Instructor & Faculty Liaison Resources

The Jayhawk Blueprint Program values our strong partnerships with the concurrent enrollment instructors within Lawrence Public Schools and our faculty liaisons at the University of Kansas. The Jayhawk Blueprint Program collaborates closely with the high school instructors and faculty liaisons to ensure and maintain the same level of academic rigor and curriculum standards within the concurrent enrollment courses in the high schools as their KU counterparts.

Who Teaches Jayhawk Blueprint Courses

Jayhawk Blueprint courses are taught by qualified instructors in the high schools. KU departments approve the concurrent enrollment instructors as they are identified by the school district. Instructors must meet specific criteria set by the Higher Learning Commission.

Instructor Qualifications Criteria

Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship

Who Proposes New Jayhawk Blueprint Courses

Typically this process is led by the Lawrence Public School District. They must have qualified instructors at both Lawrence High School and Free State High School as well as room in their schedule to teach the course. The Jayhawk Blueprint team works closely throughout any new course proposal process to connect the District with the KU departments as needed.

Who Approves Jayhawk Blueprint Courses

Once a Jayhawk Blueprint course is approved by the KU department the course is offered by, the department will work with the high school instructor to discuss course content. The faculty liaison will train and support the high school instructor and observe each course at least once a year to ensure quality.

Information for Jayhawk Blueprint Instructors

Jayhawk Blueprint Program instructors are teachers employed by the school district who meet qualifications to teach concurrent enrollment courses outlined by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Jayhawk Blueprint instructors are supported by faculty liaisons from KU's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

To meet the required HLC instructor qualifications, Jayhawk Blueprint instructors must either:

Have a master's degree in the subject area of the course(s) they teach or
Have a master's degree plus at least 18 graduate credits in the subject area of the course(s) they teach

Jayhawk Blueprint instructors have until September 2025 to achieve the above criteria. If a Jayhawk Blueprint instructor does not currently meet the qualifications, they will need to work with the Jayhawk Blueprint coordinator to complete and regularly update a compliance plan to work toward meeting the HLC qualifications established deadline. Contact Melissa Johnson, Program Coordinator, with any concerns or questions.

Submit a Concurrent Enrollment Instructor Information Form and a copy of your transcripts and current resume to the Jayhawk Blueprint Program Coordinator and ensure that information is updated as needed.
Provide all Jayhawk Blueprint students a University course syllabus at the beginning of each Jayhawk Blueprint course, the syllabus will be based upon the University course outline, formatted according to University course syllabus guidelines, and will parallel an on-campus syllabus in form and content.
Ensure that course objectives or competencies match those required for the course as indicated on the University course outline and reflected on the University course syllabus. Additional objectives, competencies, or other material may be included in the curriculum and may be appended to the syllabus.
Use the adopted University textbooks for all Jayhawk Blueprint courses. Exceptions must be approved by the University department and program.
Uphold standards, requirements, and rigor necessary for college credit to be earned by students.
Partner with the University faculty liaison for course development, onboarding, and training.
Administer final exams in those courses in which such exams are required for on-campus courses. Adhere to University departmental procedures on administration and security of exams.
Return final grade rosters to the University faculty liaison by the date specified for each semester or year.
Facilitate faculty liaison visits and Jayhawk Blueprint instructor peer evaluations, and respond in a timely manner to faculty liaison emails, phone calls, or other communications.
Conduct student evaluations of the course as required by the University.
Cooperate with the University in responding to other routine requests.
Ensure that all Jayhawk Blueprint instructor responsibilities, rules, deadlines, and procedures are adhered to.

Academic Accommodations

The Lawrence Public School District and the University of Kansas will work together to provide reasonable academic accommodations for students completing Jayhawk Blueprint courses.

The following are examples of reasonable academic accommodations that are available for USD 497 high school students participating in the Jayhawk Blueprint Program.

Extended time on exams (1.5x & 2x)
Reduced distraction room for exams
Readers/scribes/assistive technology on exams
Note taking in the classroom
Audio recording lectures
Preferred seating
American Sign Language interpreting services
Computer Aided Real-Time Transcription (CART)
Textbooks/course reading materials available in accessible formats (e-text, Braille, large print, etc.)

Certain academic accommodation requests require additional information to determine if the accommodation is reasonable. Below are some examples that require additional discussion with faculty and program administrators. Students interested in using these accommodations need to start the process by submitting their IEP or 504 Plan to the Student Access Center at KU, along with any other supporting documentation they may have. Please have students use this link to complete the online application.

Use of notes on exams
Reduced number of choices on multiple choice exams
Reduced number of written pages on out of class writing assignments
Extended time on out of class assignments
Exempt from giving a speech in front of the class

If you or your student has any questions about accommodations, please have them contact either Lori Stithem (lstithem@usd497.org), Director of Special Education (6-12) at USD 497 or Arika Sprecker (arikas@ku.edu), Associate Director of the KU Student Access Center.

Tutoring at KU

Tutoring Services in the Center for Learning and Writing Support at KU provides students enrolled in Jayhawk Blueprint courses free course-specific tutoring support through 1-on-1 appointments. Students can schedule a meeting with a tutor to help them understand course concepts and problems covered in the course. Course availability may vary by semester, but typically includes MATH 101 and BIOL 100/102. Students may visit their website for more information and to schedule an appointment.

Writing Support at KU

The KU Writing Center offers free writing tutoring services to all students enrolled in a Jayhawk Blueprint course. The peer writing consultants can help students with writing for any class at any stage of the process from brainstorming to revision. This is a great support option for students taking ENGL 101 or 102 as well as COMS 130. They offer three different types of writing consultation appointments: face-to-face consultations, videoconferencing appointments, and etutoring appointments. Students may visit their website for more information and to schedule an appointment.

https://writing.ku.edu/how-consultations-work.

Enrollment Process and Required Forms

To enroll in a Jayhawk Blueprint course(s), student need to first talk to their high school counselor and enroll within their high school. Then they need to complete the required enrollment form.

Students Must Complete the Required Enrollment Form

If a student is new to Jayhawk Blueprint OR did not take a Jayhawk Blueprint course the previous semester, they will have to apply to KU as a non-degree seeking student—the $40 application fee is waived! This application requires a signature from both the student and parent/guardian.

If a student completed a Jayhawk Blueprint course the previous semester, they will need to complete the brief Jayhawk Blueprint sign-up form. The information will help the Jayhawk Blueprint team gather important information, including consent and contact information for the student.

Enrollment in KU Classes

This step does not require any action on the part of the student (or parent/guardian). If they are enrolled at their high school and have completed the required sign-up form or non-degree seeking application (see above), the Jayhawk Blueprint team will take care of enrolling students each semester, as long as the student does not have an outstanding balance. A zero tuition and fees balance must exist for enrollment to be processed at KU. If a student cannot be enrolled at KU, they will not earn college credit.

Dropping a Course

Any student who decides (with their counselor’s input) that they want to drop a Jayhawk Blueprint course at KU MUSTcomplete a drop form. Students may access the drop form through their counselor. Students need to submit a drop form as soon as possible for both semester and year-long courses, as the date stamped on the drop form dictates whether a student will receive a full or partial refund or receive a “W” on their transcript. Please make sure students and parents are aware of the penalties for dropping a course.

Potential ramifications of dropping a Jayhawk Blueprint course:

Depending on the drop date, students may only receive a partial or no refund for tuition/fees
Depending on the drop date, students may receive a permanent “W” for “withdraw” on their transcript
Note: if students have not paid their Jayhawk Blueprint bill and they drop after the 100% refund deadline, they will still be responsible for all or part of the course cost depending when they drop the course.