This webpage serves as a central location for current CAP instructors and school counselors to find the information needed to keep things running smoothly throughout the school year and beyond. Information is also included for school principals, prospective instructors, and prospective high school partners.
Courses offered through USI's College Achievement Program (CAP) are taught by qualified high school instructors who meet the requirements outlined by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and obtain the approval of the appropriate USI faculty members.
2025-2026 Administrative Guide - The Administrative Guide for CAP instructors covers important topics, such as instructor qualifications, training, responsibilities, and benefits.
myUSI - It is important for instructors to know how to navigate USI's portal, myUSI. Instructions and tips on how to navigate myUSI can be found here.
CAP Rosters - Your CAP rosters can be found by logging into myUSI. It is important to verify your rosters during the enrollment period, as it will show you which students have completed the registration process and will help you catch students that should or should not be registered.
Rice Library CAP Guide - As a CAP instructor, you and your students have access to the USI Rice Library. CAP instructors have faculty check-out privileges, as well as other benefits.
Core 39 Assessment Checklist - Some CAP courses fall under the University Core Curriculum (Core 39). You will be informed if you are teaching a Core 39 course, as there are certain requirements that come with being an instructor of one of these courses during an assessment year.
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) - As a CAP instructor, you have access to the CETL, which serves to support the success of all faculty and staff contributing directly to the academic mission of USI.
Graduate Fee Waiver - The CAP Graduate Fee Waiver was developed to assist current and prospective CAP instructors in attaining the credentials required to offer dual credit coursework under the Higher Learning Commission's faculty requirements. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), USI's regional accreditor, requires that faculty have either a master's degree in the discipline or a master's degree in a related area with 18 graduate hours in the discipline or sub-field.
Indiana College Core - The Indiana College Core (ICC) is a 30-credit hour block of general education credit, guaranteed to transfer between all public institutions in the state, as long as students complete all coursework with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. The ICC and CAP resource page for students can be found here.
IDOE High School Course Companion Document - The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) high school course companion document provides course-specific information, such as whether or not a course is eligible for dual credit.
USI Service Learning - Service Learning is a course-based experiential learning strategy. It aims to enhance academic learning by challenging students to apply classroom knowledge to real life situations. Because Service Learning addresses actual community needs, it has the added potential to engage students in ways that other experiential methods may not. Instructors can connect with the Director of Service Learning for more information.
Program and Course Prerequisites - CAP is open to high school juniors, seniors, and sophomores who are in CAP aligned courses. There are overall program qualifications students must meet, and some courses have prerequisites that must be met as well.
myUSI - It is important for students to know how to activate USI's portal, myUSI. The University ID, provided in the acceptance and enrollment verification letters, is required to activate myUSI. Detailed directions for myUSI activation are available here. The portal is important for many things, such as viewing a grade at the end of a term and accessing official and unofficial transcripts.
Dropping a CAP Course - Once enrolled in a CAP course, students must inform their instructor and the CAP Office that they would like the drop their course and no longer earn USI credit. The student and instructor will be sent an official drop form that they will both need to sign and submit to the CAP Office by the withdrawal deadline. Once the signed drop form has been received, the student will be dropped from the CAP course.
Advising - High school students should investigate whether a course will fit into their college coursework degree map before signing up for dual credit.
Transcript - CAP students that are attending a university other than USI need to request their official transcript be sent to their university of choice. Students can request their official transcript and access their unofficial transcript by logging into their myUSI account.
USI Core Curriculum (Core 39) - Some CAP courses fall under the University Core Curriculum (Core 39). Instructors of these courses will be informed if they are teaching a Core 39 course, as there are certain requirements that come with being an instructor of one of these courses during an assessment year.
Indiana College Core - The Indiana College Core (ICC) is a 30-credit hour block of general education credit, guaranteed to transfer between all public institutions in the state, as long as students complete all coursework with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. The ICC and CAP resource page for students can be found here.
Current CAP Courses - CAP offers over 30 courses at participating high schools. CAP courses are offered at no charge to students and families. If you are interested in offering a course that is not listed, contact CAP.
