Early College Administrative Resources

Clear and early communication is essential. Schools should submit course offerings well in advance so schedules can be built and published. Schools are encouraged to communicate consistently with students and families about application and registration steps.

The Early College team can assist with scheduling registration days at your school if needed. Once the course schedule is built, schools should verify that all offerings are accurate. As weekly rosters are distributed leading up to the registration deadline, counselors and administrators should review them carefully to ensure students are enrolled in the correct courses.

Course offering templates are distributed by the Early College team in the summer prior to the Fall Accelerated Experience and Yearlong Instruction terms, and again in the fall prior to the spring term.

The template can be completed in a few simple steps:

1. Select your school from the dropdown menu in cell A2. This will automatically populate the school column.
2. Select each individual course from the dropdown menu on a separate line.
   For example, if your school is offering three sections of BIOL 161, that course should be entered on three separate lines, with the remaining fields completed for each section. If a course does not appear in the dropdown, it may be entered manually on the second tab.
3. Enter the name of the corresponding high school course.
   This should match exactly what appears on the student’s high school schedule. If you are unsure which courses articulate, please contact the Early College team.
4. Enter the class period for each section.
   This information is used to generate the course code. Each school has a unique letter code followed by the class period. For example, a section of ENGL 151 offered at Toms River East during period 3 would be coded as ENGL 151 TE3. If two sections meet during the same period, the first letter of each instructor’s last name will be added to differentiate sections.
5. Enter the instructor’s first and last name.
   If the instructor has had a recent name change, please note this in the Notes column.
6. Save the file and email it back as an Excel attachment. Shared Google documents cannot be opened.
7. If additional courses need to be added later, please complete and resubmit the template again using the same format.

The information provided is used to build the course schedule and update your school’s landing page.

Yes. A communication template is available that includes contact information, application and registration steps, parental forms, and tuition payment information.

Students should follow the step by step application tutorial provided by the Early College team.

Students should use the appropriate registration tutorial based on where the course is offered. One PDF tutorial is provided for dual enrollment courses taught at the high school, and a separate tutorial is available for courses taken on campus or online through OCC.

After a student completes self registration through Ocean Connect, a parent or guardian must complete the Parental Consent Form. This form is required for all high school students enrolled in OCC courses. The form is completed online through Ocean Connect and must be signed by both the student and the parent or guardian. A PDF version of the form is also available.

In addition, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 governs access to student educational records. Because dual enrolled students are considered college students for FERPA purposes, a FERPA Authorization to Release Information form is required if parents or guardians wish to access student records.

The FERPA authorization can be completed online through Ocean Connect or submitted using the PDF version. PDF submissions should be emailed to earlycollege@ocean.edu along with a legible copy of the student’s government issued photo ID or student ID card. Additional FERPA and student proxy information is available on the FERPA webpage.

Embedded instructors must hold a master’s degree or have a minimum of five years of teaching experience. To apply, instructors should complete the embedded instructor application using the provided link. A resume or cover letter is not required. Applicants must upload copies of all applicable college transcripts, whether bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral, as well as a New Jersey teaching certificate or any other relevant teaching certifications, if applicable.

Schools interested in becoming Early College partners should contact earlycollege@ocean.edu to schedule an introductory meeting with the Executive Director of Early College.

As a dual enrollment instructor, your role is very similar to your role as a high school instructor. You remain primarily accountable to your high school administration and follow your school’s policies and procedures. The course you are teaching has already been articulated between your high school and the college, so your responsibility is to deliver the approved college level curriculum as outlined. Your primary college related responsibility is administrative: ensuring that you can access your Ocean County College account and Ocean Connect, and that you submit student grades at the end of each term as required.

To apply as an embedded instructor, please complete the application using this link. A resume or cover letter is not required. However, you must upload a copy of any college transcripts, whether bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral if applicable, as well as a copy of your New Jersey teaching certificate or any other relevant teaching certifications, if applicable.

If you have questions about policies, grading, or instructor requirements, please contact the Early College team at earlycollege@ocean.edu or call 732-255-0534.

Once you have been approved, you will receive your OCC username and a temporary password. You will use this information to log in to Ocean Connect, which provides access to your OCC email and the Faculty Portal where grades are submitted.

Please note that Ocean Connect requires a password reset every 90 days. In addition, accounts that have not been accessed in over six months are automatically set to inactive. Embedded instructors are more likely to encounter this issue since access is typically needed only a few times per year, such as during grade submission periods.

If you are ever locked out of your account, the quickest solution is to contact the IT Helpdesk by phone while they assist you with a password reset.
IT Helpdesk: 732-255-0400 x2144
Email: helpdesk@ocean.edu

To help prevent future access issues, instructors are strongly encouraged to log in to Ocean Connect at least once every 90 days. You may also enroll in Single Sign On, which prevents the six month inactivity lockout. Instructions for registering can be found here: Self Service Password Reset Detailed.pdf.

If you encounter any login issues at any time, the IT Helpdesk is your primary point of contact.

Step by step grade submission instructions are available in the linked PDF. Upcoming grade deadlines will be posted at the top of this page. You will submit the same letter grade that the student received on their high school transcript.

Before the deadline, please log in to Ocean Connect and review your faculty portal to ensure that all assigned classes and student rosters are visible. This will help avoid last minute issues when submitting grades.

As you prepare to submit grades, please be aware that login issues may occur due to password expiration or account inactivity. Ocean Connect requires a password reset every 90 days, and accounts that have not been accessed in over six months are automatically set to inactive. Embedded instructors may encounter this more frequently since access is typically needed only a few times per year.

If you experience any issues or have questions at any point, please do not hesitate to email or call the Early College team for assistance.

Please review your class roster using the same process outlined in the grade submission instructions. At the start of the term and again before the grade submission deadline, compare the roster in the college system with your high school roster to ensure they match.

You should also confirm with your students that anyone who intends to participate in dual enrollment is correctly enrolled and that students who do not wish to participate have not registered in error. If you notice any discrepancies, please report them immediately to the Early College team.

Submit a grade change request to earlycollege@ocean.edu.