2.09.02: Administrative Procedures/Learning Support

SUBJECT: Learning Support Administrative Procedures
SOURCE: Memorandum from the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to Chief Academic Officers, 8/22/89; Memorandum from the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to Presidents, Chief Academic Officers, Chief Student Officers, 10/28/91. Memorandum from the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to Presidents, Chief Academic Officers, Chief Student Officers, 02/11/92. Memorandum from the Chancellor to Presidents, 10/21/93. Memorandum from the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to Presidents, chief Academic Officers, and Chief Student Affairs Officers, 8/18/94. Memorandum from Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to Academic Vice Presidents 6/14/96, Memorandum from Senior Vice Chancellor to Chief Academic Officers 07/24/98, Memorandum from Senior Vice Chancellor to Chief Academic Officers, 03/14/02, Memorandum from the Vice Chancellor for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs to the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, 12/18/03.

PROCEDURES

Administrative Procedures for Learning Support Programs

These procedures implement Policy 303.02 of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

PREFACE: Learning Support programs are intended to serve students who are not prepared for Core Curriculum courses and need additional preparation in reading, mathematics, English, and/or other areas. Three groups of students may be served within the Learning Support program:

Students who are required to take Learning Support courses because they do not meet the System minimum requirements for exemption. Students with System-mandated requirements are those who
1. were screened for Learning Support placement because they were below the University System minimum requirements on the SAT, had CPC deficiencies in English or mathematics, or entered as non-traditional students exempt from SAT and CPC requirements and
2. did not achieve the System minimum scores on the CPE or COMPASS for Learning Support exemption.
Students with System-mandated requirements would have to enroll in Learning Support courses regardless of which System institution they attend.
Students who are determined by the institution to need academic assistance even though they are eligible to be admitted without Learning Support requirements under System Policy. Such students may be required to participate in Learning Support courses or other program components to enhance their chances for success in Core Curriculum courses. A student who is eligible to enroll in a Core Curriculum course but fails the course could also be required to take a Learning Support course before or while retaking the Core Curriculum course.
Students who elect to enroll in Learning Support courses in order to prepare for Core Curriculum courses

In short, learning support is a generic term for programs designed to prepare students for collegiate work. Within that framework, institutions must serve students who fall below University System placement standards. Institutions have the flexibility to develop additional components and require students to participate in them as indicated in Procedures I. through IV. delineated below. However, in general:

All of the procedures apply to students who are below the University System placement standards. See Procedure IV.B.
Fewer restrictions apply to students who are above the University System placement standards but who are required by the institution to participate. See Procedure IV.C.
Students who voluntarily enroll in Learning Support courses are limited to three attempts per academic area. They are not subject to any exit requirements. See Procedure IV.D.

Institutions are not required to establish different requirements for the first two groups of students identified above and may apply the same policies to all students with a Learning Support requirement.

All students enrolled in a Learning Support course will be reported in SIRS as having a requirement or enrolling as a volunteer.

Learning Support courses will prepare students for the regular college curriculum. Students who exit a Learning Support area will be eligible to take the institution's first Core Curriculum course in the area and shall not be required to take additional work to prepare for the Core Curriculum course. Further, students not required to take Learning Support courses in an area are eligible to take the institutions's first Core Curriculum course in the area. There are no approved courses between Learning Support and the Core Curriculum.

Organization and Staff
1. Each institution shall establish a separate department or division for its Learning Support program. The separate department or division shall have its own budget and a core faculty, the members of which are appointed primarily in Learning Support, including those who may teach courses outside the department or division and who may hold joint appointments. Individuals from other departments may also be assigned to teach Learning Support courses.
  
