Summer Accelerated Studies gives students entering the eighth, ninth, and 10th grades in the fall of 2006 a taste of college life and possible credit toward high school graduation* at the same time. Depending on grade level, students will explore the world and its cultures; flex their imaginations; design a Power Point presentation; or investigate the Earth's delicate balances. Several other classes also will be offered.
The University of Mississippi is accredited by the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools and may grant credit for work completed
at our institution. Students selected to attend this program will
earn as much as a full Carnegie unit that may be counted in their
high schools toward elective graduation requirements.The courses
are half-unit courses listed in the Mississippi curriculum framework
but not generally offered in high school curricula across the state.The
course work can be enrichment or for elective credit, and cannot
substitute for the state's required courses.
* Whether or not credit is given is determined by the student's high school.
Eligibility | Tuition and Costs | Curriculum | Contact Information | Forms
Courses offered in Summer Accelerated Studies are a part of the Mississippi curriculum framework and are taught by certified secondary instructors at a SACS-accredited university. Credit toward graduation requirements is at the discretion of the local high school.The credits will appear on a transcript generated at the University, but the local school district determines what credit counts toward their graduates' diplomas.
The University will supply the school districts with any information necessary for them to evaluate the courses to assign credit toward graduation.When a student is accepted to the program, a letter will go to the school official who supplies the student's application materials to begin the process of determining whether credit will be assigned.
Because the curricula of these courses is advanced, students accepted to the program must meet the following criteria:
Resident students will be housed in residence halls set aside specifically for them. They will be closely monitored by counselors trained to work with their age group, both in the halls and in their free time. There will be professional staff available to the students 24 hours a day to counsel, monitor student progress and act in lieu of a parent when a parental shoulder is necessary. Resident students will have a 14-meal-per-week meal plan. Weekend meals (from Friday supper through Sunday supper) will be the individual student’s responsibility.
Commuting students should arrive on the campus by 7:15 a.m. and should be picked up at the end of the afternoon recreation (about 5:45 p.m.). Commuting students must purchase a fivemeal- per-week meal plan for their lunches during the academic week.
All students accepted to the program will pay a nonrefundable $50 deposit to hold their places in the program. Those students planning to stay over for the weekend will be charged a nonrefundable activity fee of $75, which will include some weekend meals. Students not planning to stay for the weekend activities will need to make arrangements ahead of time to be picked up on the weekend beginning Friday afternoons, with an expected return on Sunday before dusk.
| Resident Student |
Commuting Student |
||||||
| Deposit | $ 50 | $ 50 | |||||
| Tuition for two courses | $400 | $400 | |||||
| Room rent for the semester estimated at | $325 | ||||||
| Meal plan estimated at | $412 | $140 | |||||
| Total cost for the semester program: | $1,187 | $590 | |||||
| Non refundable fee for weekend activities | $75* | $75* | |||||
| Books and materials are the responsibility of the student as are weekend meals for the resident student. | |||||||
Students will attend a morning class that is age-appropriate. That class will carry a half unit of credit. They will also attend an afternoon class that will carry a half unit of credit. Additional activities will be planned for the group.
| Tentative Schedule | |
| 7:15 a.m. | Communting student arrive on campus |
| 7:30 - 8 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 8 - 11:30 a.m. | Morning class |
| 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:45-4:15 p.m. | Afternoon class |
| 4:30-5:30 p.m. | Recreation |
| 5:45 p.m. | Parents may pick up day students |
| 6 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7-10 p.m. | Supervised study time (or specified laboratory time) Recreation option |
| 11 p.m. | Bedtime |
Weekend activities will be planned for students who choose to stay over the weekend, or students may return home for the weekend. Weekend meals are the responsibility of the student, but costs for bowling, swimming, movies, and out-of-town trips to Tupelo or Memphis will be covered by the program's activity fee.
The following curriculum is grade-specific, and an attempt at a sequence is intended so students may participate in Summer Accelerated Studies more than one year.The eighth-grade curriculum is open to all students, and the ninthgrade curriculum is open to both ninth- and 10th-graders so students can pick up curriculum they may have missed earlier. Additionally, a student may elect to attend both sessions in one summer, which would allow him or her to enroll in four classes.
Eighth Grade
The morning course will be Geography. Geography is much more than describing "foreign" places or memorizing the names of capitals and countries. In this course, students will examine geography as an all-encompassing discipline that seeks to understand the world - its human and physical features - through an understanding of place and time.
The afternoon course will be Environmental Science, a half-unit, laboratory-based study that will look at ways the environment shapes living communities. The course will be supplemented with lab experiences at the Biological Field Station. Students will learn the impact that humans have on the ecosystem. A large component of the program will be research and problem solving, with students looking at ways to address the ecological problems caused by technological advances.
Ninth Grade
The morning course will be Creative Writing . The class provides practice in the processes of composing poetry, descriptive and narrative essays, and short fiction. While the course promotes self-expression, it also fosters critical thinking, imagination and development of language and style. Students will edit and critique their own work, as well as the work of others. Each student will produce at least one independent project for publication in the class literary magazine.
The afternoon course will be Botany, a laboratory-based, half-unit course applying basic biological principles to the study of bacteria, protists, fungi, and plants. The class will cover morphological characteristics of each kingdom and variation in their reproduction, taxonomy and physiology. This course is a good introduction to biology..
Tenth Grade
The morning course will be Basic Computer Programming. The class is an introductory-level programming language designed to develop the skills needed to write simple programs. Students will develop and improve logical thinking and decision-making skills. Students must have taken eighth-grade Computer Discovery or Keyboarding and Computer Applications, as well as Algebra I. If a 10th-grade student has not met these requirements, he or she will have to choose an eighth- or ninth-grade course.
The afternoon course will be Mississippi Writers, a half-unit language arts elective course. The class emphasizes Mississippi's rich leterary heritage through a study of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama. Students will look at the contribution Mississippi writers have made to the American literary tradition. Students will engage in group discussions, individual projects, writing assignments and reading to help them discover their own sense of place.
Applicants should complete the application forms, being sure to have the school official sign the form and attach a transcript of the student's work. Applications will be reviewed, and eligible students will be accepted on a first come, first-served basis. Enrollment in each course will be limited to 20 students.
For additional information, please contact:
Summer Accelerated Studies
Office of Summer School
P. O. Box 9
University, MS 38677-0009Telephone: 662-915-1203
Fax: 662-915-1535
email: umsummer@olemiss.edu
