The Learning Support Program
 

The Learning Support Program offers courses in English, reading, mathematics, and study skills. All learning support courses numbered below 1000 carry institutional credit only. Entering students may be required to take the COMPASS placement tests in writing, reading, and mathematics to determine whether they are required to take learning support courses. Students who score below either 480 SAT-Verbal/20 ACT-English or 400 SAT-Math/17 ACT-Math or have no SAT/ACT scores shall be required to take the appropriate parts of the COMPASS placement test. Students entering programs leading to the baccalaureate degree who have not met the College Preparatory Curriculum requirements in English and mathematics shall be required to take the appropriate parts of the COMPASS placement test. Non-traditional students must take all three areas of the COMPASS placement test. A student scoring below the minimum score on the writing, reading, and/or mathematics placement test, must take the appropriate learning support courses since these courses are designed to teach skills needed for success in college level work. Placement test scores, ACT or SAT scores, and high school records are used to determine whether a student is placed in learning support courses, regular college courses, or advanced college courses. Below is a summary of the learning support requirements from the Learning Support Policy of the University System of Georgia.

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. Students with learning support placement must:

1. exit or exempt learning support reading as a prerequisite for social, natural, and physical science courses;

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;

2. The following requirements apply to those students who have learning support 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 seminar 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 division chair.

1.  A third exception applies to students in Career and Tech programs at ABAC

• If career tech students need all three learning support areas, they may take English and reading with other college level courses that do not have a learning support prerequisite. The following semester, the student should enroll in MATH 0090.

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.
    

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 successfully complete (C or better) 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 COMPASS. An exit writing sample shall also be required in learning support English.

3. 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.

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 one additional course. 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

If granted the additional course, the student may enroll in only the learning support course.

4. 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.
    

5. Students who have not taken any college work in the University System for three years may be retested with 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 appeal for readmission. Students readmitted under this provision are subject to the 20-hour limit on college-level course work and may not take credit work if they had earned 20 credit hours during their previous period(s) of enrollment.
    

6. Students with learning disorders who are required to enroll in learning support must fulfill all stated requirements, including the COMPASS requirements. These students should be provided with appropriate course accommodations.

Appropriate course and testing accommodations will be made for students with visual, hearing, or motor impairment.