FERPA - The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) helps protect the privacy of student education records. The intent of the legislation is to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of education records. Maintaining confidentiality of student records is everyone's responsibility, whether you are faculty, staff, or a student worker.
ADA Compliance - Students with disabilities who meet the eligibility standards are invited to enroll in CAP. Each high school retains the responsibility for providing and coordinating any accommodations or services as described in the student's current IEP, 504 Plan, or similar educational plan. The CAP Office only needs to be informed about accommodations related to placement testing or if there is an accommodation which would fundamentally alter the content of the University course, as these may not be provided by USI.
IDOE High School Course Companion Document - The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) high school course companion document provides course-specific information, such as whether or not a course is eligible for dual credit.
NACEP - CAP has been continuously accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) since 2006.
As CAP building coordinators, counselors, and administrators, you likely field a lot of questions about CAP. You can direct families to the CAP Students and Parents page, as well as the Student Guide, to answer many questions.
Do you need more information? Visit the Administrative Guide page.
Faculty Qualifications for CAP Instructors
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has established the following minimum qualifications for faculty teaching general education or non-occupational courses, including CAP/dual credit instructors:
In addition, it is preferred if applicants have at least three years' experience teaching in the subject area, preferably with at least one year teaching an advanced course in the subject area. In some cases, industry experience may serve as a substitute for teaching experience.
Individuals in progress with graduate coursework in the discipline or subfield should contact the CAP Office before applying. Course specific requirements can be found on CAP Instructor Credentialing Requirements by Course.
USI's Faculty Qualifications and Tested Experience policy provides the following general guidelines for department chairs to utilize when non-traditional credentials are considered:
“HLC’s Assumed Practice B.2 allows an institution to determine that a faculty member is qualified based on tested experience outside of the classroom in real-world situations relevant to the discipline in which the faculty member would be teaching. As a result, the University may consider, as appropriate: competence; effectiveness; related work experience; certification(s); licensure; demonstrated competencies; and honors, and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and learning outcomes. … For faculty who are deemed qualified to teach for USI by way of tested experience, documentation must be completed to provide a rationale and proper approvals.”
The CAP Graduate Fee Waiver may be utilized by both current and prospective instructors who wish to pursue graduate hours in the discipline or subfield.
Application Process for Prospective CAP Instructors
Initial Training and Ongoing Professional Development
Prior to teaching a CAP course, new instructors are required to attend discipline-specific training and orientation with the USI faculty liaison to begin crafting the USI syllabus and to learn course curriculum, assessment criteria, pedagogy and course philosophy. New instructors also attend a separate training with CAP staff to overview administrative responsibilities and procedures.
All returning CAP instructors are expected to attend an annual discipline-specific workshop. Read more about CAP instructor benefits, responsibilities and the non-compliance policy in the Administrative Guide.
How To Become a Partner High School
If you wish to offer a CAP course at a school where CAP is not currently offered, the school board must approve the partnership. The high school course must incorporate the same curriculum components and academic standards as the course offered on USI's campus. The high school instructor must be approved as USI adjunct faculty. To discuss a potential partnership, email cap@usi.edu or call 812-228-5022.
Accreditation
The College Achievement Program (CAP) has been continuously accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) since 2006. For more information, visit the NACEP website.
The University of Southern Indiana is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC). For more information, visit the HLC website.
Current CAP Courses
CAP offers over 30 courses at participating high schools. CAP courses are offered at no charge to students and families. To see the current CAP courses offered at our participating high schools, click here. If you are interested in offering a course that is not listed, contact CAP.
Do you need assistance with your myUSI account? Contact the IT Help Desk at 812-465-1080.
The information below is intended for individuals who assist with CAP placement testing. If you need assistance administering a placement test, contact the CAP Office at 812-228-5022 or the Rice Library Testing Center at 812-464-1922 and ask for Ms. Kathy Oeth.
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The Indiana College Core (ICC) is a 30-credit hour block of general education credit, guaranteed to transfer between all public institutions in the state, as long as students complete all coursework with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. The ICC certificate must be awarded by a public college or university.
For more details on the ICC and partnering with USI to offer it at your high school, visit the Indiana College Core Resource Page for School Administrators.