Academic & Student Affairs Handbook

Academics Affairs Division

2.9 Learning Support

(Last Modified March 5, 2019)   Report a broken link

SOURCES:
BoR POLICY MANUAL 3.3.7, LEARNING SUPPORT PROGRAMS

2.9.1 Administrative Procedures for Learning Support Programs

(Last Modified March 28, 2023)   Report a broken link

Last reviewed: February 2019

Learning Support is a generic term for programs designed to assist students with collegiate work. USG institutions may serve students who fall below USG collegiate placement standards but also have the flexibility to develop more rigorous academic criteria with which their students must comply. Learning Support programs are intended to serve students who need additional support in mathematics or English (reading/writing). Students who may be served within the Learning Support program are:

A. Students who do not meet USG criteria to exempt Learning Support placement.

B. Students who are determined by the institution to need academic assistance even though they are eligible to be admitted without Learning Support requirements under USG policy.

C. Students who elect to enroll in Learning Support courses to gain additional support while they are enrolled in entry-level English and mathematics courses.

2.9.1.1. Organization and Staff

  1. Each institution that accepts students with Learning Support requirements must designate a Learning Support Coordinator. The duties of the Learning Support Coordinator will include, but not be limited to:

    • Serving as a point of contact for the System Office for matters related to Learning Support.
    • Ensuring that appropriate corequisite Learning Support courses are provided for all admitted students requiring Learning Support.
    • Coordinating with institutional admissions, testing centers, and academic departments as needed regarding placement, and ensuring that all students are appropriately placed.
    • Ensuring that Learning Support placement and progress are accurately flagged and tracked in Banner.
    • Ensuring that the fundamental features of corequisite Learning Support are fully implemented at the institution.
    • Ensuring that corequisite Learning Support courses are carefully and appropriately coordinated with the college level courses they are intended to support.
    • Providing or coordinating training of institutional faculty, staff, and administrators as needed to ensure appropriate implementation of the corequisite Learning Support model.
  2. Institutions must have appropriate faculty or staff members who are responsible for determining appropriate placement and instruction of students enrolled in Learning Support courses.

  3. The record of each student’s Learning Support course work, including courses taken and grades earned will be maintained in a USG-approved format by the registrar as part of each student’s academic record.

  4. Each institution shall develop a set of procedures for its Learning Support programs. These procedures will include guidelines for implementing Board of Regents policy and administrative procedures and USG test administration guidelines as well as additional institutional policies and procedures. Such procedures shall be approved by the Chief Academic Officer and the President. The Chief Academic Officer of each institution will provide written notification to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer of the USG that the institutional procedures are consistent with Board Policy and Procedures.

  5. All USG institutions that accept students requiring Learning Support will provide Learning Support exclusively in accordance with USG rules regarding Learning Support program operation (ASAH 2.9.1-2.9.3).

2.9.1.2. Evaluation for Learning Support Placement

The “default placement” for all students will be in entry-level collegiate English and mathematics with corequisite Learning Support unless the exemption criteria outlined below are met.

  • Students who do not meet any exemption criteria may waive placement testing if they are willing to accept placement in corequisite Learning Support at the highest level of credit intensity offered at the institution.
  • In mathematics, students who do not meet any exemption criteria must be placed in MATH 1001 Quantitative Reasoning, MATH 1101 Introduction to Mathematical Modeling, or MATH/STAT 1401 Elementary Statistics with Corequisite Learning Support at the highest level of credit intensity offered at the institution.
  • All students must be made aware that they have the OPTION to take placement tests, which may place them directly into collegiate courses or in less credit-intensive levels of corequisite Learning Support. Students interested in taking placement tests should not be discouraged from doing so.
  • Exception: students wishing to enroll in MATH 1111 College Algebra, (with or without corequisite Learning Support), must take the mathematics placement test unless they have met the criteria for direct placement into MATH 1111 or MATH 1111 with corequisite Learning Support (see below).

All entering students will be enrolled in ENGL 1101 English Composition I and the corequisite Learning Support course, ENGL 0999 Support for English Composition, unless they meet or exceed one or more of the exemption criteria listed below or are enrolled in a program for which ENGL 1101 is not required. If students enroll in programs that do not require ENGL 1101, but they choose to take this course, standard assessment and placement rules will apply.

