Academics ........ Developmental Education

Possession of the basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics is a prerequisite to learning at the college level. The goal of Developmental Education is to provide academic services and courses of study, which enable students to achieve academic success at the college level.

Students who do not possess prerequisite skills shall be required to successfully complete developmental courses in reading, writing and mathematics. Developmental coursework is considered a prerequisite before any additional courses may be taken in the corresponding area. Developmental education courses receive institutional credit only. They may not be used in any of the College’s curricula.

This three-credit course is designed to prepare the student to succeed in upper level writing courses. A basic review of grammar is coupled with extensive practice in sentence recognition and development. Special emphasis is placed on paragraph development techniques, sentence structure, usage and language mechanics.

This course must be successfully completed before a student may enter ENG105 through ENG238. Failure in the course will result in repeating it the next semester. A grade of B is required to enroll in ENG105 College Writing. Students receiving less than a B are required to enroll and successfully complete ENG102 Fundamentals of Writing. Students must successfully complete all prerequisite course work in order to enroll in any upper level writing course. The grade in the latter course is counted as part of a student's GPA. DEV 010 earns institutional credit only.

This three-credit course is designed to develop fundamental reading skills through extensive practice. The purpose of this course is to increase the student’s ability to read efficiently and critically, to improve vocabulary, and to enable the student to make inferences from what is read. This course must be successfully completed (a grade of B or better) in the first semester. Students receiving less than a B are required to enroll in ENG 103 (Critical Reading). The grade received in the latter course is counted as part of a student’s GPA. DEV 020 earns institutional credit only.

This three-credit course is designed to reinforce basic arithmetic skills while introducing some fundamental algebraic concepts in preparation for college level math. Concepts and skills are developed through the integration of algebra and arithmetic problem-solving applications.

Students enrolled in Developmental Education courses are encourage to take advantage of the tutorial support available in the Academic Support Labs. The labs specialize in academic support for students in all levels of mathematics, all courses that require reading, writing and analysis, and computer application skills.

Students may arrange for individual tutoring or attend lab workshops covering a variety of topics designed to meet student needs.

Students who are required to take all three developmental courses are admitted as Provisional students. Full-time Provisional students are required to complete the three developmental courses: Reading for College, Basic Writing and Basic Math as well as College Study Skills, Introduction to Computer Applications and the required one credit course, The Freshman Experience, during the first semester before registering for other major specific courses. Provisional students are required to participate in the Mentoring Program –“STEEL” – Success Through Education, Encouragement and Leadership for two full semesters. Provisional status results in a review of a student’s academic progress at the end of his/her first full-time (12 credits or more) semester. Full-time Provisional students not achieving a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 1.85 at the end of the first semester will not be allowed to attend for the subsequent semester.

Students who do not complete the entire 16 credit provisional semester will remain on Provisional status with the 1.85 GPA requirement remaining in effect until the completion of their second semester.

Any student who has been academically suspended may request a review of the suspension decision within 5 calendar days of receipt of suspension. The request must be in the form of a letter to the Academic Development Division Chair citing reasons for consideration. The student must secure the approval of the Academic Development Division Chair before the Academic Dean grants final approval.

Any student who has been academically suspended may request readmission at the conclusion of the final grading period following the semester of dismissal. The request must be in the form of a letter to the Academic Development Division Chair citing reasons for consideration. The student must secure the approval of the Academic Development Division Chair before the Academic Dean grants final approval. The Academic Dean will notify the Academic Development Department, Student Affairs, Business Office, Registrar’s Office and the Financial Aid Office in the event of reinstatement.

Any student who has been academically suspended must completeat least three college credits before he/she can be re enrolled. Course/s may be taken during the summer/intersession at the College, through the College’s Continuing Education department, or at a local community college.

A readmitted Provisional student remains on Provisional status for the subsequent semester or until the 16 Provisional credits are completed with at least a 1.85 cumulative GPA.