  For those institutions preferring alternative arrangements, a proposal may be submitted for approval to the office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs indicating how the following issues will be addressed:
  - Structure
    - Description of the organizational plan.
    - Who provides leadership to the program?
    - How are budgetary issues handled?
    - Who makes sure that policies and procedures are adhered to?
    - Who handles scheduling of classes?
    - Who assesses student needs?
    - Who provides analyses on total program?
  - Faculty
    - To whom do Learning Support faculty report?
    - How are promotion/tenure issues handled?
    - Who evaluates Learning Support faculty?
    - How will professional development opportunities be handled?
  - Students
    - Who will advise Learning Support students?
  - Curriculum
    - Who will design and monitor an integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum which meets the unique needs of students?
    - How will assessment and programmatic changes be handled?
2. Each institution will designate a Coordinator of Learning Support Testing who will be responsible for coordinating and supervising the administration and scoring of Collegiate Placement Examination (CPE) and/or COMPASS placement and exit tests in accordance with University System test administration guidelines.
3. The record of each student's Learning Support course work, including courses, grades, and the results of any applicable CPE and COMPASS test administrations will be maintained in a system-approved format by the registrar as part of each student's academic record. Transcripts for all students with a Learning Support requirement shall include placement and current status in each academic area in a system-approved format. (See section 2.09.04.)
4. Each institution shall develop a set of procedures for its Learning Support programs. The procedures will include guidelines for implementing Board of Regents Policy and Administrative Procedures and University System 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 institutions will provide written notification to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs that the institutional procedures are consistent with Board Policy and Procedures.
Placement
1. Students entering programs leading to the baccalaureate degree who (1) score below either 430 SAT-Verbal or 400 SAT-Mathematics or below the comparable ACT scores as established by the University System of Georgia or (2) have not met the College Preparatory Curriculum requirements in English or mathematics shall be required to take the appropriate part(s) of the CPE or COMPASS to determine whether they are placed in Learning Support courses.
  
  (For students transferring from a COC-accredited DTAE college, comparable scores from the DTAE college may be used according to guidelines issued by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs.)
  
  Students who have taken a COMPASS or ASSET placement test at a COC-accredited DTAE college and transfer to a USG institution will not be required to take another placement test if they have attended the institution and have the placement scores recorded on the transcript.
  
  Students who have taken a COMPASS or CPE placement test at a USG institution and transfer to another USG institution will not be required to take another placement test.
  
  The System minimum score on the reading and English CPEs is 75. The System minimum score on the mathematics CPE is 79.
2. Institutions may require higher and/or additional standards for screening and placement into Learning Support courses. Institutions are not required to administer the CPE or COMPASS to students who meet the CPC requirements and score above the System minimum SAT or ACT scores. Alternative procedures may be used to screen and place such students in Learning Support courses.
3. Students entering career degree, certificate, or non-degree programs who will take any course which has a Learning Support prerequisite must meet any applicable requirements in that area (or areas).

Program Operation

Courses in the Learning Support program shall include English, reading and mathematics, and may include other preparatory courses. Preparatory courses in reading, English, mathematics or other disciplinary areas shall carry course numbers of 99 or below.
Learning Support departments or divisions shall coordinate academic advisement of students with Learning Support requirements to ensure that these students are informed about their requirements.
Each institution shall have a transfer admission policy and apply it consistently to all students with Learning Support requirements who transfer to the institution. Students who complete course work and exit an area of Learning Support in any institution in the University System shall not be required to re-enter that area of Learning Support upon transfer to another System institution.

(For students transferring from a COC-accredited DTAE college, exit will be considered according to guidelines issued by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs.)

Requirements above the System minimum set by an institution are applicable only at that institution. Transferring students may be required to participate in Learning Support components in those areas in which they have not exited Learning Support at a University System institution, so long as they do not exceed the maximum number of attempts per academic area (see IV. G., and IV. E.)
A student who is required to take Learning Support courses in an area may not register as an auditor in any such course in that area.
No degree credit will be earned in Learning Support courses numbered 99 or below, but institutional credit will be awarded.

The grades and symbols approved for Learning Support courses in English, reading, and mathematics will be:

A, B, C, D, S -	Passing course grade as defined in Board Policy 305
F, U. or WF -	Failing course grade
IP -	Indicates progress insufficient for completion of the course
I, W -	As defined in Board Policy 305
V -	May be used as defined in Board Policy 305, but only in those cases approved under Procedure III-D.

Each institution may use any of these grades or symbols which it deems appropriate for its program.

Students who have exited a Learning Support area are then eligible to enter the first applicable Core Curriculum course. They shall not be required to take lower-level courses, although students may voluntarily do so subject to the limitations established below (see IV.E.).

