Early Enrollment Program – Teacher Participation

If you have at least three years of teaching experience and hold a master's degree in your subject area, you may already be qualified to bring Rhode Island College credit to your students. Some departments have specialized or alternative requirements — for example, relevant business experience or a master's degree with 15 graduate credits in the field — so don't rule yourself out before checking. Every course is matched to the same academic standards RIC expects on its own campus, so your students earn credit that counts.

Getting started is simple — just email the EEP at eep@ric.edu with the following:

• Your undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are fine — RIC will pull your official ones)
• Your résumé
• A proposed course syllabus (need a starting point? Sample syllabi are available on request. Note: your EEP syllabus can't reference AP or Honors, even if your class is blended with one of these at your school)

To give yourself the best shot at a fall start, aim to submit everything by April 1 — the final deadline is April 15. Can't scan your transcripts? Mail them in instead. Running into a last-minute snag, like a retirement opening up a teaching slot? Your on-site coordinator can reach out to the EEP office about an exception — though approval so close to the deadline can't be guaranteed.

Your materials go straight to the RIC faculty liaison in your subject area, who reviews your credentials to confirm you meet department standards for adjunct-level teaching, and reviews your syllabus against RIC's course expectations (working with you on any tweaks needed). Once approved, you're officially an EEP Instructor — and the EEP Office will make sure you and your on-site coordinator have everything you need to get the course up and running.

Absolutely. If it's been more than three years since you last taught in the EEP, just send updated materials (résumé, syllabus, and transcripts if applicable) to the EEP Office to pick up where you left off.

• Teach your assigned course using the syllabus approved with your RIC faculty liaison
• Refresh your syllabus with the EEP Office each year, and keep your résumé current
• Stay connected with your school's on-site coordinator (OSC), including how many sections you're teaching
• Welcome one yearly visit from your RIC faculty liaison per course
• Loop your OSC in on any communication with the RIC/EEP Office

One thing to keep in mind: student teachers are welcome to observe your EEP class, but current EEP guidelines reserve the teaching itself for approved EEP instructors.

You stay in the driver's seat on day-to-day academics — things like academic honesty policies and plagiarism penalties are set by you and your high school. When it's time for final grades, you'll use RIC's official scale (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F) so the credit transfers cleanly.

A "W" (withdrawal) can be submitted when a student has dropped the class and won't receive high school credit, has moved away from the school, or faces documented extenuating circumstances like a long-term illness (submit these to the EEP Office for review). Just note that a W can't be issued after the class has already ended.

Yes — EEP Instructors receive a stipend for their work (a W-9 comes in with your grade sheets each year). Your first year in the program includes a brief review period, giving your RIC faculty liaison a chance to check in on the course; after that, you continue on a year-to-year basis. It's a flexible, low-commitment way to keep growing as an educator while opening doors for your students.

Every school in the EEP has an On-Site Coordinator — the go-to person who keeps the program running smoothly on the ground: registration, grading logistics, fee assistance, scholarship selection, and more. It's a great fit for a teacher (EEP instructors welcome), school counselor, administrator, or member of the administrative staff who wants to champion college access at their school.

• Be the advisor students and EEP instructors turn to at your school
• Help make sure every EEP instructor at your school meets program requirements
• Champion the EEP — introduce new courses and spread the word to students, parents, counselors, and administrators
• Keep information flowing promptly between your school and the EEP office
• Confirm which teachers and courses are running each semester before registration opens
• Gather and forward materials for any teacher applying to become an EEP instructor
• Hit EEP deadlines for registrations, class rosters, and grades

OSCs receive a stipend for their work with the program (submitted with a W-9 alongside grade sheets each year). You'll also get a campus ID card — your ticket to RIC's Adams Library and its online resources, plus discounts on many campus performances and events.

Like the instructor role, this is a year-to-year commitment rather than a permanent position, giving you the flexibility to support your school's students without a long-term contract.

Life happens — and when it does, a quick heads-up keeps everything on track. Let the EEP Office know right away about any course changes or an instructor's long-term absence (more than two weeks), whether it's medical leave, military duty, jury duty, or anything else unexpected. Let them know your school's plan for covering the class, too.

Here's why the timing matters: if the EEP office isn't notified, or the substitute isn't an approved EEP instructor, the course can't continue to run for college credit. If that happens, the EEP Office will loop in your principal and RIC's faculty liaison — and it'll be up to the OSC to promptly let affected students know. Any student or parent concerns get referred back to the high school, so keeping communication open helps everyone avoid surprises.