V.C.1. Texas Success Initiative (TSI)
The College assesses the academic skills of each entering student to determine the student’s readiness to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework before the student enrolls. That assessment must be made through a state-approved instrument (i.e., test). The College is committed to assuring that students have the reading, writing, and mathematical skills required to be successful in college level classes. Therefore, most college level courses have required pre- or co-requisites that a student must meet prior to enrolling in the course
The College will provide the student with pre-assessment activity or activities that stress the importance of the assessment on the student’s academic career before administering the assessment. The activity or activities will also detail the assessment processes and its components, development or preparatory educational options, and institutional and community resources for students. The assessment’s results must meet the state-approved minimum passing standards to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework. The College will provide advising regarding available developmental education to equip the student in performing freshman-level academic coursework to students that fail the state-approved minimum passing requirements.
(a) Exceptions. The College may permit a student to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework without assessment under exceptional circumstances. The College will require the student to be assessed no later than the end of the first semester of enrollment in freshman-level academic coursework or by the completion of a level 1 certificate in a workforce program. Exemptions/exceptions from the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative will follow applicable Texas law and implementing regulations.
(b) The College Determines College Readiness. The College determines when a student is ready to perform freshman-level academic coursework using developmental education coursework and/or intervention learning outcomes developed by the THECB based on the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards and the student’s performance on the appropriate assessment(s).
V.C.2. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Credit
Students may obtain Prior Learning Assessment credit. Approved methods include receiving recognized scores on the ACT, SAT, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program examinations, Advanced Placement (AP) Program examinations, Avant language proficiency assessments, and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests. Students may also receive PLA credit under American Council on Education equivalency guides including for military transcripts, high school articulation agreements, the College’s challenge examinations, portfolio reviews, skill performance examinations, industry certification or licensure, or by successfully completing one or more dual credit courses.
Depending on the subject and course level, to receive PLA credit a student must score between 46 and 55 or higher on a CLEP examination, at least 3 on an AP examination, or at least 3, 4, or 5 on an IB examination.
The College grants up to 24 semester credit hours for the completion of an IB Diploma program with a minimum score of 4 on all exams. The College also grants from 1 to 5 semester credit hours (dependent upon the related course hours) for successfully completing a dual credit course or for receiving a required score on a IB examination, CLEP examination, or AP examination. PLA credit may not exceed 75% of a student’s overall certificate or associate degree coursework.
Except for courses that are part of an approved early college education program established under the Texas Education Code or any other early college program that assists a student in earning a certificate or an associate degree while in high school, the College grants course credit for a dual credit course only if the course is (1) in the core curriculum of the institution of higher education that offered it; (2) a career and technical education course; or (3) a foreign language course.
LSCS Policy Manual Section adopted by the Board of Trustees on November 1, 2018
V.C.3 Program Continuity
The Chancellor will develop Chancellor’s Procedures to ensure that students experience reasonable program continuity from college to college, campus to campus, and center to center regarding curriculum, instructional resources, program requirements, and learning outcomes.
V.C.4. Grading
The Chancellor must maintain procedures that ensure fair and timely grade assignment that appropriate reflect student mastery. The Chancellor’s Procedures regarding grades will include academic appeals for challenging assigned grades. The Chancellor’s Procedures will also protect student privacy rights regarding grades and other educational records. The Chancellor will ensure that the College provides students with effective support programs—including academic advising, counseling services, skills assessment and placement, career development, financial aid, student enrollment services, and support services for students with special needs.
V.C.5. Excused Absences for Military Service
The College shall excuse a student required to participate in required military service from attending classes, taking exams, or engaging in other required academic activities.18 The College will not penalize a student for an absence under this subsection except that the maximum period for which a student may be excused under this subsection shall be no more than 25 percent of the total number of class meetings or the contact hour equivalent (not including the final examination period) for the specific course or courses in which the student was currently enrolled before the period of required military service.19
The College will otherwise allow the student to complete an assignment, take an exam, or engage in other required activities within a reasonable time (end of the next long semester) after the student’s excused absence. The same deadline applies to LSC-Online, self-paced, correspondence, or any other form of asynchronous instruction. The College will also retain the student’s course work completed before the student was called to required military service and subject the student to the same syllabus or instructional plan when the student returns.20
The Chancellor will create procedures for returning students that fail to complete assignments (within end of the next long semester) after their return.
V.C.6. Library Record Privacy
The circulation records identifying the names of library users with specific materials are confidential to the extent permitted by law. Such information will be released to other individuals only with the patron’s written permission. The College may join the TexShare Library consortium established and maintained by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission without violating this policy.
V.C.7. Commencement Ceremony (Graduation)
The College will hold an annual commencement ceremony at the close of the spring semester and other times as appropriate. Students who complete degree or certificate requirements during the prior fall, current spring, or following summer sessions are invited to participate in the commencement exercises. Students who pass all components of the GED test will participate in a separate graduation ceremony.
V.C.8. Credit Transfer
The College is an open enrollment two-year community college. The College intends to provide a smooth transition between enrollment in other institutions and enrolling in the College. Similarly, the College intends to provide a smooth transition for students that enroll in subsequent higher education institutions.
(a) Publishing Course-Credit Transfer Guidelines. The College publishes course-credit transfer guidelines in its course catalog and on its website. The College identifies courses by using the THECB’s common course numbering system. The College identifies core courses on student transcripts as the Texas Association of Registrars and Admissions Officers recommends.
(b) Transferring Core Curriculum. Students successfully completing the 42-hour core curriculum at an institution of higher education may transfer those courses to any other institution of higher education. The receiving institution must substitute its core curriculum with that from the transferring student’s sending institution. A transferring student must receive academic credit for transferred courses, and the College cannot require additional core curriculum courses unless the THECB has approved a larger core curriculum. Nevertheless, each student transferring into a new institution should be aware that a receiving institution is not required to accept component core course credit hours beyond the maximum specified in the receiving institution’s core component area.
(c) Transferring Field-of-Study Curriculum. Students successfully completing a THECB-approved field-of-study curriculum may transfer those courses to a general academic teaching institution. The receiving institution substitutes those courses for the institution’s lower division requirements for the degree program in the field of study into which the student transfers. The student receives full academic credit toward the degree program for the block of courses transferred under this subsection. Students that have completed only part of the field-of-study curriculum should receive credit from the receiving institution for each of the courses the student did complete. The College may require students to satisfy additional field-of-study courses.
Transfer Dispute Resolution. The Chancellor will publish in the College’s course catalog the THECB’s transfer-dispute resolution procedures. The College will give written notice to the student and the other institution that the proposed credit is denied written when the College does not accept transfer credit. The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit under the THECB’s rules. If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the institution at which the credit was earned within 45 days after the date the student received the written notice of the denial, the College shall notify the Texas Commissioner of Higher Education of the denial and its reasons. The Commissioner of Higher Education, or the Commissioner’s designee, shall make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit, and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.
LSCS Policy Manual Section adopted by the Board of Trustees on February 2, 2017
Footnotes:
18 Tex. Admin Code §51.9111
19 Id.
20 Id.