Requirements
1. Until Learning Support requirements have been satisfied, students shall not be permitted to take credit courses which require the content or the skills of the prerequisite courses, although institutions may establish co-requisite requirements for Core Curriculum courses. Each institution shall inform students of those courses which have Learning Support courses as prerequisites or co-requisites. Students with System-required Learning Support placement must:
  1. exit or exempt Learning Support Reading as a prerequisite for Social, Natural, and Physical Science courses (additional areas for exit or exemption such as Learning Support English or Learning Support Mathematics would be at the discretion of the institution);
  2. exit or exempt Learning Support English and Reading as prerequisites for college-level English;
  3. exit or exempt Learning Support Mathematics as a prerequisite for Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry (any science courses with a prerequisite of college-level mathematics would also require exit or exemption from Learning Support Mathematics);
  Institutions may submit requests to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to have Learning Support exit-level courses in English, reading, and mathematics serve as co requisites for college level courses. These courses must be designed to provide instruction to supplement the specific core curriculum courses. Institutions maintain the authority to identify other courses that have prerequisites or co requisites.
2. It is recommended that courses such as music, art, and drama remain open for students with Learning Support requirements whenever possible.
3. The following requirements apply to those students who have System-mandated Learning Support requirements. Institutions are not required to apply them to students who exceed the University System requirements even though such students may have institutionally mandated requirements (see IV.C below). Students who have System-mandated requirements in at least one area and institutionally-mandated requirements in another are subject first to the System-mandated requirements:
  1. During each semester of enrollment a student must first register for all required Learning Support courses before being allowed to register for other courses. This policy also applies to part-time students. Two exceptions are possible:
    - When two or three Learning Support areas are required and a student is enrolled in at least one Learning Support course, a freshman orientation course or physical education or other activity or performance courses may be taken that semester instead of one of the required Learning Support courses.
    - In the event that a required Learning Support course is not available, a student may enroll in a course for degree credit if the student has met the course prerequisites, subject to the written approval of the president or designee (Procedure IV.B.2 is applicable).
  2. Students who have accumulated 20 semester hours of college-level credit and have not successfully completed required Learning Support courses may enroll only in Learning Support courses until requirements are successfully completed. Students with transfer credit or credit earned in a certificate or prior degree program who are required to take Learning Support courses for their current degree objectives may earn up to 20 additional hours of college-level credit. After earning the additional hours, such students may enroll in Learning Support courses only (Procedures IV.E. and IV.F. are applicable).
  3. Students with Learning Support requirements who are enrolled in both Learning Support courses and credit courses may not withdraw from the required Learning Support courses with a "W" unless they also withdraw from credit courses.
  4. To exit a Learning Support area, students must complete the exit level Learning Support course in that area, meet any established institutional standards, and attain at least the University System minimum score on the appropriate part of the Collegiate Placement Examination or the comparable score on COMPASS. (Once students earn a passing CPE or COMPASS score, they need not retake the examination even though they may not have met all requirements for exiting at the time they passed the examination.) An exit writing sample shall also be required in Learning Support English, and shall be constructed, administered and graded in accordance with the following University System Guidelines as well as the institutional guidelines:
    - The Exit Writing Sample will be primarily institutional based. An institutional coordinating committee will ensure that the examination is administered consistently to each student who is required to take it and that it is both valid and reliable.
      
      The following are minimal guidelines for the sample:
      
