, your student body, or your staff would like an opportunity to ask questions and chat live, with our CiHS staff.
Please contact your coordinator to set up a time, and we will be flexible for your schedule.

Eastern Washington schools or districts, please contact Zane Morrison.
Western Washington schools or districts, please contact Sarah Maes.
CWU College in the High School
(509) 963-1351
CWU is an EEO/AA/Title IX Institution. For accommodation email: DS@cwu.edu