All entering students will be enrolled in one of four standard Area A college-level credit bearing mathematics courses (MATH 1001 Quantitative Reasoning, MATH 1101 Introduction to Mathematical Modeling, MATH/STAT 1401 Elementary Statistics, or MATH 1111 College Algebra) and a corequisite Learning Support course unless they meet one of the exemption criteria listed below or are enrolled in a program for which a mathematics course is not required. If students enroll in programs that do not require a mathematics course, but they choose to take a mathematics course, standard assessment and placement rules will apply.

To exempt placement in corequisite Learning Support students must:

For English (reading/writing): Students must meet or exceed one or more of the criteria listed below. Students must

  • have transferred or transferable credit for an Area A English course (must meet the minimum grade requirement for the institution – which may be a “C” or higher); OR
  • have an English Placement Index (EPI) of 4230 or higher; OR
  • have a High School Grade Point Average (HSGPA) of 2.7 or higher AND have completed the Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) in English; OR
  • score 430 or higher on the SAT (old) Critical Reading; OR
  • score 480 or higher on the SAT (new) Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) section; OR
  • score 17 or higher on the ACT English or ACT Reading; OR
  • score 61 or higher on the Classic Accuplacer Reading Comprehension test AND score 4 or higher on the Accuplacer WritePlacer test; OR
  • score 237 or higher on the Next-Generation Accuplacer Reading Comprehension test AND score 4 or higher on the Accuplacer WritePlacer test.

For Mathematics:

Placement in MATH 1111 (College Algebra) without corequisite Learning Support. Students must meet or exceed one or more of the criteria listed below. Students meeting these criteria will also be eligible to enroll in MATH 1001 (Quantitative Reasoning), MATH 1101 (Introduction to Mathematical Modeling), or MATH/STAT 1401 (Elementary Statistics) without corequisite Learning Support. Students must

  • have transferred or transferable credit for an Area A mathematics course (must meet the minimum grade requirement for the institution – which may be a “C” or higher); OR
  • have been placed in pre-calculus or a higher mathematics course (e.g., College Trigonometry or some form of calculus); OR
  • have a High School Grade Point Average (HSGPA) of 3.2 or higher AND have completed the Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) in Mathematics; OR
  • have a Mathematics Placement Index (MPI) of 1265 or higher OR
  • score 470 or higher on the SAT (old) Mathematics; OR
  • score 510 or higher on the SAT (new) Mathematics section; OR
  • score 20 or higher on the ACT Mathematics; OR
  • score 79 or higher on the Classic Accuplacer Elementary Algebra test; OR
  • score 266 or higher on the Next-Generation Accuplacer Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics test.

Students who do not meet the criteria for placement into MATH 1111 without corequisite Learning Support may meet criteria for placement into MATH 1111 with corequisite Learning Support or MATH 1001 or MATH 1101, or MATH/STAT 1401 without corequisite Learning Support.

For placement into MATH 1111 with corequisite Learning Support or MATH 1001, MATH 1101, or MATH/STAT 1401 without corequisite Learning Support students must

  • have a High School Grade Point Average (HSGPA) of 3.1 or higher AND have completed the Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) in Mathematics; OR
  • have a Mathematics Placement Index (MPI) of 1165 or higher OR
  • score 400 or higher on the SAT (old) Mathematics; OR
  • score 440 or higher on the SAT (new) Mathematics section; OR
  • score 17 or higher on the ACT Mathematics; OR
  • score 67 or higher on the Classic Accuplacer Elementary Algebra test; OR
  • score 258 or higher on the Next-Generation Accuplacer Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics test.

Students who do not meet criteria for placement into MATH 1111 with corequisite Learning Support or MATH 1001, MATH 1101, or MATH/STAT 1401 without corequisite Learning Support will be placed in MATH 1001, MATH 1101, or MATH/STAT 1401 with corequisite Learning Support.

Students wishing to take MATH 1111 who do not receive initial placement into MATH 1111 with or without Learning Support must take MATH 1001, MATH 1101 or MATH/STAT 1401 with or without Learning Support. Upon successful completion of MATH 1001, MATH 1101 or MATH/STAT 1401 these students will be eligible to enroll in MATH 1111 without corequisite Learning Support.

Institutions may set higher scores or require additional measures for screening and placement into collegiate courses or into MATH 1111 with corequisite Learning Support.

A Mathematics Placement Index (MPI) and an English Placement Index (EPI) may be calculated based on High School Grade Point Average (HSGPA), SAT or ACT and, when indicated, the Classic Accuplacer placement tests.

For instructions on how to calculate the EPI and the MPI, click here.

USG institutions may accept Accuplacer scores from tests administered by other USG or non-USG institutions or agencies as long as the receiving USG institution has agreed to do so and the scores are transmitted through official secure channels. Transmission of placement test scores may be through official transcript, direct electronic transfer between institutions, e-mail from a verified e-mail address, or fax from a verified fax number.

