Skip to body

Continuing Education

Program Description - Cornerstone

What is Cornerstone?

CWU's Cornerstone Program is designed to offer highly capable students the opportunity to take rigorous college courses while in high school. The courses are taught by qualified high school instructors who have been approved by Central Washington University for lecturer status. All Cornerstone classes are the same challenging courses offered at the university. The credits earned, if applied at Central Washington University or transferred to another institution, should enhance students' progress toward a degree, reduce the cost of college and strengthen their chances of being accepted to their college of choice.

Welcome to Central Washington University from the President, James L. Gaudino

President Guadino

I am delighted to invite our state's high schools and their students to participate in the CWU Cornerstone Program. This partnership between Central Washington University and the state's high schools enables highly capable high school students to experience the challenge of rigorous college coursework and to begin their college experience in the familiar surroundings of their high schools. We want this to be a lasting partnership, one that works well for the schools and one that encourages students to continue their education at Central Washington University after graduation from high school. We believe that, through this program, students truly are "laying the foundation for a successful transition to higher education."

Mission Statement

Central Washington University's mission is to prepare students for responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth, and enlightened and productive lives. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni serve as an intellectual resource to assist central Washington, the state, and the region in solving human and environmental problems.

Expectations

CWU Cornerstone Program courses offer students an experience that is identical, in most aspects, to that of students enrolled in the same course on CWU's campus - learning objectives, tests, instructional materials, coursework, grading standards and course design.

Certain CWU Cornerstone courses, specifically those offered through the Math and English departments, have prerequisites that must be met before students may register. These prerequisites typically include taking the ACT, SAT, or the CPT college placement test. Testing information is available here. Students should plan to take these tests in the spring prior to enrolling in the program. View a complete list of course prerequisites.

Rewards

Tuition for CWU Cornerstone Program courses is less than half the regular University tuition, which allows participating students to reduce their overall college costs.

CWU Cornerstone Program students may expect the credits earned through this program to be fully accepted by the majority of colleges and universities. Central Washington University credits are accepted by all regionally accredited institutions. However, standard practices of higher education institutions suggest that any type of transfer credit be made on a case-by-case basis, usually in conjunction with the student's high school record. Credits earned through the Cornerstone Program are fully transferable to Central Washington University.

CWU Cornerstone students have access to Central Washington University Library services when performing research projects for their courses. These services include access to more than 40 databases, all of which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students also have access to Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. If a journal or article is not available via print in one of our databases, a photocopy from another library will be obtained for the students at no charge. Access the Library's website.

 

  • Printer-friendly version
  • Send by email
  • PDF version