Learning Support

Although institutional credit is granted for Learning Support courses, no degree credit is awarded. Students placed into Learning Support courses must be enrolled in required courses until all subject areas have been satisfied. These students must also complete the freshman seminar. Students may earn a maximum of 30 degree credits while enrolled in Learning Support courses, but may not enroll in degree credit courses which require the content and skills of Learning Support courses as prerequisites.

During each semester of enrollment a student must first register for all required Learning Support courses before being allowed to register for degree credit courses. There are two exceptions:

• When two Learning Support areas are required and a student is enrolled in at least one Learning Support course, then the freshman seminar or physical education or other activity or performance courses may be taken that semester instead of one of the required Learning Support courses.
• If 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.

Students who have accumulated 30 semester hours of college-level credit and have not successfully completed required Learning Support courses must enroll in only Learning Support courses until requirements are successfully completed. Students with transfer credit or credit earned in certificate or prior degree programs 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 must enroll only in Learning Support courses.

There are two levels of Learning Support: the Foundations level and the co-requisite level.  Placement is determined by the student’s score on the COMPASS placement test in the area(s) of deficiency. Students who begin at the Foundations level take a 4-nonbaccalaureate credit course in the area of remediation. Upon passing that course, they enroll in the appropriate Area A core course with a co-requisite 1-credit support course.  Students who begin at the co-requisite level enroll in the appropriate Area A core course and the co-requisite support course.

Placement in Learning Support Courses

Students admitted to the Department of Basic Studies are placed in the appropriate remediation level based on their COMPASS placement score(s).

Students with SATV/ACTE scores below 480/17 are required to take the COMPASS reading and English placement tests.

Students with SATM/ACTM scores below 42/17 are placed in the appropriate remediation level based on their COMPASS math placement test.  The course pathway is determined by the declared major: STEM (math, science, computer science or business) or non-STEM major.