2.9.1.3. Rules Regarding Learning Support Program Operation

  1. Learning Support courses are to be offered exclusively in “corequisite” format. The corequisite format means that students requiring Learning Support will enroll in both a collegiate course (ENGL 1101, MATH 1001, MATH 1101, or MATH 1111) and a corequisite Learning Support course (ENGL 0999, MATH 0997, MATH 0998, or MATH 0999) that is designed to support mastery of the skills and concepts needed to pass the collegiate course in a “just-in-time” manner. Each corequisite course will be a required course that is aligned with and offered alongside the appropriate college-level course and should be designed specifically to help students master the skills and knowledge required for success in the linked college-level course. The college-level and corequisite sections must be carefully coordinated. In particular, the college-level and corequisite sections must cover the same topics in the same order at the same time.

  2. Courses in the Learning Support program shall include courses in English (reading/writing) and mathematics. Learning Support courses in English and mathematics shall carry course numbers of 0999 or below (see section 2.9.2).

  3. Students who are required to enroll in corequisite Learning Support courses along with collegiate courses must remain enrolled in BOTH courses. Students may not withdraw from either the corequisite Learning Support course or the paired collegiate course without withdrawing from both courses.

  4. Learning Support programs shall coordinate academic advisement of their students to ensure that these students are informed about their requirements.

  5. No degree credit will be earned in Learning Support courses, but institutional credit will be awarded.

  6. The following grades defined in detail in BoR Policy 3.5 are approved for LS courses in English (reading/writing), and mathematics:

    GradeDefinition
    A, B, or C Passing course grade
    F or WF Failing course grade
    I Academic progress satisfactory, but coursework incomplete (may only be awarded if the student also receives an “I” in the paired collegiate course)
    W Withdrawal without penalty
    WM Withdrawal without penalty for military service
    V Student auditing LS course that is not required but taken voluntarily

2.9.1.4. Rules for Students in Learning Support Programs

Satisfaction of Learning Support Requirements

Students will satisfy and exit Learning Support requirements by successfully passing (as defined by the institution) the corresponding Area A collegiate-level course.

Courses with Learning Support Prerequisites or Corequisites

  1. Students who are required to enroll in corequisite Learning Support courses are not permitted to enroll in credit-bearing courses that require mastery of the content or skills of the Learning Support courses as prerequisites.

  2. Institutions shall inform students of collegiate courses that require completion of or exemption from corequisite Learning Support courses. The following core curriculum areas may require students to complete or exempt corequisite Learning Support requirements.
    • Completion or exemption from corequisite Learning Support English may be a prerequisite for Social, Natural, and Physical Science courses. (Additional areas for exit or exemption such as Learning Support Mathematics are at the discretion of the institution.)
    • Placement into or exemption from corequisite Learning Support English is required for placement into ENGL 1101. Completion or exemption from corequisite Learning Support English is required for placement into all other college-level English courses.
    • Placement into or exemption from corequisite Learning Support mathematics is required for placement into MATH 1001, 1101, or 1111. Completion of or exemption from corequisite Learning Support mathematics is required for placement into all other college level mathematics courses.
    • Completion or exemption from corequisite Learning Support mathematics may be a prerequisite for physics and chemistry courses.
    • Any courses with prerequisite a of any other college-level course would require exit or exemption from related Learning Support requirements.
    • It is recommended that courses such as music, art, and drama remain open for students with Learning Support requirements whenever possible.

USG-mandated Enrollment in Learning Support Courses

The following requirements apply to students who have USG-mandated Learning Support requirements.

  1. During each semester of enrollment, students must first register for all required corequisite Learning Support courses and paired collegiate courses before being allowed to register for other courses. This policy also applies to part-time students. Two exceptions are possible:
    • Students requiring Learning Support in both English and mathematics may defer enrollment in corequisite Learning Support and the accompanying collegiate courses in one area, but must be continuously enrolled in one or both until the college-level courses have been passed. In cases where students cannot take courses in both Learning Support areas simultaneously, enrollment in ENGL 1101 with corequisite Learning Support should take priority. All Area A requirements must be completed within the first 30 credit hours, including college-level and corequisite requirements in both English and mathematics.
    • In the event that a required corequisite Learning Support/collegiate course pair is not available, a student may enroll in one or more unrelated courses for degree credit if the student has met the course requirements, subject to the written approval of the President or designee.
  2. Students who have accumulated 30 semester hours of college-level credit and have not successfully completed required Learning Support courses may enroll only in corequisite Learning Support courses and paired collegiate courses until all Area A requirements are successfully completed. Students with transfer credit or credit earned in a certificate or prior degree program who are required to take corequisite Learning Support courses for their current degree objectives may earn up to 30 additional hours of college-level credit. After earning the additional hours, such students may only enroll in corequisite Learning Support courses until all Area A requirements have been completed. Institutions have the authority to limit accumulation of college-level credit without completion of Area A requirements to 20 hours.

