Your Dual Credit Journey

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The Dual Credit Roadmap

Understanding your dual credit journey is important because the choices you make now don’t just affect high school, they follow you into college and beyond. Dual credit classes are real college courses, which means the grades you earn become part of your permanent college transcript.

Knowing how the process works helps you avoid surprises, stay on track, and make smart decisions about your future. When you understand the journey, you can take full advantage of earning college credit early, saving time and money, and starting your college path with confidence instead of confusion.
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The Vincennes University Dual Credit Survival Guide

We Are Literally Here to Help

  • If you are drowning in coursework, do not wait until the week before finals to say something. We want you to pass, but we aren't mind readers.

Talk to your instructor:

  • Ask for specific feedback on what you’re missing.

Get Tutoring:

  • There is absolutely no shame in this. Even the smartest students need a boost. Each Dual Credit site has different support options so ask your guidance counselor or Dual Credit rep to point you in the right direction. The key to success…don’t wait to ask for help until the end. 

Use VU Resources:

You aren't “bothering” us. Fixing problems early is what we do. Use the link below to schedule 1 on 1 Dual credit advising!

Schedule 1-on-1 Dual Credit Advising

Review the Student Handbook:   

  • This is your official guide to everything official. Pro tip - Review it yearly for any changes.

Downloadable XYZ Icon VU DUAL CREDIT STUDENT HANDBOOK

Contact your Counselor:

  • Make sure your total workload (HS + College) isn't the problem.

 How to pay your bill (If applicable)

Downloadable XYZ Icon How to Make a tuition payment in VUX

The Syllabus: Your New Best Friend (Seriously):

In high school, a syllabus is a piece of paper that says “Bring a pencil.” In college, think of it as a contract between you and your instructor. Yes, the syllabi can be lengthy. However, knowing your syllabi and how to best utilize it is one of the best tools at your disposable.

Access your Syllabus

  • Your syllabus can be accessed/downloaded via the Simple Syllabus card in VU-x.

Why It Matters:

  • If you want to know how to get an "A" without having to guess, the syllabus is your literal cheat code. Here is what you’ll find inside those 5–10 pages:

Grading Scale:

  • Every professor grades differently. One might make the final exam worth 50% of your grade, while another focuses on weekly labs. The syllabus tells you where to put your energy. College instructors are strict about attendance and late work. If the syllabus says “No late work accepted,” they mean it. There are usually no "extra credit" bailouts at the end of the semester.

Office Hours:

  • This is the time your instructor is required to sit by their computer or in their office to help you. If you’re stuck, this is a great resource.

AI & Plagiarism Rules:

  • This is huge. Every VU instructor has their own policy on ChatGPT and AI. One might let you use it for outlines; another might consider it an automatic failure. Read this section first.

“Standard” vs “Dual Credit”

  • Since you’re taking this class in a high school building, your high school might have different rules than Vincennes University. With that, if the high school rule and the VU Syllabus rule conflict, the Syllabus usually wins. Example: If the high school says you can turn in work late for a 10% penalty, but the VU Syllabus for your dual credit class says “Zero points for late work,” it means late work is not accepted. 

Pro-Tip: For Transferring

  • Keep a digital copy (PDF) of every syllabus for every dual credit class you take. Why? If you go to a college outside of Indiana, they might ask to see the syllabus to prove that your VU class matches theirs. Having that PDF saved could be the difference between getting credit and having to retake the class!

 

Grades, GPA, and The “Permanent Record”

“Am I actually a college student?” Yes. Period. You have a VU Transcript, a VU ID, and the same responsibilities as a student sitting in a lecture hall on the main campus.

How to check your grades and access VU Systems:  

  • High School Portal (Canvas/PowerSchool): Shows your high school grade.
  • VU-x Portal: Shows your official college grade and gives you access to other important VU systems that you may use for your Dual Credit Journey. 
  • How to activate your VU-x account (where you see your final grades). 

Downloadable XYZ Icon How to Set Up VUX

Do these grades really matter?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: These aren't “practice” grades.

  • The Good: An “A”, “B”, or even a “C” now is a massive head start for your future college GPA.
  • The Bad: A “D” or “F” stays on your permanent college transcript. If you apply to another college, you must send them this transcript.
  • Your Goal?: A’s & B’s. Don’t think you can? You can rise to this occasion, but you got to work for it!
  • The “F” Factor: If you fail, it can hurt your college GPA before you even graduate high school. That being said, things happen and you might be able to retake the dual credit course again (depending on your schedule and site availability) to replace the grade and improve your GPA, but the history of the “F” stays. 
  • The “W” (Withdrawal): For VU Dual Credit, if you drop a class after the withdrawal deadline, you, you get a “W” on your transcript. It doesn’t hurt your GPA; it essence it just says you didn’t finish.

 

The Logistics: Tech & Admin Stuff

The “VU-x Portal”:

This is your lifeline. It’s where you see grades, access Blackboard, and apply for graduation.

  • Locked out? Call the VU IT Help Desk at 812-888-4332. Do not wait until the night before or even the day of a deadline!
  • Know your A-Number: This is your VU ID (e.g., A00123456). Put it in your phone’s Notes app. You will need it.

Updating Your Info:

  • New Phone/Address:  Update Contact Info with the Request to update personal contact information form. It’s important that you do so whenever a change occurs.

Downloadable XYZ Icon REQUEST TO UPDATE PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION FORM

  • Name/Gender Change: If you’ve changed your legal name or identified an error, you can fix it with documentation.

Downloadable XYZ Icon CHANGE of NAME/GENDER REQUEST

  • Need Help?: Ask your VU Dual Credit Rep.

Program Quick-Check:

What type of Dual Credit student are you?

  • Project EXCEL: Think “College à la carte.” You take a few specific VU classes taught by your high school teachers in your regular building.
  • Early College: The “Full Immersion.” You are likely in a specialized program working toward an Associate degree (60 credits) alongside your HS diploma.
  • Is this better than AP?: Think of it this way: AP is “one big test” to determine if you get credit. Dual Credit is “put in the work all semester.” If you pass the VU class, you get the credit. No high-stakes national exam required.