      Definition
      - The sample will be a minimum of 300 words.
      - The topics will be chosen by a coordinating committee.
      Administration
      - The papers will be written as close to the end of the semester as feasible.
      - A coordinating committee will determine the time constraints of the test, which shall be administered consistently to all students at the institution who take the test.
      - The institution must be accountable for the reliability and validity of the scoring procedures. It must either use a carefully devised analytic scale which objectifies the evaluation of each paper, or it must use a panel of raters who evaluate the sample holistically.
      - The institutional coordinating committee will determine evaluation guidelines for the specified criteria (below) and will base levels of competence in each area on the curriculum of the institution's writing program.
      Evaluation Criteria
      - Assessment of the organization of the writing sample, with emphasis on evidence of the controlling idea and adequate and logical development, will be made.
      - Assessment of sentence variety and clarity will be made.
      - Assessment of mechanics and usage competence will be made.
      Institutions may set higher CPE or COMPASS scores for exit or additional standards for exit. Institutions may develop guidelines for retesting students on the exit Collegiate Placement Examinations or COMPASS. Institutions electing to retest must develop criteria for retesting which must be stated in the institution's Learning Support guidelines.
4. Students who exceed the System minimum requirements but are required by the institution to take Learning Support courses in order to prepare for Core Curriculum courses may, at the institution's option, be exempted from any or all of the requirements specified in Section IV B. However, all such requirements imposed by the institution must be satisfied by the time the student has earned 20 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. Procedures IV. F. through J. apply.
5. Students who are not required to take Learning Support courses in a disciplinary area may elect to enroll in Learning Support courses in the non-required area for institutional credit or on an audit basis. Such students are limited to a maximum of three attempts in each area but are not subject to the requirements specified in Sections IV. B., C., and F. (An attempt is defined as an institutional credit course in which a student receives any grade or symbol except "W," as outlined in Procedure III. F.)
6. All Learning Support programs must be designed so that students can complete all requirements in an area in a maximum of two semesters. A maximum of twelve semester hours or three semesters, whichever occurs first, may be taken in any area.
7. Time spent in Learning Support course work in a disciplinary area shall be cumulative within the University System . A transfer Learning Support student with fewer than three semesters and fewer than twelve semester hours in an area may be granted an additional semester (up to a total of fifteen semester hours at all institutions) if that student was making appropriate progress at the sending institution and is ready for the exit level course at the receiving institution. (The purpose of this provision is to allow for variations that may occur in credit hours for courses at various institutions.)
8. If a student does not complete requirements for an area in twelve semester hours or three semesters, whichever occurs first, the student will be suspended. The student may not be considered for readmission within three years of the suspension.
9. Prior to suspending a student who has not exited a Learning Support area within the twelve semester hour or three semester limit, an institution may allow the student to appeal for two additional courses. For each additional attempt, the student must:
  - be individually evaluated and determined to have a reasonable chance of success
  - be in an exit level course
  - have reached the limit in only one Learning Support area
10. During the semester of the first additional attempt, the student may enroll in courses other than Learning Support (subject to the 20-hour limit on the number of credit hours a student may earn before exiting Learning Support.) If granted the appeal for the second additional course, the student may enroll in only the Learning Support course.
11. Students who have been suspended from the institution without completing Learning Support requirements may not be exempted from their Learning Support requirements through transfer of course credit unless they are eligible for transfer admission under the institution's regular transfer admission policies.
12. Students who have not taken any college work in the University System for three years may be retested with the CPE or COMPASS (in any unsatisfied area) and readmitted without a Learning Support requirement if they meet the institutional criteria for exemption. Students who do not exempt on the retest may be considered for readmission. If an individual evaluation indicates that the student has a reasonable chance of success, the student may be readmitted for up to three additional attempts per Learning Support area. Students readmitted under this provision are subject to the 20-hour limit on college-level coursework and may not take credit work if they had earned 20 credit hours during their previous period(s) of enrollment.
13. Students with learning disorders who are required to enroll in Learning Support must fulfill all stated requirements, including the Collegiate Placement Examination (CPE) or COMPASS requirements. These students should be provided with appropriate course accommodations. The institution may make extended time accommodations on the CPE to students with documented needs. In addition, the institution may authorize use of a calculator for mathematics testing and/or provide a separate test administration if such accommodations are supported by the student's diagnosis. Students with learning disabilities, acquired brain impairment, or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder may petition through the institution to a Regents Center for Learning Disorders for a maximum of two additional semesters of Learning Support as provided in Section 2.22.
14. Appropriate course and testing accommodations should be made for students with visual, hearing, or motor impairment. Such students may be granted up to two additional semesters of Learning Support at the institution's discretion. Documentation on such students is to be maintained at the institution and summarized in the annual report on accommodations for students with disabilities.

Last modified: 05/20/2004

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2.09.02: Administrative Procedures/Learning Support

PROCEDURES