Enrollment in Institutionally-Required Learning Support Courses

Students who exceed the USG minimum requirements but are required by the institution to take Learning Support courses may, at the institution’s option, be exempted from any or all of the requirements specified in Section 2.9.1.4 above. However, all such Learning Support requirements imposed by the institution must be satisfied by the time the student has earned 30 semester credit hours or the student must enroll in course work that will satisfy the requirements every semester of enrollment until the requirements are satisfied.

Voluntary Enrollment in Learning Support Courses

Students who are not required to take Learning Support courses in a disciplinary area may elect to enroll in Learning Support courses in a non-required area for institutional credit or on an audit basis.

Learning Support for Transfer Students

Students transferring into a USG institution will be exempt from Learning Support English requirements if they have completed a transferrable Area A English course and will be exempt from Learning Support Mathematics requirements if they have completed a transferrable Area A mathematics course. Otherwise, they will be evaluated for Learning Support/collegiate placement according to the same criteria as other entering students.

Learning Support Rules for Returning Students

Students who return to USG institutions after an absence are subject to the following rules concerning Learning Support.

  • Students who have completed transferable coursework in Area A English or mathematics are exempt from Learning Support requirements in that area.
  • Students who were exempt from Learning Support requirements during their previous attendance period remain exempt from those requirements upon readmission.
  • Students who last attended with outstanding Learning Support requirements will be placed in the appropriate Area A courses with corequisite Learning Support courses upon readmission. Students who do not wish to be placed in Learning Support may opt to be reevaluated or to take a placement test for possible Learning Support exemption.

Students with Special Needs

  1. Students with documented learning disorders as defined in the Academic & Student Affairs Handbook, Section 3.3, who are required to enroll in Learning Support, must fulfill all stated requirements, including placement testing (if needed, Next-Generation Accuplacer or system-approved alternate) and course requirements. General and specific guidelines for documentation of learning disorders appear in Section 3, Appendices D and E. Students will be provided with appropriate testing and/or course accommodations as described in 3.3.5, Learning Support Considerations.

  2. Appropriate course and testing accommodations should be made for students with sensory, mobility, or systemic disorders. General and specific guidelines for documentation of these disorders appear in Section 3, Appendices D and E. Documentation on such students is to be maintained at the institution and summarized in the annual report on accommodations for students with disabilities.


2.9.2 Numbering of Learning Support Courses

(Last Modified February 26, 2019)   Report a broken link

Last reviewed: February 2019

A uniform procedure is to be used in reporting credit for Learning Support courses on the workload of both instructor and student. These courses should be reported on the workload of both instructor and student in the same way that courses for degree credit are reported.

All Learning Support courses should carry course numbers of 0999 or below.

Approved Learning Support course numbers and titles and their paired collegiate courses are listed below:

English
ENGL 0999
Support for English Composition (1 – 3 credits) paired with ENGL 1101 English Composition I

Mathematics
MATH 0997
Support for Quantitative Reasoning (1 – 3 credits) paired with MATH 1001 Quantitative Reasoning

MATH 0998 Support for Mathematical Modeling (1 – 3 credits) paired with MATH 1101 Introduction to Mathematical Modeling

MATH 0999 Support for College Algebra (1 – 3 credits) paired with MATH 1111 College Algebra

These courses should not form a part of associate degree or baccalaureate programs. Credit awarded for these courses may not be used to fulfill requirements for associate or baccalaureate degrees.


2.9.3 Reporting and Recording Learning Support Status

(Last Modified October 1, 2020)   Report a broken link

Last reviewed: February 2019

All students enrolled in Learning Support courses will be reported in the USG Academic Data Collection as having Learning Support requirements or enrolling as volunteers.

For placement and exit codes for students entering Fall Semester 2015 through Summer Semester 2018 click here.

For placement and exit codes for students entering Fall Quarter 1994 through Summer Semester 2015 click here.

For placement and exit codes for students entering prior to Fall Quarter 1994, click here.


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